Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club
A Brief History:
The Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club was established as an island wide walking club in 1997.
In 1996 two members of The Dartmouth Volksmarch Club (DVC) Judy and Gerry Everard, friends of Wayne Howie of Glace Bay held a community meeting at First United Church, Whitney Ave. in Sydney. The enthusiasm of the 125 or more persons who attended this meeting convinced the organizers that a volkssport club on Cape Breton Island was a viable proposition. Our very first walk event, known as “Anne’s Walk” was held on 21 April 1997. This group walk began at St Joseph Parish Hall, George Street with 24 participants. After this very successful walk many of our new members were hooked on volkssporting and subsequently headed off to the opening ceremonies and Volksmarch across the then new “Confederation Bridge” from PEI to NB.
The original club executive included Wayne Howie as the club president and Phil Irons as vice president. The club secretary was Jo Anne Curie and Judy Lorway was our first Treasurer; Rollie Coombes, trails coordinator, Barb & Cal Thistle volunteered for our Ways and Means committee. Ann Irons and Shirley Boutilier worked with both ways & means and the trails committees in the first start up years.
Our first Year Round Event was established in 1998 at The Cambridge Suites, 380 Esplanade in Sydney and continues to the present day. Eventually four more YRE’s were added in locations around the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. These permanent map walks are located in Glace Bay and North Sydney. Louisbourg and Baddeck host Lighthouse Walk events that are part of the National Lighthouse program.
The Cape Breton Island Hoppers celebrated its 10th anniversary in and around the Community of Louisbourg. A weekend of five walk events, a picnic and candlelight dinner at Fortress Louisbourg took place Friday 20 July to Sunday 22 July 2007. CVF President Graham Fawcett was in attendance.
In 2007 Joe MacKinnon became the 4th club president taking over from Rollie Coombes who became the first member of the CBIH to hold an executive position with the CVF Board of Directors as the Atlantic Regional Director.
In September of 2009 the club held its first 42k marathon event, taking our turn with the mainland clubs.
Rilla McLean from Port Hawkesbury and a member of CBIH was the first person to complete a CVF Year Round Event in a wheelchair and has also carried the Olympic Torch in 2010.
May 28-31, 2010 the CBIH hosted the national CVF Convention and Annual General Meeting at Victoria Park, CBRM – Sydney, NS. The 2010 Convention Chairperson was Elsie Buck who also held the position of Vice President and Trails Coordinator.
INTERNATIONAL HISTORY
Volkssport evolved from public running races (Volkslauf) sponsored by the sports clubs in southern Germany which were held in the early 1960s. In 1963 the sports club of Bobingen, a small town near Augsburg, Germany, organized the first Volkslauf or run of the folks, to stir interest in the club among the general public.
The idea caught on quickly in Bavaria and within a couple of years, Volkslaufs were being sponsored by sports clubs throughout southern Germany. In 1968 the International Volkssportverband (IVV) was founded by West Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria and their crests are on the IVV emblem.
One year later, fifteen Volksmarches were held in Southern Bavaria. These were the first events that resembled the Volksmarch event as we know them today. These events caught on with the urban dwelling German who welcomes a chance to get a little exercise on the weekends, a chance to breathe country air and a chance to receive some recognition for his/her efforts. These events had no time limit or classifications and wanderers young and old could participate as they pleased and as they were able. Since 1968 and the establishment of the IVV (International Federation of Popular Sports), many countries have joined and are now participating in Volkssports.
The IVV originally sponsored only walks, which are still the predominant event but has steadily grown to include other sports: bicycling, cross country skiing, swimming, in line skating and snow shoeing.
Volkssporting made its début in Canada in the early 1980’s and has grown steadily ever since. The Canadian Volkssport Federation (CVF/FCV) was formed in 1986 and now has over 35 member clubs throughout most regions of Canada, plus provincial organizations in Alberta and BC. Hundreds of volkssporting events are sponsored each year in Canada.
WHAT IS VOLKSSPORT?
The term Volkssport literally means ‘sport of the people’. Participants are from the general public and this means everyone, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, children, mom's and dads, and even your pets. Anyone who pays the registration fee and completes the required distance (at their own pace) is declared a winner. Volkssports are held in all weather conditions.
A Volkssport is an organized event designed to appeal to everyone, people of all ages. It is not a contest of speed or endurance. Participants go at their own pace but must complete the Volkssport before the finish time. Adequate time is available to complete the Volkssport event. There are usually several distances to select from.
One of the bonuses of Volkssporting is that each participant that pays the fee and enrolls in the IVV awards program by purchasing an IVV Event and/or Distance Record Book, is entitled to a certificate, hat pin and patch upon completion of milestones. Awards are earned by completing 10, 30, 50, and thereafter every 25 IVV sanctioned events and for every 500 kilometres (approximately 310 miles) completed at an IVV sanctioned Volkssport. There is no time limit for completing these books and they are good worldwide for sanctioned IVV events.
YRE – Year Round Event/Permanent (circuit) walk developed by a club
GW – Guided Walk event, lead by a club member or walk leader.
