Canoeing is a sporting event with a distinction between still-water and whitewater events. Races on natural or man-made lakes are called still-water events, while races on fast-flowing rivers are called rapids.

Canoeingentered the Olympic Games as a show event in 1924.

In 1936 kayaking became an official Olympic event.

In 1972 Canoeing was added to the slalom events.

The event was withdrawn from the Olympics immediately after the Munich Games due to the high cost.

The event was reinstated at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

The event was retained at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlantis and also held at the Sydney Games.

Canoeing is divided into two disciplines: kayaking and rowing.

The kayak originated from a small boat made by the Eskimos in Greenland, which was made of whale skin and otter skin wrapped around a frame of bone and paddled by paddles with blades at each end.

The paddle boat originated in Canada, hence the name Canadian paddle boat.

Next, an introduction to the difference between kayaking and rowing.

A kayak is a watercraft similar to a canoe and is available as a single or double.

A kayak is a light and narrow open cabin boat paddled by one or more paddlers.

The kayak is paddled with a long paddle on the left and right side of the boat, with a footrest inside the ship to allow the legs to be stretched out to rest and lend strength.

The paddler paddles on one side of the boat with his front legs in a bow stance and his hind legs on his knees, holding a single paddle in each hand.

The seat of the kayak is surrounded by a waterproof leather or rubber membrane, which is attached to the paddler's top to prevent water from entering the boat.

In addition, there are usually watertight spaces at the front and rear of the kayak for storage purposes.

The paddle is the broader part of the oar, with a closed deck to drain the water and strengthen the sides.

The oar shaft has a flat blade at each end and is not fixed to the boat under any circumstances.

The oarsman wears a waterproof apron tied around the cockpit and seals the oarsman inside the boat to prevent water from entering.

Apart from kayaking, you may have a hobby of paddling in your daily life, here is a brief introduction to paddling skills.

Large boats.

The oars of a large boat are very heavy. When rowing, the oars mustn't be mostly in the water. The strength of the oars is not greater than the density of the water.

Don't be stiff when paddling. Do not use only the strength of your arms. Paddle with the strength of your upper body, press down on the oars, and then get up again, so that you back up and draw circles backwards.

When rowing, the oar should not just float on the surface of the water, as it will not be able to row. You have to go about a third of the way down the oar, as the force of the water is used to move the boat forward.

Whether you are rowing at the stern or at the bow, row in a wide arc to go fast.

It is best to row in the stern, as the direction of the stern is better controlled. The bow may be difficult to control for those who have only just learned to row.

Small boats.

Smaller boats are a little easier.

Take a small paddle and paddle the side of the boat like you are paddling, don't move too much as you will splash the water.

When rowing the side of the boat, the paddle has to go down into the water a little more.

When rowing a small boat, if the boat goes to the right, the person on the left should row faster and the person on the right should row slower so that the boat will come back to the right.