Canoeing is the sport of paddling a canoe across water.Canoes are open boats and a single-bladed paddle is used with the paddler usually in a kneeling position but a sitting position is sometimes used. Canoes originated from the North American Indians hence the term 'Canadian Canoeing', they were used for fishing as they can be quietly paddled.
Canoes were carved from trees or constructed from tree bark and animal skin.A canoe can be paddled by 1-4 people.The British Canoe Union was set up in 1936 and is the lead body for canoeing and kayaking in the UK.
In 1924, canoeing and kayaking made its debut at the Olympic Games with an exhibition regatta. Canoeing and Kayaking became full Olympic sports at the 1936 games held in Berlin, initially only for men with the women's disciplines being introduced at the 1948 London games.