View source for Canoeing

{{Short description|Activity of paddling a canoe}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{redirect|Paddler|the fictional character voiced by Matt Berry|The Wild Robot#Voice cast}}
{{Infobox sport
| name       = Canoeing
| image      = Finale C1 200 m féminin Jeux Olympiques Paris 2024.jpg
| alt        = open water canoeing
| imagesize  = 
| caption    = Canoeing at the [[2024 Summer Olympics]]
| union      = [[International Canoe Federation]]
| nickname   = 
| firstlabel = 
| region     = 
| registered = 
| clubs      = 
| contact    = 
| team       = 
| mgender    = 
| equipment  = 
| venue      = 
| olympic    = [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936]]–present 
| paralympic = [[2016 Summer Paralympics|2016]]–present
| IWGA       = [[Canoe polo at the World Games|Canoe polo]]: 2005–present
| obsolete   = 
}}
[[File:Canoeing (flatwater) pictogram.svg|right|200px|thumb|Pictogram for [[Canoeing at the Summer Olympics]]]]
'''Canoeing''' is an activity which involves [[paddling]] a [[canoe]] with a single-bladed [[paddle]]. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and [[kayaking]], with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or [[Canadian (canoe)|Canadian]].

A few of the recreational forms of canoeing are [[canoe camping]] and [[Canoe sprint|canoe racing]].  Other forms include a wide range of canoeing on lakes, rivers, oceans, ponds and streams.

== History of organized recreational canoeing ==

Canoeing is an ancient mode of transportation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nyabongo |first=A. K. |date=1943 |title=The Role of the Canoe |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44214297 |journal=Negro History Bulletin |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=10–23 |jstor=44214297 |issn=0028-2529}}</ref>  Modern recreational canoeing was established in the late 19th century. Among early promoters of canoeing as a sport was [[Carl Smith (canoeing)|Carl Smith]], who introduced canoeing to Sweden in the 1880s. In 1924, canoeing associations from Austria, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden founded the ''Internationalen Representation for Kanusport'', the forerunner of the [[International Canoe Federation]] (ICF).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dudley|first=Marianna|date=1 September 2017|title="Muddying the waters: recreational conflict and rights of use of British rivers"|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s12685-017-0193-2|journal=Water History|language=en|volume=9|issue=3|pages=259–277|doi=10.1007/s12685-017-0193-2|bibcode=2017WatHi...9..259D |issn=1877-7244|hdl=1983/d36c7fb8-a502-4b08-89fe-e535e09bbd21|s2cid=151360522 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

Canoeing became part of the [[Olympic Games]] in the [[Canoeing at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.olympic.org/canoe-kayak-sprint-equipment-and-history?tab=history |title=Canoe/Kayak Sprint Equipment and History |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=28 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://indianexpress.com/sports/rio-2016-olympics/know-your-sport-canoeing-2951642/ |title=Rio 2016 Olympics: Know your sport — Canoeing |date=3 August 2016 |work=The Indian Express |access-date=10 August 2016}}</ref> which featured [[canoe sprint]] using a [[sprint canoe]].<ref>{{Cite report|url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1936/1936v2sum.pdf|title=1936 Summer Olympics Official Report|volume=2|pages=1020–9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709225735/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1936/1936v2sum.pdf |archive-date=9 July 2007 }}</ref> Others competitive disciplines include [[canoe polo]], [[whitewater canoeing]], [[canoe marathon]], [[ICF canoe marathon]], and [[playboating]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-05 |title=About ICF events - competition levels |url=https://www.canoeicf.com/about-icf-events-competition-levels |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=[[International Canoe Federation]]}}</ref>

More than 170 national canoe associations and federations are members of the ICF, including the [[American Canoe Association|American]], [[Canadian Canoe Association|Canadian]], [[British Canoe Union|British]], [[Scottish Canoe Association|Scottish]], and [[Welsh Canoe Association|Welsh]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-15 |title=About the International Canoe Federation (ICF) |url=https://www.canoeicf.com/about-international-canoe-federation-icf |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=[[International Canoe Federation]]}}</ref><gallery style="text-align:center;" caption="Historical images of canoeing">
File:Olga, Tatiana, Maria Nikolaevna Romanova, Nicholas II kayaking in the Alexander park at Tsarskoe Selo, 1913 (1).jpg|The tsar [[Nicholas II]] and three of his daughters canoeing in the [[Alexander Park (Tsarskoye Selo)|Alexander park]], May 1913
File:Canoeing.jpg|Canoeing in the USA, 1920s
</gallery>

==Recreational canoeing==
[[File:Kanutour in Finland.jpg|thumb|People canoeing at Lake Kokkojärvi in [[Lieksa]], Finland]]
[[File:Marty Plante - Ramapo River, 2006.jpg|alt=A canoeist on the Ramapo River, New York State, USA.|thumb|A canoeist on the Ramapo River, New York State, USA.]]
Most present-day canoeing is done as or as a part of a sport or recreational activity. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rebecca |date=2024-04-03 |title=Kayak vs Canoe {{!}} Tips for choosing whether to buy a canoe or kayak |url=https://gopaddling.info/blog/tips-and-advice/general-paddling/canoe-vs-kayak-which-should-i-buy/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=Go Paddling}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-15 |title=About the International Canoe Federation (ICF) |url=https://www.canoeicf.com/about-international-canoe-federation-icf |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=[[International Canoe Federation]]}}</ref> with a canoe being called an open canoe<ref>{{Cite web |title=Open Canoe Association UK |url=https://www.opencanoe.info/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=Open Canoe Association}}</ref> or Canadian.<ref>{{Cite wikisource| title = 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Canoe| year  = 1911}}</ref> 

Recreational forms of canoeing include [[canoe camping]]. Other forms include a wide range of canoeing on lakes, rivers, oceans, ponds, and streams.

== Competition ==
Competitive forms of canoeing include canoe racing such as canoe sprint and [[canoe marathon]]s. The [[summer Olympics]] include [[Canoeing at the Summer Olympics|canoeing competitions]]. [[Canoe slalom]] (previously known as [[whitewater]] slalom) is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on the river [[rapids]] in the fastest time possible. It is one of the two kayak and canoeing disciplines at the Summer Olympics and is referred to by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as canoe slalom or canoe/kayak slalom.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canoe Slalom |url=https://olympics.com/en/sports/canoe-kayak-slalom/ |access-date=6 December 2024 |website=[[Olympics]]}}</ref> The other Olympic canoeing discipline is the canoe sprint.

In his lifetime, according to the [[Guinness Book of World Records]], [[Verlen Kruger]] paddled the most miles (over 100,000 miles) of anyone in the sport.<ref>{{cite journal|author=canoekayakmag|date=9 August 2004|title=Obituary: Verlen Kruger Remembered|url=http://www.canoekayak.com/canoe/krugerobit/|journal=Canoe & Kayak|access-date=25 June 2014}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[List of sprint canoeists by country]]
*[[Outline of canoeing and kayaking]]
*[[Canoe paddle strokes]]
*[[Kayak]]
*[[Canadian (canoe)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Canoeing}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[http://www.canoeicf.com/ International Canoe Federation (ICF)]
*[http://www.canoeresults.eu/ CanoeResults.eu] (results of mayor canoe competitions)

{{Canoeing and kayaking}}
{{Summer Olympic sports}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Canoeing| ]]
[[Category:Canoeing and kayaking|*]]
[[Category:Summer Olympic sports]]