Higher Colleges of Technology
Abu Dhabi Men’s College
Sport, Leisure and Society
CIK
Kayak
Sport
N
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Student Name
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ID Number
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1
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Ayoob Mohamed ALHammadi
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Submitted
to:
Mr. Hedley
Date
11
Dec
2014
Table of Contents
Introduction
Kayaking refers to outdoor activity which assumes the use of kayak to move
across water. The International Canoe Federation defined kayak as ‘a boat where
the paddler faces forward, legs in front, using a double-bladed paddle’ (Bruyant, 2014). There are
various type of kayaks, such as closed deck kayak, sit-on-top and inflatable
kayak. There are kayaks which can be used by two or even three paddlers.
Different equipment is required for kayaking. Without some of them it is not
possible to do, such as paddle and PFD (personal flotation device). Others are necessary
for a trip, but are largely used for safety reasons. For example, a backrest to
help make paddling more comfortable, scupper stoppers to keep the self-bailing
cockpit drier and others.
The earliest evidence of a kayak dates back
2,000 years B.P. Arctic people used kayaks mostly to hunt. It is considered
that Siberians first used them on water with wood-framed and skin-covered
boats. They were usually open boats. Covered decks emerged when hunters had to go
onto the sea. The covered deck was required at the time to shed waves and
survive. Although the Siberian Coast is the birth place of the kayak, there is
little archaeological evidence in the area.
Currently kayaking became a very popular
sport. It features many championships across the globe with thousands of
participants. The purpose of this essay is to discover the sport in more detail.
The essay is will include the following. I firstly overview the history of the
sport, rules and safety measures during sport events, some famous competitions
and players in the history of kayaking.
History
The first people who built and used kayaks were the
Inuit and Aleut tribes of Arctic North America. At that time, two basic types
of kayaks existed. They included kayaks built with light driftwood and those
made by stretching animal skins over frames made of whalebone. In the latter
option, whale fat was used to waterproof the pots. Seal bladders
were filled with air for a purpose to improve buoyancy. At that time large
kayaks were also existent and were even more practical. They were called umiaqs
and served the purpose to carry entire families. Some umiaqs were 60 feet long.
Small kayaks were used for hunting. This is also what the word ‘kayak’ means,
hunting boat.
Kayaks were brought to Europe in the early to
mid-1800s. The primary countries which became familiar with kayaks were Germany
and France. Men in these countries became interested in using kayaks for sport.
Kayaks were also used by explorers of the North and South Pole. They took
kayaks with them in their expeditions. In 1931 there was a shift in kayak
usage. Adolf Anderle was the first person to kayak down the Salzachofen Gorge.
This is considered to be the birth of white-water kayaking. Shortly after this,
the international scale of river difficulty was introduced. It classified a river's rapids by difficulty. Several years
later, in 1936, the kayaking was included in the Berlin Olympics. After two
years, the sport became popular in the US. It also started to spread among
women. Thus, two years after the Olympics, Genevieve De Colmont kayaked the
Green and Colorado rivers.
The introduction of the "rigid" kayaks
was in the 1950s. The polyethylene plastic options emerged in the 1980s. Until the
1970s kayaking was not a very popular sport in the US. However, it started to
move more to the mainstream afterward. Currently the Olympic Games have about
10 different white-water kayak events.
There are several rules and safety concerns to
avoid undesired outcomes. The Olympic sport features the following rules for
kayaking.
1. At the start line, kayaks are stabilized by personnel. Kayak
should remain stationary until the start of the race.
2. The start of the race is announced by a powerful sound.
Remaining time to the start is also notified. When the race starts, the White
Flag will be raised. In case a competitor starts to paddle away prior to the
start, he is charged with a false start.
3. Athletes are required to stay inside their assigned lane.
4. If the competitor crosses the lane barrier, he can be
disqualified.
5. Coaches can assist athletes in/out of the kayak. However, when
the kayak is called to the start, the coach must return to the shoreline.
Coaching is not allowed from the shoreline.
6. Coaches
cannot have a kayak in the water during the competition.
Regarding safety concerns, during the competition
there are always safety boats on the water. Their number depends on the weather.
Athletes are required to stay in the kayak when on the water. Legs should also
remain in the kayak. It is important to carry enough water in hot conditions. In addition, there should be a small
air-tight container for a first aid kit. It is recommended to purchase
bright-color kayaks. These kayaks are more visible.
Competitions
There are different competitions in kayking
organized. For example, there is a
famous International Canoe Federation World Freestyle Kayaking Championships.
It captures about 500 world-class kayakers from over 40 countries. They kayak
on the Nantahala River. This completion was firstly held in 2013. The next one
is planned for September 2015. In
addition to the above-mentioned competition, there are various others events.
For example, kayaking at the Summer Olympics and Dusi Canoe Marathon
which is a kayak race in South Africa along the Msunduzi River. There are many
freestyle competitions in kayaking across the world. For example, the Nile
River festival takes place in Uganda, The White Water Grand Prix takes place in
Canada, the Outdoor Mixed Festival is located in France, the Open Polish
Championships is in Poland, ICF Freestyle World Cup is in Spain, the European
Championship is in Slovakia and many others (Sportscene, 2014). In addition, there are
different long-term kayak championships. For example, the six-day national
kayak championship, which is held in early-to-mid August in the US. The
championship is suitable for people aged from 5 to 90 (United States Canoe Association, 2014). The paddlers’ experience can vary from intermediate to elite, whereas
training can be ranged from casual to intense.
Famous players on this sport
There are five kayakers who are famous in the world. Tao Berman is one
of the most famous kayakers. Berman is a three-time world record holder and has
kayaked 50 descents across the globe. He is also famous for kayaking promotion
and fund raising for competitions. Franz Roomer is also famous in the kayaking
world. He is among the sport pioneers. Romer is recognized because he was the
first who crossed the Atlantic in a sea kayak. He died in a hurricane when he
was trying to reach New York, paddling the American coastline. Derek Hutchinson
is currently a coach and instructor. He won many competitions. However, he is
mostly famous for his success in crossing the harshest of waters—the North Sea
between England and Belgium. Paul Caffyn is an important figure in the kayaking
world. He is famous for paddling around mainland Australia, Iceland, Japan and
New Zealand. Ed Gillet is a famous kayaker who paddled from California to
Hawaii alone. He made the longest journey alone across open waters.
Tao
Berman
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Derek
Hutchinson
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Paul
Caffyn
 |
Ed
Gillet
 |
Conclusion
The purpose of this essay is to overview
kayaking history and sport features. I conclude that the sport is rather young.
First kayaks appeared 2,000 years ago in the
Siberian Coast. They served as a means for Arctic people to hunt and remain
safe and unnoticed. The first kayaks were made by
stretching animal skins over frames made of whalebone. In early years kayaks were also used to
transport people. Only the early to
mid-1800s kayaks were brought to Europe. In 1936 kayaking was included in the
Berlin Olympics. There are various safety measures which should be followed by competitors
during sport events. The most famous championships are Olympics, World Freestyle Kayaking Championships, national kayak championships and others. There are many champions in kayak
sport. The most famous people which are associated with sport development are Tao Berman, Franz Roomer, Derek Hutchinson, Paul Caffyn and Ed Gillet.
This people have changed the perception of kayaking. Some of them participated
in different competitions, became coaches and trained people. All of them have
achieved the greatest result in kayaking and made their names famous worldwide.
References
Bruyant, C. (2014). How kayaking works? Howstuffworks.
[Online] Available at: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/water-sports/kayaking4.htm. Accessed on 6 December 2014.
Coleman, B. (2010). 5 famous kayakers. Made Man. [Online]
Available at: http://www.mademan.com/mm/5-famous-kayakers.html. Accessed on 6 December 2014.
Maritime New Zealand. (2014). Kayak safety. [Online]
Available at: http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Recreational-Boating/Skipper-responsibilities/Boat-types-and-water-activities/Kayak-safety-and-staying-bright-on-top.asp. Accessed on 6 December 2014.
Newsweek. (2003). Water sports, 142 (14).
Sierra. (2008). Canoe and kayak, 93 (1).
Sportscene. 2014. Calendar 2015. [Online] Available at: http://www.sportscene.tv/whitewater/freestyle/calendar/. Accessed on 6 December 2014.
Sports
Illustrated. Whatever floats your boat, 115 (13).
United States
Canoe Association. 2014. National Canoe & Kayak Championships – Overview. [Online] Available at: http://www.uscanoe.com/USCA_Canoe_Kayak_National_Ch_W54.cfm. Accessed on 6 December 2014.
