Sprint canoe

It is an open boat propelled by one, two or four paddlers from a kneeling position, using single-bladed paddles.

WomenCAN is led by American canoeist Pamela Boteler, who made canoe-kayak history in the 2000 National Championships by becoming the first woman to compete in sprint canoe, against the men, winning gold and bronze medals.

[5] In 2002, Boteler's lobbying convinced USA Canoe-Kayak to allow women to compete at the National Championships in their own events.

Paddlers kneel on a foam or cushioned block to stabilize their knee, and often have foot braces to secure their position.

Up to the year 2000[7] there was a regulation that a canoe had to have a minimum width of 75 cm, which led to boats flaring out above the water line to meet that requirement.

[8] There are three main companies who manufacture sprint canoes: Nelo, Plastex, and Vajda.

[10] Sprint Canoe-Kayak is very popular in Canada, unlike in the United States whose water sport activity is dominated by rowing.

[citation needed] Many famous Canadian Olympic athletes competed in sprint canoe, such as Sue Holloway, the first Canadian and first woman to ever compete in both Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 1976 for cross-country skiing and sprint kayaking.

[11] Adam van Koeverden is another athlete who has become a prominent Canadian figure, working as a sports analyst for the Canadian national public service broadcaster, CBC, covering the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.

Van Koeverden first captured the world's attention at the 2004 Olympic Games where he was a double medalist, winning gold and bronze.

He is also an ambassador for Right to Play, and involved with the Canadian Olympic Committee's Athlete Commission, the David Suzuki Foundation, Colon Cancer Canada, and the World Wildlife Fund.

Canada is the only country in the world to race war canoe, or C15, and is the focal point of the club system.

War canoes are steered by a cox, or steersperson, who use a much bigger and longer blade to allow for more control.

The John W. Black Trophy, which can be won at the Canadian National Canoe Championships, is famous and likened to the Stanley Cup.