A canoe is a light, narrow boat.
It is open.
A kayak is a light, narrow boat.
It has a closed top.
They are moved using different kinds of paddles.
Canoes and kayaks are small boats that are used in competitions and also for recreation.
Both men and women can compete in canoeing and kayaking competition events.
A caonoeist uses an oar with a single blade ©Getty Images
Competitors in canoeing events kneel in their open-topped canoes.
They use a paddle with a single blade. They grip the top of the paddle by its handle.
They steer their canoe by making stokes with their paddle on the left and the right hand side of the canoe.
A kayaker in a whitewater competition ©iStock
Competitors in kayaking events sit in their closed-topped kayaks.
They use a paddle with a blade at each end. They grip the middle of the paddle.
The kayak has a small rudder and the competitors use their feet to move the rudder and so steer the kayak.
Some canoeing and kayaking events are for just one competitor in a boat. They are called singles events. Other events are for boats with two competitors. They are called doubles events. Team events are four four athletes.
Canoe and kayak competitions at Olympic Games
Sprint Events
Some canoeing/kayaking events are held on a river where the water is 'flat'. These are called 'sprint' events. Sprint events will be held for single (one person in the kayak) and doubles kayak (two people in the boat) races in 2020.
Single kayak men will race in events over 200 metres, 1000 metres, while women’s single races are over distances of 200 metres and 500 metres.
This single athletes paddles and steers the canoe with a single oar with a paddle at each end during a sprint race. ©iiStock
Double kayak events are over 100 metres for men and over 500 metres for women.
Teams of four men or four women will race in kayaks over a distance of 500 metres.
Canoe sprint and doubles races for men and women will be over distances of 200, 500 and 1000 metres.
Slalom Events
Other events called slalom events are held on a course of rushing water and are called 'whitewater' events. In slalom events, there are poles set through the course of rushing water, and they are called gates. Competitors must zig zag around the gates through the course. The competitor with the fastest time wins.
Doubles kayak slalom event. The athletes must pass through a series of gates. ©iStock
History of canoeing and kayaking
Thousands of years ago the first canoes and kayaks were used as transport by hunters of caribou, fish, birds, and sea mammals such as seal, sea otter, walrus, and whale. Canoes and kayaks were used on rivers, lakes and in the sea.
Canoeing and Kayaking became events at the Paris Olympic Games in 1924.
At the Paris games in 2024 there will be a new event, the men's and women's slalom kayak cross event, it will replace the men's and women's K-1 200-metre sprint races.
In many places people like to kayak and canoe. These people are enjoying paddling a canoe on a lake. It’s a good leisure activity. ©iStock
It’s a good idea to get information from more than one source!
Read about kayaks
https://www.jellyfishwatersports.com/10-interesting-facts-about-kayaks/
Read some facts about canoes
https://www.canoeandkayakdirect.com/celebrate-national-go-canoeing-week-top-10-facts/
Watch a video showing the basics of canoe paddling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_0G9GPi8D0
