Glossary of Canoeing Terms

Bogie:

A particular method of negotiating a downstream gate. The downstream gate will be beside or near an eddy. The athlete passes through the gate in a downstream direction, then breaks into the eddy, then exits the eddy above the gate. This is rarely used, and only when the next gate is very hard to get to.

Boil:

Imagine what boiling water looks like, then imagine this on a much larger scale in a river (except not hot!). The current is flowing in all directions, including bubbling to the surface, and is unpredictable.

Bow:

The front of the boat. Also known as the 'nose'.

Bow draw:

A paddle stroke used to turn the boat from the front. Also known as a 'draw' or 'drawstroke'.

Brokens:

A technical training session where athletes make their way down the course in short sections, stopping for a break after each one.

C1:

The class or discipline in which the athlete kneels in the boat with a single-bladed paddle. C1s are wider than K1s but not as wide as C2s.

C2:

The class or discipline in which two athletes kneel in the boat with a single-bladed paddle each. C2s are longer, wider and heavier than K1s and C1s.

Canoe:

Strictly speaking, a canoe is a boat that the athlete kneels in with a single-bladed paddle (i.e. a C1 or C2). However, the word is used more generally to cover both canoes and kayaks, as in 'canoe slalom'.

Canoe slalom:

Click here for an explanation of the sport.

Class:

The type of boat used and whether a male or female is paddling it. There are four classes: K1W, K1, C1 and C2. K stands for kayak, in which the athlete is seated and has a double-bladed paddle. C stands for Canoe, in which the athlete is kneeling and has a single-bladed paddle. The number refers to the number of people in the boat. The W stands for Women, and is so labelled because K1W is the only class females are allowed to compete in internationally. Hopefully this will change soon! (Note that sometimes 'LK1' is used, the L standing for 'Ladies').

Cockpit:

The part of the boat where the athlete sits.

Course:

Also known as 'slalom course' - this can either refer to the whole section of river that is used for canoe slalom, or to a specific combination of gates, such as in a race, i.e. 'race course'.

Deck:

This refers to the top of the boat, and also to the piece of equipment worn around the waist to form a seal around the cockpit of the boat.

Demonstration runs:

Also shortened to 'demos' - After a race course has been set, competitors watch non-competing athletes from each class paddle through the course in short sections. This helps competitors develop their plan for the race.

Discipline:

The type of boat used. There are three disciplines: K1, C1 and C2. K stands for kayak, in which the athlete is seated and has a double-bladed paddle. C stands for Canoe, in which the athlete is kneeling and has a single-bladed paddle. The number refers to the number of people in the boat.

Downstream gate:

Also known simply as a 'downstream' or a 'down' - this is a gate that must be negotiated in a downstream direction. Downstream gates are striped green and white.

Eddy:

Eddies occur immediately downstream of rocks and other obstacles. Water in an eddy is usually either still or flowing upstream.

Eskimo roll:

The method used to upright yourself if you tip over. Also just called a 'roll'.

Features:

Refers to various water formations in a river, such as stoppers and waves. If we talk about 'big' water, we mean it has big features.

Fifty:

The term used when an athlete fails to pass through a gate in the correct direction, or at all. Named so because this incurrs a fifty second penalty.

Final:

The top ten competitors in the semi-final get to complete a second run of the course in the final.

Footpegs:

These are structures inside a kayak that are used to push against with the feet, to help with power transfer from the paddle through the body to the boat.

Full length runs (FLRs):

A training session that simulates racing. A race length course is set and athletes are timed as they negotiate the course.

Gate:

A gate consists of two poles hanging from a wire across the river. Downstream gates are green and white and must be negotiated in a downstream direction. Upstream gates are red and white and must be negotiated in an upstream direction.

Jump stroke:

A paddle stroke used to lift the bow of the boat on top of a wave or stopper. Executed by moving the body weight from forward to back with the paddle stroke, and pushing against the footpegs.

K1:

The class or discipline in which the athlete sits in the boat with a double-bladed paddle. The womens class is called WK1. K1s are narrower than C1s and C2s.

Kayak:

A boat that the athlete sits in with a double-ended paddle.

Lactic session:

An intense training session where the rest intervals are of shorter duration than the paddling intervals. This causes lactic acid to build up in the muscles, which hurts!

Merano:

A particular method of negotiating an upstream gate. The athlete enters the eddy above the gate, moves backwards between the gate and the river bank, then goes up through the gate before exiting. This is rarely used, but is most suited to situations where the upstream gate is partially in the current. Named 'Merano' because it was invented at the slalom course in Merano, Italy.

Paddle:

The piece of equipment held in the hands to propel and steer the boat. Also refers to the action.

Penalty:

Given when an athlete touches a gate with any part of their body or equipment, or fails to pass through a gate in the correct direction (or at all). A touch incurs a two second penalty and a miss incurs a fifty second penalty, which is added to the athlete's raw time.

Pivot:

A method of turning the boat quickly on the spot. The tail is forced under the water and the nose sticks up in the air.

Pogies:

A kind of glove that wraps around the hand and the paddle shaft. Used only in very cold weather, and usually not in races because of their bulk and subsequent risk of hitting gates.

Qualification:

Every competitor has two race runs to attempt to qualify for the semi-final. The times from both runs are added together to give the result. The number of places available in the semi-final depends on the number of competitors.

Raw time:

The athlete's race time before penalties are added on.

Recirculate:

Also shortened to 'recirc' - when an athlete goes past a gate without having gone through it, he/she can paddle back for the gate, provided they haven't passed through or touched any of the subsequent gates.

Reverse gate:

Also known as a 'spin gate', - this is a downstream gate that is negotiated backwards by the athlete. It is usually only necessary to negotiate a gate in this way when there is a very tight stagger.

Reverse stroke:

A paddle stroke that starts and the back of the boat and ends at the front. Can be used to steer the boat or to slow the boat down.

Roll:

The method used to upright yourself if you tip over. More formally known as an 'Eskimo roll'.

Rowing:

Although commonly used by the ignorant, the words 'rowing', 'row' and 'oar' have absolutely nothing to do with the sport of canoe slalom!

Run:

When we say 'run', we generally don't mean in the real sense of the word. A run refers to a paddle down a course. It might be a training run or a race run.

Semi-final

The competitors who make it through qualifications get to complete a single race run in the semi-final. The race course for the semi-final is changed from the qualifications course in up to six places. The top ten competitors in the semi-final get to complete a second run of the course in the final.

Stopper:

This is a water feature that is similar to a broken wave at the beach, only it stays in once place in the river. Called a 'stopper' because it can literally stop you as you go though it.

Staggers:

A stagger is a sequence of downstream gates that are offset from each other, e.g. one on the river left, the next on the river right, then left again, then right.

Sweep stroke:

A paddle stroke used to turn the boat. The paddle enters the water at one end of the boat and passes in an arc to the other end of the boat. Forward sweep strokes start at the front of the boat and reverse sweep strokes start at the back of the boat.

Tail:

The back of the boat, also known as the 'stern'.

Teams race:

Competitors race in teams of three, i.e. there are three competitors on the course at once. All three must negotiate the whole course. The time starts as the first team member crosses the start line, and finishes as the last team member crosses the finish line. This means that the competitors need to stay as close together as possible, so the extra challenge is not to run into each other.

Touch:

When a gate is hit by any part of the athlete's body or equipment, and two second penalty is incurred and this is called a 'touch'. Only one two second penalty can be incurred for each gate, so if you hit one, you can hit it again without extra penalty.

Training session:

Also known as a 'session' - a period of time spent training.

Upstream gate:

Also known simply as an 'upstream' or 'up' - this is a gate that must be negotiated in an upstream direction. Upstream gates are striped red and white.

Wave:

This is a water feature that is similar to a wave at the beach that has not broken yet, only it stays in one place in the river.