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Short History of the Kayak
The Kayak has been used for both transport and sport since
ancient times across the world. The Inuits were the
first people in the world to invent the kayak. The Inuit
and Aleut tribes built kayaks from a driftwood or whalebone
framework and stretched across it sea lion skins, made waterproof
with whale fat. Larger kayaks known as umiaq carried
whole families and their possession, the eskimo equivalent
of a van or 12 x 10. The hunter rowing the kayak would wear
a sealskin “annuraaq”, from which the western
name for a waterproof or “anorak” comes from.
The kayak represents hardy ingenuity in the face of a difficult
climate, and has an image of freedom and brotherhood with
the seas. Each kayak is crafted using unique designs specific
to the region. They demonstrate ingenious technology and craftsmanship
in their designs. The kayaks from the Bering Strait
area were stable with massive amounts of storage space for
all their booty, and the Baffin Island models were
long, broad and flared for a stable and dry ride. The sea
kayak is part of a rich culture heritage for the people of
Iceland and Greenland, as well as the most popular sport of
the nation.
Kayaking in Nuuk, Greenland
The kayak is perfect for hunting on the water as it doesn’t
make any sound so it's easy to sneak up from behind your prey,
and if you put a white cloth in front, the animals or seals
(who are easily fooled) think that you are a piece of ice.
Each kayak is different and “made to measure” depending
on a person’s size and height. That is why the Inuit
say when a person has fallen or died from kayak hunting that
he has been borrowing someone else’s kayak, because he
doesn’t have the same sense of balance.
At the local kayak club in Nuuk you can rent a kayak
and get lessons as well, but be prepared to carry your own
kayak!
The only people left who hunt whale by sea kayak are in the
far north of Greenland, but in Nuuk every Sunday afternoon
the locals practice their ancient kayak skills like the
Eskimo Roll. Perfecting the roll manoeuvre is vital in
the event of capsizing, especially as most Greenlanders have
never learnt to swim. The sea is dangerously cold, three minutes
in the water and the body begins to shut down.
Kayaking and the West
Kayaking as a leisure sport was brought to the west in 1845
when English lawyer, John MacGregor designed his own
kayak and travelled around Europe in it. His books and subsequent
interest spawned the foundation of the Royal Canoe Club in
1866, later followed by a New York club in 1871.
Lochsa in Idaho, USA, is the birthplace of Kayaking as a
mainstream sport during the early 1970’s. 100 years later
the rules of the game have changed, now kayaking has merged
with white water rafting to become its own extreme
sport - whitewater kayaking, where trekkers tackle
torrential river, falls and rapids. Rodeo kayaking
is the most recent addition to the sport, boaters perform
tricks like cartwheels, free-style grabs (similar to ocean
surfing) and high braces. It has been introduced at the Olympics. |
