kayak
A kayak ( Qajaq in Greenlandic, Qajat plural ) is a paddle boat originating in the Arctic and describes a type of boat that is propelled by double paddles and whose occupants sit facing the direction of travel. From the long seated sitting position , the thighs are spread sideways in the torso. Kayaks and Canadians (kneeling with paddle paddles ) are the two main subgroups of canoes .
origin
The kayak was developed by the Eskimos as a fast, agile boat for hunting. The Eskimos built a frame out of wood and bones, which was covered with animal skins. In Greenland in particular, traditional kayak construction is still used, with the skin now mostly made of impregnated canvas. For kayaking, the Eskimos wore special kayak gloves with two thumbs during the cold season .
The construction of the kayaks is subject to regional differences; in Alaska rather short and wide, in Greenland rather long and narrow. The kayak is traditionally a closed men's boat, the open top women's boat is the umiak . Similar boats, namely the baidarkas , were used in the Aleutian Islands . An invention of the Eskimos is also known as Eskimo roll (also: Kenter Character) technique known to sit up again when capsize quickly and without exiting.
One of the oldest completely preserved kayaks is in the Schiffergesellschaft in Lübeck. It was recovered in the North Atlantic in the early 17th century.
Modern kayaks
Development and diffusion in Europe
At the beginning of the 19th century "Greenlanders" were used sporadically in Germany. The first Greenlander Club was founded in Wroclaw in 1860 . In 1866 the Scot John MacGregor published A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe on Rivers and Lakes of Europe . Before the invention of the folding boat, the kayak spread mainly in northern and central Germany. The return transport was difficult against the stronger currents of the rivers in southern Germany. The heyday of the folding boats (foldable kayaks made of wood or metal, covered with impregnated fabric) was in the first half of the 20th century . With increasing motorization, their necessity decreased, although the folding boat still has advantages, especially for rail and long-distance travel.
design
Modern kayaks are mostly made of polyethylene , ABS , GFK , CFK , aramid fiber reinforced plastic or wood . Rubber or PVC are the most common materials for inflatable kayaks . There are different types for different applications and canoeing sports , which can differ greatly in their construction (closed, open or sit-on-top ; ratio of length and width, shape of the trunk ). They are usually designed for one to two people, in racing for up to four people.
Types (selection)
Touring kayak
Hiking or touring kayaks are usually between 3.50 and 5.50 meters long and vary in width from 50 to 85 centimeters. Hiking kayaks can be found as a single and very popular as a double in the manufacturer's standard range; There is also room for a child in many K2 kayaks, some kayaks are specially equipped with 2 + 1 seats. Hiking kayaks usually offer a lot of storage space in front of and behind the paddler.
Poldikayak
The Poldikajak is a kayak with a concave shape in the lower aisle. The cross section under the ship is a bit wider, making the kayak more stable. The water flow under the boat thanks to the concave shape stabilizes the direction of travel. The boat becomes more straight because all paddling forces are converted into the direction of travel, which in turn improves the speed of the boat. The usual "zigzag" ride on a paddle boat is minimized.
Play boat (rodeo boat)
Play boats or kayaks, also known as rodeo boats, are boats for "playing" that are used in playboating . They are particularly short (max. 2.00 meters) and manoeuvrable, usually have the largest volume in the cockpit space, so that candles (vertical positioning of the boat) and related figures are made easier. Mostly it is played on a wave or a roller. Play boating in competition is called canoe freestyle , and world and European championships as well as world cups are held here.
Racing kayak
Racing kayaks or boats are boats specially developed for competitive sports. They are particularly narrow. The specification for the length is a maximum of 5.20 meters for a single kayak K1. Modern boats are made of carbon and weigh at least 12 kilograms. In canoe racing, world, European and German as well as regional and local championships are held, and World Cups and Summer Olympic Games are taken part. Canoe racing is the most successful sport in Germany (medal table).
Common equipment
The most important items of equipment are double paddles , life jackets and suitable shoes that do not hinder swimming and offer sufficient protection against injuries when getting out (e.g. water sports shoes or socks ). Paddlers wear special clothing that is suitable for moving more comfortably with special functional underwear and paddle jackets and pants. To make the kayak unsinkable , if the boat is not divided by bulkheads , the equipment includes floats . The ingress of water into the hull can be reduced by a spraydeck made of nylon or neoprene , if the driver is sufficiently familiar with the operation to be able to get out in the event of capsizing . Many sea and touring kayaks and all racing kayaks have a rudder to keep the boat on course. This consists of a control fin in the stern (either under the stern or at the rear of the stern) and is operated with the feet via a cable pull . This control sheet can be retractable so that progress is not hindered in heavily weedy waters, it does not come to ground in shallow waters and it may not be damaged. Especially in hiking kayaks, which offer enough storage space, a change of clothes and z. T. also brought camping supplies. Everything is packed waterproof as possible.
Linguistic particularities
In German , kayaks are counted among the canoes (generic term) and, in contrast to other languages, there is no special expression for the athlete in a kayak apart from the compound kayaker . (In the English- speaking world the driver is called kayaker , in French kayakiste .) In addition, there is no separate verb for “kayak”, which is why the activity is called “kayaking” or “paddling” (differently in English: to kayak ).
The word kayak is a palindrome .
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Werner Neugebauer: "The Greenlander" - an Eskimo kayak in the house of the Schiffergesellschaft zu Lübeck. In: Communications from the Geographical Society of Lübeck. Vol. 55, 1982, pp. 199-230. It was measured in 2002, so there are a number of replicas of it today.
