37th Sella Descent
It was truly a year of crisis at the 1973 International Descent of the Sella: the number of participating countries dropped from 13 to 9, but the most painful blow was the absence of Dionisio de la Huerta, the founder and soul of the event.
Without Dionisio, the Fiesta de las Piraguas lost its festive spirit and ceremonial character. Although the Federation took over and improved the competitive side, essential traditions vanished: there was no mythological parade, no poetic verses at the start, and not even the Asturian Anthem was played to encourage the paddlers. The starting cannon was instead fired by the renowned Asturian painter Paulino Vicente, giving the ceremony a different but less solemn touch.
On the sporting front, Spanish pairs were clear favorites. Esteban Celorrio and Javier Sanz ultimately claimed victory with a time of 1 h 18 min 24 s. Notably, this edition also saw the rise of Herminio Menéndez —considered Spain’s greatest canoeist in history— who, alongside Ramón Menéndez, secured second place and confirmed his emergence among the sport’s elite.
tag: international descent of the river sella 1973
