Baixada del Riu Bullent de Pego: location, objective and history

The Baixada del Riu Bullent is a homemade boat competition held on a section of the Bullent River in the Marjal Pego-Oliva. The race constitutes a tradition for the town of Pego and surroundings, reaching its XXXVIII edition in 2024. The fun event brings together a multitude of people who come as participants or as spectators of the tour.

Precursors of the Baixada del Riu Bullent

When is celebrated?

The party takes place on the Saturday before Carnival, although the initiative has nothing to do with Lent. However, it represents the prelude and the first carnival act for the people. This year 2024, the Baixada del Riu Bullent is celebrated on sábado 3 de febrero.

Boat avoiding one of the bridges of the river Bullent during the Baixada in 2022

Since the route entails some difficulties, the organization of the event has specified the departure of the boats at 12:00 p.m. and the maximum arrival time at 17:00 p.m.. So, those who do not finish the tour in time will be disqualified.

Where have place?

Competition It starts in Pas de Bullent and ends in the Blau del Galapatar area., next to the Muntanyeta Verda de Pego. Spectators are located along the route, for this reason, the organization of the event enables two access areas to arrive.

On the one hand, in the area of access for participants is reached by the CV-728. On the other hand, entrance for spectators is enabled on the CV-678.

Below, the map shows the exit point of the Baixada del Riu Bullent:

What is

La Baixada or, more commonly, Baixa of the Riu Bullent is a boat trip through the Bullent river. It is neither a race nor a competition, since the greatest difficulty of the Baixada is to make the boats advance by rowing or pushing them in any way.

Group of friends trying to cross one of the obstacles during the Baixada

In this initiative different groups of friends they cross the river in ingenious boats created by themselves. In the contest rules it is specified that the Marjal's own boats can also participate. However, those propelled by motor or canoes are prohibited.

One of the peculiarities of the current festival is that the participants must come in costume, although it is not an essential requirement. Creativity and originality of both boats and costumes are rewarded, so laughter and a good atmosphere are guaranteed.

Colla Colls Verds in the 2022 edition of the Baixà

Along the route, spectators encourage the competitors while they spend the day with family, friends and acquaintances. Therefore, the Baixà constitutes an essential appointment for the inhabitants of Pego.

In addition, not only neighbors come pegolins, but the event has become so famous that brings together people from different parts of the Marina Alta. On the other hand, since the river Bullent separates the towns of Pego and Oliva, inhabitants of this town of La Safor also come.

A sustainable goal

Competition its objective is the removal of waste and the general cleaning of the course of the river Bullent. For this reason, during the tour, each boat has the duty to accumulate debris or garbage that does not naturally belong to the Marjal, as long as their handling of the boat allows it. There are boats that barely manage to reach the goal, so waste collection is not feasible on some occasions.

Baixada participants struggling not to fall from the boat

However, the Baixada del Riu is also conceived as a pre-carnival party, so another of the main purposes is to bring people together and spend the day with friends. In addition, it is an initiative that offers visibility to the Marjal Natural Park and tries to make the contestants and spectators aware of the care and respect for pegolina nature.

Contest rules

Despite the fact that the origin of the tradition is not an initiative of the City Council, over the years the festival has acquired such notoriety that the Pego town hall has assumed the organization of the event. To do this, some rules are published annually to follow to register for the competition. These are:

• All boats that have been built by the participants themselves, in addition to those of the Marjal, may participate. All those that are propelled by any type of motor or canoe will be eliminated.
• Boats made with polluting material that breaks up, such as polyurethane or drums that have contained toxic material, will be excluded.
• Each participant will be responsible for removing their boat when the course of the Baixada ends and not dirtying the river or the surroundings. This point is fundamental so that in later years this act can continue to be held. In case of not being withdrawn, it will be taken into account to sanction the registration in future editions or, even, remove the prizes in case they were winners.
• The use of "barbecues", rockets, firecrackers, pyrotechnic material or any music device that endangers the rest of the participants is prohibited.
• The jury will be formed exclusively by residents of Pego.
• The jury's decision is final. The contest may be deserted if the jury considers it pertinent.
• Boats that are not at the finish line at 17:00 p.m. in the afternoon will be disqualified from the contest.
• Participation in this contest implies full acceptance of these bases.
• Any unforeseen aspect that may arise will be submitted to the jury's discretion.

For any doubt or question, it is possible to contact the organization via email comunicacio@pego.orgRead the Bases published by the Pego City Council and application to enroll in the Baixada del riu Bullent.

Awards

The Town Hall of Pego awards various economic prizes in different categories. In this way, the prizes for the winners of the Baixada del Riu Bullent 2023 are:

• 1st prize for the originality of the boat: 250 euros.
• 2nd prize for originality of the boat: 150 euros.
• Award to construction of the most sustainable boat: 250 euros.
• Award to boat that removes more waste from the river: 300 euros.

History

La Baixada del Riu Bullent began its journey in 1985, when a group of friends decided to promote the initiative as a meeting the weekend before Carnival. However, what motivated the event was the will to somehow revitalize one of its hallmarks, the Marjal de Pego-Oliva.

Group of friends pushing their boat in the Baixada del Riu Bullent

At that time, With the abandonment of the rice fields, the current Natural Park was dirty and in its lowest hours, a question that somehow outraged those young people. It could be said that they were the first environmental group in the municipality, since their intention was to clean the Bullent River of garbage while they spent the day in a gang.

For this reason, through Pego's free radio, where the group of friends broadcast their program, they announced that they would hold the Baixada del Riu Bullent. With this intention, they bought one of the boats used in the past in the rice fields and, the first year, they started the event only with each other. This is how the idea was forged that would later bring together many more groups.

First edition in 1986

After the first intimate attempt, everyone agreed that the Baixada could be a more massive initiative and that it would require more organization and supervision. So that, in 1986 the first official edition was held. One of the first decisions they made was to establish the party during the winter, since during the summer the water levels drop when distributing it to irrigate the fields.

Sticker as a poster for the IV Baixada Riu Bullent in 1989

So, they moved their intention to City Hall to get some help with security and they were able to count on an ambulance, signaling and police management. Above all, years later, when the Baixada became so popular that it brought together almost a hundred boats on the route.

Crash and shipwreck of boats in the Baixada del Riu Bullent

This group of friends was in charge of the party for at least 10 years. However, when the event began to have much more relevance and various government authorities wanted to be part of it, the group of friends decided to delegate the entire organization to the City Council. In this way, and until today, it is how the Baixada del Riu Bullent de Pego has continued to be a popular festival of reference in the region.

previous location

In the beginning, the Baixada began a little further away than today. The route was much more complete, since the starting point was the Les Aigües spring. This point is located on the national highway between Pego and Oliva.

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