| 50-second penalty: A penalty against slalom paddlers for, usually, failing to pass through a gate.
Beam: The widest part of a canoe.
Bow: The front of a boat.
Bowhand: A paddler who kneels or sits in the forward position of a canoe or kayak; also know as a "bowman".
Bowman: A paddler who kneels or sits in the forward position of a canoe or kayak; also known as a "bowhand".
Broach: To become caught in the current against an obstruction and turn sideways, a dangerous situation.
Chute: An area where a river is suddenly constricted, compressing and amplifying the current's energy into a narrow tongue of water.
Downstream: In the same direction as the flow of the water.
Downstream gate: A green-and-white-striped slalom gate negotiated in the same direction as the flow of the water.
Draw: A stroke pulling in towards the paddler at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, causing the bow of the canoe to turn in the direction of the drawing side when performed by the bowhand.
Eddy: A pool of calmer water out of the main current of a stream, where upstream gates often are placed.
Eskimo roll: The rolling over, or capsizing, of a canoe, with the paddler remaining in place, and the subsequent righting of the canoe at the completion of the roll.
False start: A start when one or more boats take off too early.
Five-metre rule: A rule prohibiting any boat from coming within five metres of the boat positioned next to it, thereby preventing it from riding the other boat's wash.
Flat water: Lake water or a slow-moving river current with no rapids.
Gunwale: The upper edge of a canoe's side (pronounced "gunnel").
Heat: The early divisions of a competition, with the top finishers advancing to the finals or semi-finals.
J stroke: A paddle stroke that ends with a rudder manoeuvre.
Keel: The ridge running the length of a canoe on the bottom.
Kevlar: An extruded fibre, composed of synthetic long-chain polyamides, which is extremely strong and resistant to high temperatures.
Line: The path a whitewater paddler chooses to take through the gates.
Riding the wash: Gaining an unfair advantage in sprint events by travelling in the wash of the next boat and being pulled along by it.
River left: The left side of the waterway as it appears to a paddler facing downstream.
River right: The right side of the waterway as it appears to a paddler facing downstream.
Rudder: 1. to drag the paddle to create resistance, causing the stern of a canoe to turn in the direction of the rudder side when performed by the sternsman. 2. a board or plate of wood or metal hinged vertically at the stern of a sprint kayak as a means of steering.
Run: One trip on the course.
Shaft: The narrow part of a paddle, gripped by the paddler.
Slalom: A zigzag contest for canoes, similar to a downhill skiing race, over a winding course defined by artificial obstacles.
Spray skirt: A cover worn by paddlers in whitewater events that attaches around the cockpit and seals the paddler into the boat to prevent water from entering.
Stem: The forward part of a boat.
Stern: The back end of a boat.
Sternsman: A paddler who kneels or sits in the back position of a canoe or kayak.
Sweep: A stroke made in a broad curve, turning a canoe in the direction opposite the sweeping side when performed by the sternsman.
Thwart: A supporting member of a canoe's structure, extending across the canoe from side to side between the gunwales.
Two-second penalty: A penalty assessed against slalom paddlers who touch a gate pole while attempting to pass through a gate.
Upstream: Against the flow of the water.
Upstream gate: A red-and-white-striped slalom gate that must be negotiated against the flow of the water.
Wash: The rough or broken water left behind a moving boat.
Whitewater: Denoting a race over turbulent, heavily aerated water caused by the water flowing around or over obstacles in the current. Credit: IOC
For further info., please visit http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=CS.
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