Whitewater racing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Whitewater racing is a competitive discipline of canoeing in which kayaks or canadian canoes are used to negotiate a stretch of river speedily. It is also called 'wildwater' or 'downriver' racing to distinguish it from slalom and rodeo.
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[edit] An Explanation
The object, simply stated: go from point A to point B on a river as fast as possible. Typical wildwater venues consist of class II-IV whitewater, in contrast to extreme racing, for which harder rivers are used. Competitions generally consist of a classic and a sprint race. The classic course is 4-6 miles in length or 25 to 35 minutes in duration, while the sprint is between 500 and 750 meters and lasts around 2 minutes. Although there is some specialization, the vast majority of racers compete in both classic and sprint.
Competitors are placed in classes based on gender and boat type as follows:
- K1- individual kayak, male
- K1W- individual kayak, female
- C1- individual canoe, male
- C2- two man canoe
They are numbered within their class based on results from previous races and compete in reverse order (best paddler last), usually at one minute intervals. To race successfully, paddlers must possess refined technical skill, as well as strength, endurance, aerobic capacity, and the ability to "read" whitewater. Whitewater racing started in Europe with the International Canoe Federation being formed and having the first World Championships in Switzerland in 1949. Since then, there has been a World Championships every two years.
[edit] Boat design and helmets
Whitewater racing kayaks and canoes are long and narrow, with a rounded hull profile, making them fast but unstable and hard to turn. They are a little over 4 meters in length and 70 centimeters for canoes and 60 centimeters for kayaks. They are turned by leaning to one side rather than with wide sweep strokes. Two 'wings' (flaring protrusions near the stern hull) add stability and meet the minimum width required by racing rules. When the boat is under way, most of each wing will be above the waterline so as to minimize drag. Boats are made from molds, using epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth with kevlar and nylon cloth. The top which is the deck is made separate from the hull. The two pieces are then put together using kevlar cloth strips and epoxy resin. A boat can be made in 2 to 3 days. Before fiberglass boats, foldboats were used in racing which usually was a wooden frame covered with canvas.
Competitors are also required to wear an appropriate Whitewater Helmet.
[edit] Training and Racing
Racers paddle down a course along the fastest jets of water. In order to go fast, they follow the edges of wave trains and hold as straight a line as possible down the river. If it is unclear which line is fastest, two paddlers simultaneously float the different options and see which boat moves ahead. Because of the high speeds, racers frequently run a river two or three times a day when training for a race. Some racers practice on rivers if they are lucky to live near one. Usually they will paddle 5-10 miles a day, five to six days a week. Others practice on lakes or flat water rivers. In northern areas rivers and lakes freeze, so racers sometimes can find an indoor pool, lift weights, run or do cross country skiing. When the rivers and lakes become free of ice then training is resumed outdoors.
[edit] Rivers
Popular whitewater racing courses in Scotland include Grandtully and Stanley on the River Tay. Whitewater racing courses in England include the Washburn and the Tees. Popular whitewater racing courses in Wales include the Tryweryn, and the Dee (although canoeing is currently banned there).
In the United States, most races take place in the Southeast; rivers there include the Nantahala and Pigeon in North Carolina and the Ocoee in Tennessee. However, there are also well-attended annual races on West Virginia's Cheat and Gauley rivers, as well as on Colorado's Arkansas.
Rivers in Europe that have held international races include the Isere in Bourg St Maurice, France, the Loisach in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, and the Tepla in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.
In South Africa races take place on the Trichardt Spruit, Umkomaas river, Bushmans river and As river. The As river forms part of a water exchange program between South Africa and Lesotho and is fed via a tunnel from the Katse dam.
