Canoe/Kayak
Races are on calm water in lanes for sprints. Slalom races are on white water courses. Women compete only in kayaks, which are the closed boats. Men race in both.

Modern canoes and kayaks usually are made of a carbon-kevlar compound. Kevlar is the material used in bullet-proof vests. Some boats are made from fiberglass or wood. Kayakers sit while Canoeists adopt a half-kneeling position.

If a boat capsizes, participants can continue if they can right the boat by themselves. Boats are required to stay 5 meters apart, so that they cannot benefit from the wake of another boat.

The biggest difference between canoes and kayaks are the blades. Kayak paddles have two curved blades on each end of the shaft. This allows them to paddle on each side of the boat. Canoe paddles have one flat blade. The paddles cannot be attached to the boat.

The image that comes to mind with kayaks and canoes are those on white water. Slalom events traverse rapids created for the race. Sprints are raced for speed on calm water. Boats can reach speeds fast enough to pull a water-skier.