It is not just an extreme water sport for those who deliberately seek adrenalin rush-filled adventures and thrills. There is more to kayaking than our usual notion of heart-pumping images of daredevils braving the rapids. The first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word ‘kayaking’ is a picture of a fearless man riding on a slender-and-fragile-looking watercraft, while tirelessly paddling across the tumultuous waters. This is the usual image that one could easily come up with if he or she happens to watch documentary channels like the National Geographic or The Discovery Channel. It looks pretty dangerous for most people, though. Who would want to risk life and limb just for the sake of chasing the thrill of a high speed downstream splash? Well, danger is of no consequence for kayak enthusiasts. It is the main ingredient that makes this outdoor sport popular for some people. They pursue their excitement in stubborn defiance of conventional wisdom. For regular individuals, no man in his right senses would dare risk injury and perhaps even death. But ask any kayak adventurer and they would just probably shrug off all of their fears and say “Danger makes it all beautiful”.
But kayaking is not always as extreme as most of us think it is. Braving the rapids is just one of the various classifications of this outdoor sport. The type described above is referred to as whitewater kayaking. Other forms are less extreme and are intended for recreational purposes. Ocean/sea-type is mainly for traveling on open waters. The surf ski-type, on the other hand, is for racing, wave-breaking, and in some cases, light and speedy rescues. All other types are collectively referred to as general recreational kayaking.
Let us get down to some facts as to its origins. The name of the water sport itself helps define what it is all about. As the name suggests, it entails the ability to maneuver and propel a slender-shaped watercraft, called ‘kayak’, across the surface of the water using a paddle. The kayak is generally classified as a subcategory of ‘canoe’ which refers to a generic type of boat that is light and narrow-shaped. In some parts of the world, the term ‘kayak’ is interchangeably identified with canoe. One of the differences that sets the kayak apart from the typical canoe boats is its fundamental design that allows paddlers to sit in the cockpit with their legs stretched and their bodies facing forward. Another unique characteristic is that it is customized according to one’s preferences as well as body size.
Kayaks were believed to have been used for centuries, or perhaps thousands of years, by the indigenous groups of people inhabiting the arctic regions of the world such as the Eskimos and Inuit. From the linguistic traditions of these indigenous peoples, the name of the craft means ‘the boat of the hunter’. As for their originally-intended purpose, such boats were used by hunters who prowl over the freezing waters of the Arctic searching for prey that included fish, seal, and to some extent, whale. Well, paddling across the icy waters is precarious enough - not to mention the daunting task of hunting. Now that is what you call the real ‘extreme’!