🥇 The Origins of the International Sella Descent: An Adventure That Became Legend
🎉 The International Sella Descent is one of the most iconic canoeing competitions in the world, held on the first Saturday of August between the Asturian towns of Arriondas and Ribadesella… but how did this incredible story begin?
🚣♂️ It all started in 1929, when Dionisio de la Huerta decided to take a canoe trip down the Piloña River, from Coya to Infiesto. He was joined by several friends and they paddled for over two hours along a 5-kilometer route.
🏞️ Enthusiastic about the experience, Dionisio convinced Alfonso Argüelles and Manés Fernández to do the first descent of the Sella River, paddling downstream from Arriondas. That descent included many stops to bail water from the canoe. Meanwhile, a group of friends followed them by bus along the road between Arriondas and Ribadesella.
📍 In Soto de Dueñas they were forced to end their journey after 14 km in 7 hours, enjoying the river and the Asturian landscape. But the seed had been planted.
🏁 In 1930, Dionisio completed the route from Coya to Arriondas, and in 1931, he reached Ribadesella.
🥇 It was in 1932 that the official start in Arriondas and finish in Ribadesella were established, marking the first competitive edition of the Sella Descent, with thirteen paddlers from Oviedo, Gijón, Ribadesella, and Infiesto. In 1935, the first paddlers from outside Asturias joined.
🔥 That challenge among friends transformed into what we now know as the Fiesta de las Piraguas, an internationally renowned sporting and cultural event.
📣 Here you can listen to the official proclamation of the Sella Descent in the voice of Dionisio de la Huerta, the visionary who started this tradition:
🎩 Do You Want to Discover Dionisio de la Huerta’s Hat, Necklace, and Vest?
Here we show you the original outfit of the founder of the International Sella Descent, a key figure in the history of this great Asturian festival.
🚣♂️ Today, the International Sella Descent is officially recognized as a Festival of International Tourist Interest, and is considered the most important river descent event in the world.
📜 We remember the unforgettable words of Dionisio de la Huerta about this unique celebration:
“The Sella is not, nor does it want to be, a spectacle. Quite the opposite (which doesn’t mean it isn’t spectacular): IT’S A FESTIVAL.
No one makes it happen, or rather, it is made by everyone. Those who come to the Sella are not spectators, but ACTORS. It’s the crowd that makes the Sella something unique, different from everything else. The landscape, the crowd, the atmosphere, the garlands, etc.: That is the Sella.”
— Dionisio de la Huerta (Founder of the Descent)
🧭 Use our menu or explore our website to discover every aspect of the International Sella Descent:
🛶 Its history year by year
📍 The full route
👥 The participants
🏁 Start and finish lines
🚂 The river train
🎺 Verses and the proclamation
🏆 Winners and records
🎽 The parade and the Allume
🚩 Flag-raising ceremony
🎉 The night festivities
Everything you need to know about the International Sella Descent is on sellavirtual.com, the reference site for the Sella River.
tag: history of the international descent of the river sella – sella descent history- international sella descent 2025
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