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| Sport | Canoeing Kayaking |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | South Africa |
| Abbreviation | CSA |
| Founded | 1956 [1] |
| Affiliation | International Canoe Federation |
| Regional affiliation | African Canoe Confederation |
| President | Kim Pople [2] |
| Secretary | Colin Simpkins |
| Official website | |
| www | |
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Canoeing South Africa is the governing body for the sport of canoeing and kayaking in South Africa.The body is affiliated to the International Canoe Federation (ICF) and the African Canoe Confederation. [3]
There seems to be no record of canoeing on the rivers of Southern Africa before the 1930s. By the 1930s, canoe trips were made on rivers like the Orange River and the Vaal River, with the first canoe race on record being made on the Vaal River in 1939.
In 1951 the inaugural Dusi Canoe Marathon, was held, the South African Canoe Federation (SACF) was then established in 1956 to govern the sport of canoe racing. [4] Around the 1960s, kayaks made of fibreglass were introduced, and the sport started expanding. During the same period, Willem van Riet began several river races, beginning with a solo descent of the Orange River: he navigated from Aliwal North westwards to the sea at Oranjemund within 36 days. He then made subsequent trips with descents of the Limpopo River, the Sabie River and later, along with his friend Gordon Rowe, the Cunene River.
In the 1970s, plastic kayaks made their appearance, creating a revolution in kayaking. The understanding of white-water hydraulics grew very fast and waterfalls were being run safely. Commercial river-running also appeared on the scene, with Graeme Addison involved in organising trips for clients using kayaks and rafts, prior to his creation of South Africa’s first commercial operator “The River Men” in 1983. Economic focus later changed in favour of rafting. Graeme Addison in addition, started the Southern African Rivers’ Association (SARA).
The Orange River is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of 2,432 km (1,511 mi), the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Lesotho and between South Africa and Namibia, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. The river was named the Orange River in honour of the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch explorer Robert Jacob Gordon. Other names include simply the word for river, in Khoekhoegowab orthography written as !Garib, which is rendered in Afrikaans as Gariep River with the intrusion of a velar fricative in place of the alveolar click, Groote River or Senqu River, derived from ǂNū "Black". It is known in isiZulu as isAngqu.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Canoe sprint is a water sport in which athletes race in specially designed canoes or kayaks on calm water over a short distance. The sport is governed over by the International Canoe Federation and it is one of the two kayaking and canoeing disciplines at the Summer Olympics. The other Olympic canoeing discipline is canoe slalom.
A surfski is a type of kayak in the kayaking "family" of paddling craft. It is generally the longest of all kayaks and is a performance oriented kayak designed for speed on open water, most commonly the ocean, although it is well suited to all bodies of water and recreational paddling.
The Dusi Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race held over three days between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. It is run along the Msunduzi and Mgeni Rivers over a total distance of 120 kilometres (75 mi). The race attracts between 1600 and 2000 paddlers each year, making it the biggest canoeing event on the African continent. It is organised by the Natal Canoe Club. The clubhouse is located on the banks of the Msunduzi River, at the exact start point of the race.
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.
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.
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.
Sprint kayak is a type of canoe sprint held on calm water. The paddler is seated, facing forward, and uses a double-bladed paddle pulling the blade through the water on alternate sides to propel the boat forward. Kayak sprint has been in every summer Olympics since it debuted at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The sport is governed by the International Canoe Federation.
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 2010 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held 8–12 September 2010 at Tacen Whitewater Course, Slovenia under the auspices of International Canoe Federation for the record-tying third time. It was the 33rd edition. Tacen hosted the event previously in 1955 and 1991 when it was part of Yugoslavia, and joins the following cities that have hosted the event three times: Spittal, Austria ; Meran, Italy ; Bourg St.-Maurice, France ; and Augsburg, Germany. Women's single canoe (C1W) events became a medal event after being an exhibition in the previous championships.
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.
The uMkhomazi River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships is an International Canoe Federation competition in canoe marathon in which athletes compete over long distances. The race usually starts and ends at the same place, and includes portages. Race categories vary by the number of athletes in the boat, the length of the course, and whether the boat is a canoe or kayak. In a kayak, the paddler is seated in the direction of travel, and uses a double-bladed paddle. In a canoe the paddler kneels on one knee with the other leg forward and foot flat on the floor inside the boat, and paddles a single-bladed paddle on one side only. The World Championships were held every two years from 1988, becoming annual in 1998.
Graeme "Pope" Pope-Ellis was a South African canoeist best known for his 46 consecutive year Dusi Canoe Marathon career, having won the race a record 15 times.
Lani Belcher is a British canoeist who previously represented Australia. She competed in the women's K-2 500 metres event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Belcher won the Gold Medal in the 2017 Canoe Marathon World Championships in South Africa.
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