From the Archive: Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge Documentary

The Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge may be familiar to canoeists who like a challenge - it's a four-day race down the Belize River, from San Ignacio to Belize City. Bear Mountain Boats has a long history with the Ruta Maya, having attended since the race's early days. One of our models, the Chaa Creek Expedition 19'9", was designed specifically for use in the Ruta Maya and named in honour of our friends at the Chaa Creek Lodge.

The race has two decades of history behind it now, but in 2001 it was still just an upstart. This documentary from our archive chronicles the importance of the race and some of the challenges involved in running it. Like our last two video entries, The Art of Paddle Carving and the Kayakcraft Companion, the video quality here is distinctly retro. We still think fans of the race will get a kick out of seeing the early days, though, and even newcomers may find themselves longing to take on the river. Thanks for watching!