Canoeing is an activity which involves
paddling
Paddling with regard to watercraft is the act of manually propelling a boat using a paddle. The paddle, which consists of one or two blades joined to a shaft, is also used to steer the vessel. The paddle is not connected to the boat (unlike in r ...
a
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
with a single-bladed
paddle
A paddle is a handheld tool with an elongated handle and a flat, widened distal end (i.e. the ''blade''), used as a lever to apply force onto the bladed end. It most commonly describes a completely handheld tool used to propel a human-powered w ...
. 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
Canoe camping, also known as touring, tripping or expedition canoeing, is a combination of canoeing and camping. Like backpacking, canoe campers carry enough with them to travel and camp for several days, but do so via a canoe or kayak.
Descri ...
, 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''.
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
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 affiliate ...
. Canoeing became part of the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
in the
summer of 1936. The main form of competitive sport was
canoe sprint
Canoe sprint is a water sport in which athletes race canoes or kayaks on calm water.
Overview
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. Canoe sprints are s ...
using a
sprint canoe
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 nar ...
. Others include
canoe polo,
whitewater canoeing
Whitewater canoeing is the sport of paddling a canoe on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater canoeing can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ...
,
canoe marathon,
ICF canoe marathon 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 var ...
, and
playboating
Canoe freestyle (also known as playboating) is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where people perform various technical moves in one place (a playspot), as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is ...
.
National canoe associations include the
American,
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
,
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
,
Scottish, and
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
.
Recreational canoeing
![Kanutour in Finland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Kanutour_in_Finland.jpg)
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
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 ...
(previously known as
whitewater
Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...
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
Verlen Kruger (June 30, 1922 in Pulaski County, Indiana – August 2, 2004) was a canoe enthusiast who paddled over in his lifetime.
Paddling
Over the course of his life, Verlen Kruger paddled the most miles (over 100,000 miles) of any singl ...
paddled the most miles (over 100,000 miles) of anyone in the sport.
See also
*
Outline of canoeing and kayaking
The following outline is provided as an overview of 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 s ...
*
Canoe paddle strokes
Canoe paddle strokes are the means by which a paddle (or paddles) is used to move a canoe through the water. Strokes are generally designated as flatwater or whitewater strokes. The strokes are also combined or modified. Some commonly known and ...
*
Kayak
*
Canadian (canoe)
Canadian is the byname used in some countries for the descendants of the birch bark canoe that was used by the indigenous peoples of Northern America as a convenient means of transportation in the densely forested and impassable areas of Nor ...
References
External links
International Canoe Federation (ICF)CanoeResults.eu(results of mayor canoe competitions)
{{Authority control
*
Summer Olympic sports