Concept in Definition ABC

It's a sport aquatic that is practiced with a type of light boat. It is an Olympic modality since the Olympic Games 1936 in Berlin. Like many other activities, canoeing has a double aspect, the recreational and the sports. In any case, its practice is carried out in rivers, swamps or in coastal areas.

Different modalities

This sport has several disciplines, such as the one practiced in calm waters or in whitewater, slalom or canoeing in its different versions.

There are several types of canoes. Thus, for those who start in this sport, more stable boats that have a greater width and stability are used. On the other hand, for competitors with some experience, lighter, narrower and faster boats are used.

For your manufacturing the most used material is carbon or fiberglass. On the other hand, canoeing can be practiced with a single crew member or K 1, for two or K2 and for four or K4. To move the canoe, the athletes logically use an oar (the kayak or canoe is propelled by a two-spoon oar and the canoe is propelled by a single-spoon oar).

Its origins are unclear, but it is estimated that it was the Sumerians who began to use this type of craft 6000 years ago.

There are archaeological evidence that the ancient Egyptians also glided with canoes through the waters of the Nile River. In the Arctic, the Eskimos built canoes out of animal skins and wood.

In pre-Columbian America, different types of light boats were used to navigate the rivers. In this sense, the canoe is considered one of the means of locomotion older. In fact, it is believed that the first settlers of the continent American came to this territory through canoes crossing the Bering Strait that joins America and Asia.

Physical preparation

Canoeists have to exercise their rowing technique so that the displacement in the water is as efficient as possible. On the other hand, athletes must have good physical preparation, both cardiovascular and muscular.

In short, your workouts combine endurance, force physics and proper paddling technique. And all this, without forgetting the psychological preparation and nutrition.

Photos: Fotolia - biker3 / bst2012