Everyone should have the opportunity to experience they joys of CanoeKayak. Paracanoe is based on sprint paddling with a few adaptations for persons with physical disabilities. The fact you don’t need to be able to run or walk makes Paracanoe an ideal sport for people with limited use of their lower body. Paracanoe athletes are classified based on the ability an athlete has in his or her legs, trunk and arms (LTA, TA and A). Paracanoe will make its debut at the 2016 Paralympic Games program in Rio de Janeiro and CaneoKayak Canada has been a leading force internationally in making the sport accessible to everyone.

 Discover a new found sense of freedom on the water

Equipment

A double-bladed paddle and kayak is used for K1while a single bladed paddle an outrigger canoe is used for the V1. The K1 is typically slightly wider than a standard sprint boat to allow for some additional stability. In V1 the single outrigger helps an athlete balance. Custom seats and back support are also common adaptive elements.

Competition

Paracanoe competition are run in the same format as sprint competitions with nine boats lined up head-to-head and competitors progressing through heats, semis and finals. The standard race distance for Paracanoe is 200 metres.

Related to Paracanoe:

Sprint

Events

Paracanoe lingo

Ama – the pontoon on an outrigger V1 boat

Classification – the process of assessing an athletes’ ability based on certain criteria so they can be properly placed in the LTA, TA or A category

Medical Classifier – a classifier who assess an athlete based on medical criteria

Technical Classifier – a classifier who assess an athlete based on technical criteria

LTA – category for a paracanoe athlete who has use of their legs, trunk and arms

TA – category for a paracanoe athlete who has use of their trunk and arms

A – category for a paracanoe athlete who has use of their arms

Va’a – a canoe with an ama. The V1 design is modeled off the va’a which has Polynesian origins