Canoeing

Last updated

Canoeing
WW Open Canoe in Big Water.png
Whitewater canoe
Highest governing body International Canoe Federation
Presence
Olympic 1936–present
World Games Canoe polo: 2005–present

Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other activities such as canoe camping, or where canoeing is merely a transportation method used to accomplish other activities. Most present-day canoeing is done as or as a part of a sport or recreational activity. In some parts of Europe canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an open canoe.

Contents

A few of the recreational forms of canoeing are canoe camping and canoe racing. Other forms include a wide range of canoeing on lakes, rivers, oceans, ponds and streams.

History of organized recreational canoeing

Canoeing is an ancient mode of transportation. Modern recreational canoeing was established in the late 19th century. In 1924, canoeing associations from Austria, Germany, Denmark and Sweden founded the Internationalen Representation for Kanusport, forerunner of the International Canoe Federation (ICF). [1] Canoeing became part of the Olympic Games in the summer of 1936. [2] [3] The main form of competitive sport was canoe sprint using a sprint canoe. Others include canoe polo, whitewater canoeing, canoe marathon, ICF canoe marathon, and playboating.

More than 170 national canoe associations and federations are members of the ICF, including the American, Canadian, British, Scottish, and Welsh.

Recreational canoeing

People canoeing at Lake Kokkojarvi in Lieksa, Finland Kanutour in Finland.jpg
People canoeing at Lake Kokkojärvi in Lieksa, Finland

Most present-day canoeing is done as or as a part of a sport or recreational activity. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an Open canoe. A few of the recreational forms of canoeing are canoe camping and canoe racing such as canoe sprint and canoe marathons. Other forms include a wide range of canoeing on lakes, rivers, oceans, ponds and streams.

The summer Olympics include canoeing competitions. Canoe slalom (previously known as whitewater slalom) is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. It is one of the two kayak and canoeing disciplines at the Summer Olympics, and is referred to by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Canoe/Kayak Slalom. The other Olympic canoeing discipline is canoe sprint.

In his lifetime, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, Verlen Kruger paddled the most miles (over 100,000 miles) of anyone in the sport. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildwater canoeing</span>

Wildwater canoeing is a competitive discipline of canoeing in which kayaks or canoes are used to negotiate a stretch of river speedily. It is also called "Whitewater racing" or "Downriver racing" to distinguish it from whitewater slalom racing and whitewater rodeo or Freestyle competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Canoe Association</span> National governing body for paddlesports in Scotland

The Scottish Canoe Association is the national governing body for canoeing, kayaking and other paddlesport in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe slalom</span> Competitive sport

Canoe slalom is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. It is one of the two kayak and canoeing disciplines at the Summer Olympics, and is referred to by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Canoe/Kayak Slalom. The other Olympic canoeing discipline is canoe sprint. Wildwater canoeing is a non-Olympic paddlesport.

Ben Fouhy is a New Zealand flatwater and marathon canoeist who has been competing since the early 2000s. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he won the silver in the K-1 1000 m event at Athens in 2004, as well as finishing fourth in the 2008 Olympics and ninth in the 2012 Olympics in the same event. He is the recipient of the 2003 Halberg Award for NZ Sportsman of the Year and a former world record holder in the K1 1000m event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Canoe Federation</span> International canoeing governing body

The International Canoe Federation (ICF) is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide. 157 countries are affiliated with the ICF after seven national federations were added at the 2008 ICF Congress in Rome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe freestyle</span> Discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing

Canoe freestyle is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where people perform various technical moves in one place, as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river. Specialised canoes or kayaks (boats) known as playboats are often used, but any boat can be used for playing. The moves and tricks are often similar to those performed by snowboarders, surfers or skaters, where the athlete completes spins, flips, turns, etc. With modern playboats it is possible to get the kayak and the paddler completely airborne while performing tricks. The competitive side of playboating is known as freestyle kayaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe sprint</span> Discipline in sport of canoeing and kayaking

Canoe sprint is a water sport in which athletes race canoes or kayaks on calm water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penrith Whitewater Stadium</span> White water sports venue near Sydney, Australia

The Penrith Whitewater Stadium is located near Sydney, Australia. It is an artificial whitewater sporting facility which hosted the canoe/kayak slalom events at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The facility is part of the Penrith Lakes Scheme, which is converting open-pit sand and gravel mines into lakes for recreation. It is close to Cranebrook and is adjacent to the Sydney International Regatta Centre. These lakes are not filled via the Nepean River, but are filled via rain water and ground water. The operation of the facility aerates the water and improves water quality in the flat water rowing and canoeing course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprint canoe</span>

A sprint canoe is a canoe used in International Canoe Federation canoe sprint. It is an open boat propelled by one, two or four paddlers from a kneeling position, using single-bladed paddles. The difficulty of balance can depend on how wide or narrow the canoe is, although regularly the less contact a canoe has with the water the faster it goes. This makes the narrower boats much faster and popular when it comes to racing.

The ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships are an international event in canoe racing, one of two Summer Olympic sport events organized by the International Canoe Federation. The World Championships have taken place every non-Olympic year since 1970 and officially included paracanoe events since 2010; since 2012, paracanoe-specific editions of this event have been held in Summer Paralympic years.

Richard Munro Fox is a British slalom canoeist who competed for Great Britain from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. He won eleven medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with ten golds and a bronze. Fox also won the overall World Cup title three times and the Euro Cup four times.

Canoe Wales is the national governing body for paddlesport in Wales. It covers all branches of the sport from recreational canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and rafting to whitewater racing, slalom racing and wildwater racing; flatwater sprint racing and marathon racing; canoe sailing; canoe polo; surf kayaking and canoeing; and extreme racing. The organisation has over 2,700 members including individual paddlers as well as affiliated club members. Full adult members of Canoe Wales are also by default Welsh members of British Canoeing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe Kayak Canada</span> Governing body of competitive canoeing and kayaking disciplines in Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada is the governing body of competitive canoeing and kayaking disciplines in Canada. The three specific disciplines represented are flatwater, whitewater and marathon. Canoe Kayak Canada officially replaced the name "Canadian Canoe Association" in 2005, although the former title is still used by the organization. The name change came about from a desire to include the kayaking discipline in the organization's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Grimm</span> German slalom canoeist

Alexander Grimm is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe marathon</span> Paddling sport

Canoe marathon is a paddling sport in which athletes paddle a kayak or canoe over a long distance to the finish line. The International Canoe Federation states the standard distances are at least 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) without an upper limit, while short distance races are between 3.4 kilometres (2.1 mi), and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi). Many events are raced down sections of river, including currents or portages around obstacles. Some events attract thousands of competitors and are staged over several days.

The United States Canoe Association (USCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to canoeing and paddle sports within the United States. Established in 1968, it is headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana.

The ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships are an international event in canoeing organized by the International Canoe Federation. The World Championships have taken place every year in non-Summer Olympic years since 2002. From 1949 to 1999, they had taken place in odd-numbered years. The 2001 championships were scheduled to take place in Ducktown, Tennessee from 20 to 23 September, but were canceled in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viking Kayak Club</span> Water sports club in Bedford, England

Viking Kayak Club is an open, community-based, multi-disciplinary club and is now one of the foremost canoe and kayak clubs in the UK. The club offers a broad range of paddling opportunities from easy recreational paddling to competition in canoe slalom, canoe racing and canoe polo and is active in encouraging beginners into the sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of canoeing and kayaking</span> Overview of and topical guide to canoeing and kayaking

Canoeing – recreational boating activity or paddle sport in which you kneel or sit facing forward in an open or closed-decked canoe, and propel yourself with a single-bladed paddle, under your own power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe Association of Northern Ireland</span> National governing body for paddlesports in Northern Ireland

The Canoe Association of Northern Ireland (CANI) was formed in 1964 and is the governing body for canoeing and kayaking in Northern Ireland. CANI is the Northern Ireland Division of British Canoeing. British Canoeing is the governing body for the UK. CANI, through British Canoeing is affiliated to the International Canoe Federation.

References

  1. Dudley, Marianna (1 September 2017). ""Muddying the waters: recreational conflict and rights of use of British rivers"". Water History. 9 (3): 259–277. doi:10.1007/s12685-017-0193-2. hdl: 1983/d36c7fb8-a502-4b08-89fe-e535e09bbd21 . ISSN   1877-7244. S2CID   151360522.
  2. "Canoe/Kayak Sprint Equipment and History". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  3. "Rio 2016 Olympics: Know your sport — Canoeing". The Indian Express. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. canoekayakmag (9 August 2004). "Obituary: Verlen Kruger Remembered". Canoe & Kayak. Retrieved 25 June 2014.