Canoe freestyle

The moves and tricks are often similar to those performed by snowboarders, surfers or skaters, where the athlete completes spins, flips, turns, etc.

Basic moves consist of front- and back-surfing, spins through any of the three axes; air screws, cartwheels and air loops (invented by Clay Wright), stalls with the kayak vertical on either end, and getting airborne (bouncing the boat on a wave, or submerging part of the kayak so that it pops out when it re-emerges).

Performed within a hole or "stopper" in which the paddler begins a bow end through a crossbow stroke and turns it into a pirouette, eventually facing back upstream.

At this point instead of dropping into a regular surf upon facing upstream again, the paddler uses the pop created during the pirouette to perform a loop.

Kelsey Thompson does a great video [1] Playboating has grown in popularity in recent years due to innovations in boat design.

Beginners, club paddlers and lesson groups are generally friendly and welcoming to newcomers, and typically only paddle in warm weather months to avoid the need of buying expensive cold water gear.

This type of playboater is usually good to advanced in skill level, and generally is a graduate of the beginner or group culture scene.