Canoeing

Lore & Background

Canoeing is an ancient mode of transportation. Modern recreational canoeing was established in the late 19th century. Among early promoters of canoeing as a sport was Carl Smith, who introduced canoeing to Sweden in the 1880s.

Reader's Guide

Canoeing became part of the Olympic Games in the 1936 Summer Olympics, which featured canoe sprint using a sprint canoe. Other competitive disciplines include canoe polo, whitewater canoeing, canoe marathon, ICF canoe marathon, and playboating. Most present-day canoeing is done as a sport or recreational activity. Recreational forms include canoe camping and a wide range of canoeing on lakes, rivers, oceans, ponds, and streams. Competitive forms include canoe racing such as canoe sprint and canoe marathons. Canoe slalom is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of gates on river rapids. It is one of the two kayak and canoeing disciplines at the Summer Olympics. The other Olympic canoeing discipline is canoe sprint.

Did You Know?

• Canoeing involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle.
• In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe called an 'open canoe' or 'Canadian'.
• Canoeing became part of the Olympic Games in the 1936 Summer Olympics.