History of Kayaking

Sometimes when the weather turns bad out at sea, paddling can be really hard and visibility decreases dramatically with the pouring rain. At times like these, i always wonder what it was like for the pioneers who paddled these crafts in their hostile environment in the past. We shall explore the history of Kayaking in this post.

The first kayaks were created by the native Inuit and Aleut who were native artics. It is believed that kayaks may have been used as long as 4000 years ago. Having their source of food out in the sea, the natives devised ways to extend their reach to their food source by constructing tools and equipment that allow them to harvest catch out in the waters. The thought of being able to move around the open waters to explore new fishing grounds and spawning sites to extend their area of food source to improve their catch, lead to the development of a floating craft that can allow the person to move around the freezing waters dry and warm. This floating craft also makes it more time efficient as the fish, tools and equipment can be carried on the craft effectively. This craft that they designed would allow them to travel and transport food and materials more efficiently from place to place.

The first kayaks were made of wooden frames and covered with seal skin. A hole would be made in the middle of the craft for the user to sit in. Traditional kayaks were custom-made. They were built according to the physical measurements of the paddler to conform to his body. A skirt of skin would be worn by the paddler and sewn to the boat to prevent water from entering the boat. It serve the same purpose as our spray-covers today.

The early kayaks varied in designs and materials used from region to region, depending on the usage of the kayaks. Bering Strait area has kayaks which were short and wide, had a large storage capacity, and was very stable and easy to use. While the Aleuts designed kayaks that were long, fast, and seaworthy. It was not until the 1950s that fibreglass was used as a constructing material for the kayak. In 1984, the first plastic kayak was made. This made the present kayaks light, durable and sturdy.

John MacGregor is the father of modern recreational kayaking and kayaking sport. He designed the Rob Roy in 1985 based on sketching of the Inuit Kayaks. He later formed the Canoe Club in 1866 and brought about the first competitive canoeing competition in 1873. Kayaking became a part of the Olympics in 1936, with the introduction of four events, the single and pairs 1,000 meter and 10,000 meter race. Later, the white-water race and slalom events were added to the Olympics too.

In modern day times, there is a wide variety of designs of kayaks and canoes. For the non-experienced and new paddlers, there are now open-deck kayaks for water safety reasons for easy exit in case the kayak capsizes. Other designs such as the sea kayak are specially designed to break through waves and for stability while broader designs of kayaks such as the dancers are used in rivers.

More and more designs of kayaks will emerge to suit the specialised needs of individuals in time to come. Little did the Inuits and Aleuts expect that their mode of transportation and hunting vehicle has become a source of recreation and a sporting event for the world today!