Sports and Recreation

Back in the old days canoeing was invented to meet the basic needs of early people for transportation across rivers, streams, marshes and along other waterways. Back then canoeing was the primary and almost only means for long-distance traveling at one part of history all-throughout the entirety of the Amazon Basin, Polynesia and North America among other places where the exact history of canoeing is still undefined and unrecorded.

As a mode of transportation, canoes have almost been extinct and their place taken over by motorboats, airplanes, trains and roads. And with the increasing number of cars in the world there is almost little need for man powered canoes and kayaks, although they still remain as one of the most popular recreational sports and watercrafts in the world.

This much is true due to the existence of a the canoe-based and kayaking like sports that actually uses canoes and kayaks as the main tool for competition. Some of the most famous forms of kayaking and canoe based sports would be water races with man powered boats. There are many forms of water racing that is based on canoeing. Here are some of them:

1. Sprint. This is probably one of the oldest disciplines of canoeing, sprint is also known as canoe racing and as the name suggests it involves several individuals on canoes that have the same goal, and that is to finish the race the fastest. It is relatively easy when it comes to the requirements and the needs of the sport but the real need lies on the skill and the hard work that is exerted when paddling the canoe.
2. Slalom. Many people consider this as one of the hardest competitions in canoeing because the slalom competition pits each competitor in a grueling descent to the riverbed. This usually happens in white water rapids. After the opening bell, all of the competitors flush out of the gates and down the rapids of the white water course. They weave the boats through gates placed along the white water line. The fastest time down the course and through the most number of gates wins.
3. Marathon. This refers to a long distance race done mostly in flat water or in the open sea. Flat-water courses are usually on lakes and in marshes and are relatively easy because of the minimal obstacles that you have to tackle. Open sea courses are more demanding and more dangerous because anything could happen.

Though most marathon canoe races are done during the calmer dispositions of the sea, you can never know what really lies ahead. Open watercourses are also more grueling because of the changing tides. Canoe marathons can be considered the world’s toughest boat race.