Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie lead the exciting British one-two in the C2 two-man canoe slalom event at the London summer 2012 Olympics. This was a breathtaking race with Stott and Baillie winning the gold and the more well-known David Florence and Richard Hounslow taking the silver medal. After the race, all four medallists dived into the water to celebrate, delighted with the unexpected result.

Stott and Baillie had been the slowest of the six teams that qualified, and so this was the race of their lives. The course presented huge undulations and amazing twists and turns, and a 12,000 strong crowd were there to cheer them on through the waves. Third to race were the French pair Gauthier Klauss and Matthieu Peche who clipped a pole and received a time penalty, adding to the excitement, and the favourites to win, twins Pavol and Peter Hochschorner, finished 1.87 seconds slower than Stott and Baillie, getting a bronze medal for their efforts.

David Florence and Richard Hounslow had a chance to redeem themselves after failing to make the final in individual events and finished only 0.36sec slower than Stott and Baillie and were thrilled with the result. Stott and Baillie missed out on the Beijing Olympics, so their gold medals at London 2012 were a dream come true for them. Their medal win compensated for earlier disappointing results from Team GB, as British athletes struggled to reach the individual finals at the Lee Valley course.

In the sprint event, Great Britain did well again, with Ed McKeever achieving a fantastic gold medal in the 200m distance, and bronze medals going to Liam Heath and Jon Schofield. The Canoe Sprint 200m race made its Olympic debut at London 2012. The final round of the men’s canoe sprint K4 1000m started with ten countries, but was reduced to the quickest eight teams on the first day. These eight competed in the final run. The Australians recorded the fastest time and won the gold medal, with Hungary winning the silver. But it was a close call for Australia whose win was only separated from the German team who came in fourth by one second. Slovakia were the favourites for this event, but came in at sixth place, demonstrating how unpredictable and how interesting the sport of canoeing can be.

Ed McKeever claims that the British success at London 2012 can help the squad to become the best in the world. London 2012 saw Great Britain get their biggest ever canoeing Olympic medal haul, with both gold and silver in the slalom and gold and bronze in the sprint. McKeever argues that Team GB, if pushed forward could one day become the leading canoeing nation in the world.

The Slovakian Hochschorner brothers each have three gold medals to their names from three successive Olympic Games that were held in 2000, 2004 and 2008 and were clear favourites to win. In the Canoe Slalom, Slovakia has the most gold medals (seven) and France the most medals overall (fourteen). Other leaders in the sport include Germany and the Czech Republic.

Photo credit: Dave Hamster

While at first glance Abraham Lincoln and Mao Tse Tung may seem to have little in common, one love they shared was a love of kayaking, since they both enjoyed participating in what has become a popular sport and leisure time activity for millions of enthusiasts throughout the world. The opportunity to get some exercise, while enjoying breathtaking scenery, beautiful lakes, rivers and oceans and fresh air is irresistible. It is also a low-impact activity that is affordable and available to all ages and abilities. Kayaking industry experts encourage participants with the fact that even a complete novice can reach a reasonable level of competence in a short time, making it a sport that the whole family can participate in together. Easily combined with other outdoor pursuits such as hiking and camping, it is no surprise that interest in kayaking is rapidly increasing.

There are three main types of kayaking:

Recreational kayaking allows participants to enjoy their surroundings to the fullest as they gently paddle around a lake, pond or slow moving river.

Touring and sea kayaking allows access to tidal and other large expanses of water in kayaks that are specially designed for the purpose and trips of a longer duration.

Whitewater kayaking allows thrill seekers to navigate fast-moving whitewater rivers which can be challenging and invigorating and requires significant skill.

Opportunities for kayaking abound throughout the world, but, as with all sports, some are not to be missed, if given the opportunity to put a kayak in the water and enjoy an unforgettable experience in 2013:

At 2,200 miles long, the Zambezi is Africa’s fourth-longest river. Its source is in Zambia and it flows through Angola, along the borders of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, before crossing Mozambique and into the Indian Ocean. There are three sets of falls on the Zambezi, the most famous of which are the Victoria Falls. Kayakers can experience the majesty of this African giant with a kayaking adventure on the Zambezi in Zambia. With huge waves, whitewater rapids, over-sized holes, powerful eddy lines and the world-famous rapid number 11 tubing wave, which generally occurs in July, there is plenty to exhilarate experienced kayakers. An ideal base for accessing the mighty Zambezi in Gambia is Livingstone, where many kayaking and rafting trips depart from.

Originating near Mount Shisha Pangma in Tibet, the 167-mile Sun Kosi or ‘River of Gold’ drains the eastern Himalayas and runs eastward through Nepal. At 167 miles long, the Sun Kosi flows through some of Nepal’s remotest areas. Kayakers of all abilities will enjoy calm warm waters lapping against white sand beaches, which give in to bouncy grade III-IV rapids, large holes and waves, providing plenty of challenges against Nepal’s stunning backdrop.

If sedately paddling while exploring peaceful surroundings is what the kayaker is looking for, he can do no better than visit New Zealand’s South Island. The numerous bays, sheltered coves and secluded beaches of Marlborough and Queen Charlotte’s Sounds provide ample places for a picnic along the way, as well as opportunities to hike and mountain bike, too.

Those that prefer to watch the sport of kayaking, will not want to miss the International Canoe Federation’s 2013 World Freestyle Kayaking Championships, where 500 world-class kayakers from more than 40 countries will compete. The event will take place from September 2-8 on the Nantahala River, near Bryson City in North Carolina, USA. Fast moving water and the agility of the competitors who must perform a series of tricks and moves, makes freestyle kayaking, also known as playboating, a great spectator event.

Photo credit: freezelight