With the intersection of the Crinchon and Scarpe rivers, Arras is an ideal location for freshwater water sports such as canoeing and kayaking. In Saint-Laurent-Blangy, heading northeast, a water sports center awaits you. The latter has been selected for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. If you enjoy canoeing, kayaking, rafting, hydrospeed, hot-dogging or air-boating, Arras and its urban community are the ideal place. Here’s a closer look at some of the whitewater and calm water sports on offer in the Arras region.
Freshwater and whitewater activities
If you visit the Centre nautique de Saint-Laurent-Blangy, you can take part in both whitewater and freshwater activities.
White water activities
Here, if you enjoy rafting, kayaking, hot-dogging and hydrospeed, the situation is ideal. But do you know what it’s all about ?
- A kayak is, by definition, a sport boat that can be single-seater or double-seater, and is operated by arm power and a paddle. Unlike a traditional canoe, you’ll need to wear a skirt as well as a helmet to be able to perform flips, placing your hands by your hips on the edge of the cockpit to push your body out of the kayak ;
- The hot-dog, also known as canoraft (or “cano-raft”) or canoe-raft (or even mini-raft), is a type of inflatable craft that is a hybrid between rafting and canoeing. People in the craft are propelled by double paddles in rivers like the Scarpe and in whitewater ;
- A white-water sport, hydrospeed involves swimming down a torrent. To practice this sport, you need a float (called a hydrospeed), a helmet, a neoprene suit, a life jacket and flippers.
Saint-Laurent-Blangy nautical base
Freshwater and calm water activities
The 4 activities offered at the base nautique, for sessions or courses as well as official competitions in calm waters, are canoeing, kayaking (as we saw earlier), stand-up paddling and pirogue.
- The advantage of a two or three-seater canoe is that you can cruise along the Scarpe in complete safety.
Equipped with a life jacket and helmet, you’ll be able to see the magnificent surrounding landscape, as well as the vegetation and birds along the banks. Easy to understand, navigation is via a simple paddle ; - Stand-up paddling is the subject of competitions that bring together some of the world’s best paddlers, including 15-kilometer races that put competitors to the test. This demanding sport involves paddling upright on a large, wide board resembling a surfboard, using a single paddle ;
- Finally, the pirogue is considered a Tahitian racing sport. Here, in the shape of a drakkar, it can hold from 10 to 20 people and is perfectly suited to taking children along.
Arrival of a stand-up paddle race in Arras (Qaui du rivage)
Other activities at the Saint-Laurent-Blangy Nautical Center
In addition to nautical activities, the center also offers solutions for seminars in the Arras region. Several rooms are available for meetings and training sessions. The verdant setting lends itself well to inter-company meetings or team building (as in the escape game) for employees, as you can plan to discover the sports mentioned above.
Base location & contact
The nautical base is located at 25 rue Laurent Gers in Saint-Laurent-Blangy (62223), next to the Jean-Paul Fleurquin media library. This is the Robert-Pecqueur whitewater stadium, which was the driving force behind the creation of the Saint-Laurent-Blangy Sports and Leisure Association (in the company of Richard Bollier).
The club is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 12.15pm and 1.15pm to 5.45pm.
Closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Reservations can be made by calling 03 21 73 74 93.
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