Editing Canoeing (section)

== History of organized recreational canoeing ==

[[File:Canoeing.jpg|thumb|Canoeing in the USA 1920s]]

Canoeing is an ancient mode of transportation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nyabongo |first=A. K. |date=1943 |title=The Role of the Canoe |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44214297 |journal=Negro History Bulletin |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=10–23 |jstor=44214297 |issn=0028-2529}}</ref>  Modern recreational canoeing was established in the late 19th century. Among early promoters of canoeing as a sport was [[Carl Smith (canoeing)|Carl Smith]], who introduced canoeing to Sweden in the 1880s. In 1924, canoeing associations from Austria, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden founded the ''Internationalen Representation for Kanusport'', the forerunner of the [[International Canoe Federation]] (ICF).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dudley|first=Marianna|date=1 September 2017|title="Muddying the waters: recreational conflict and rights of use of British rivers"|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s12685-017-0193-2|journal=Water History|language=en|volume=9|issue=3|pages=259–277|doi=10.1007/s12685-017-0193-2|bibcode=2017WatHi...9..259D |issn=1877-7244|hdl=1983/d36c7fb8-a502-4b08-89fe-e535e09bbd21|s2cid=151360522 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

Canoeing became part of the [[Olympic Games]] in the [[Canoeing at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.olympic.org/canoe-kayak-sprint-equipment-and-history?tab=history |title=Canoe/Kayak Sprint Equipment and History |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=28 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://indianexpress.com/sports/rio-2016-olympics/know-your-sport-canoeing-2951642/ |title=Rio 2016 Olympics: Know your sport — Canoeing |date=3 August 2016 |work=The Indian Express |access-date=10 August 2016}}</ref> which featured [[canoe sprint]] using a [[sprint canoe]].<ref>{{Cite report|url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1936/1936v2sum.pdf|title=1936 Summer Olympics Official Report|volume=2|pages=1020–9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709225735/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1936/1936v2sum.pdf |archive-date=9 July 2007 }}</ref> Others competitive disciplines include [[canoe polo]], [[whitewater canoeing]], [[canoe marathon]], [[ICF canoe marathon]], and [[playboating]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-05 |title=About ICF events - competition levels |url=https://www.canoeicf.com/about-icf-events-competition-levels |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=[[International Canoe Federation]]}}</ref>

More than 170 national canoe associations and federations are members of the ICF, including the [[American Canoe Association|American]], [[Canadian Canoe Association|Canadian]], [[British Canoe Union|British]], [[Scottish Canoe Association|Scottish]], and [[Welsh Canoe Association|Welsh]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-15 |title=About the International Canoe Federation (ICF) |url=https://www.canoeicf.com/about-international-canoe-federation-icf |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=[[International Canoe Federation]]}}</ref>