Canoe Slalom

Introduction

Whitewater Canoe Slalom is a competitive sport governed by the International Canoe Federation. It is performed with the motive to travel a canoe or kayak through a course of hanging upstream or downstream gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. The discipline is also the part of the Summer Olympics and is referred as the Canoe/Kayak Slalom by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Whitewater slalom racing emerged in Europe in the early 1900s, whereas, the first World Championships were held in 1949 in Switzerland.

Objective

To complete the course within the minimum possible time.

Participants

The participants take part individually and compete against each other.

Events

C-1

(canoe single) Men's Event

C-2

(Canoe double) Men (to be dropped after 2016)

C-1

Canoe Single- Women's event (to be added in 2020)

K-1

Kayak Single- Men's event

K-1

Kayak Single- Women's event

Equipment

Canoe Slalom - Helmets

Canoe Slalom - Gates

In Canoe-Slalom, the competitors have to cross through two type of gates; the upstream and downstream gates in which the no. is mentioned and are painted in red and green respectively. The competitors cross through these gates according to their number.

Canoe Slalom - Buoyancy Aid/Vest

It is a lightweight foam-filled personal flotation device (PFD) used by paddlers that help in flotation after capsize.

Playing Area

Each gate consists of two poles that are hanged from a wire strung across the river. A total of 18 to 25 numbered gates are there in a course, out of which 6-7 must be upstream gates, colored as either green (downstream) or red (upstream) that shows the direction to be negotiated. The upstream gates are always located in eddies, where the river is flat or moving slightly upstream;the paddler begins an eddy from the main current and paddles upstream through the gate. Downstream gates can also be placed in eddies, to increase the difficulty, and downstream gates in the current can be an offset to the alternating sides of the current that needs rapid turns in the fast-moving water.

Officials

Technical Organizer

Responsible for local preparations and the conduct of entire competition.

Canoe Slalom Chief Judge

He is the person in charge of the team all through the whole of the contest.