canoeing

Canadian-style canoeing, in which the canoeists kneel as they paddle. Modern canoes are modelled on native craft that have been in use in the Americas and the Pacific for thousands of years, and are typically 3-7 m/10-20 ft long. They are easily carried and well suited for use in rugged, heavily wooded terrain.

Sport of propelling a lightweight, shallow boat, pointed at both ends, by paddles or sails. Present-day canoes are made from fibreglass, but original boats were of wooden construction covered in bark or skin. Canoeing was popularized as a sport in the 19th century, although canoes have been in use for thousands of years.

Two types of canoe are used: the kayak and the Canadian-style canoe. The kayak, derived from the Inuit model, has a keel and the canoeist sits. The Canadian-style canoe has no keel and the canoeist kneels. In addition to straightforward racing, there are slalom courses, with up to 30 ‘gates’ to be negotiated through rapids and around artificial rock formations. Penalty seconds are added to course time for touching suspended gate poles or missing a gate. One to four canoeists are carried. The sport was introduced into the Olympic Games in 1936.