Two-person kayak
Two-man kayak (K2) (also two-man kayak ) is a boat class in canoeing . It is a kayak that is moved by two seated people with a double paddle each . It is a competitive discipline in canoe racing and canoe marathon run, but is also in Canoeing and sea kayaking non-boat class.
technology
The double paddle is usually used alternately on the right and left side of the boat. Both paddlers use the paddle as synchronously as possible .
Disciplines
The two-person kayak for women (500 m) and men (500 and 1000 m) is an Olympic sport in canoe racing . In addition, world, European and national championships in this boat class are held in both disciplines.
The German Olympic and multiple world champions Ronald Rauhe and Tim Wieskötter are among the best-known teams in two-man kayaks .
Furnishing
Since these boats should achieve the fastest possible times, they are spartan: They have two seat shells, mostly made of hard plastic , which have different shapes depending on the area of use, and two stretches , boards or plates inside the boat against which the feet are braced to achieve a more comfortable seating position and optimized power transmission. A stretcher can be made of wood, plastic, or metal. In some boat variants (e.g. in canoe racing with the batsman (front canoeist)) a foot control is attached to them, which he uses to move a control fin at the stern of the boat with the help of ropes. Also in canoe racing there is a metal rod with foam padding just in front of the stretcher. The feet are clamped between this roller and the stretcher in order to achieve a better fixation of the feet and to be able to move the boat up and down in a targeted manner.
Boat dimensions
The K2 in canoe racing and canoe marathon is a maximum of 650 cm long and has a minimum weight of 18 kg (racing) or 12 kg (marathon). The width of the boat has not been fixed since 2001 and has become increasingly smaller since then. Modern boats are often only about 35 cm wide.