Whitewater Kayaking Research Articles

Improving paddling efficiency through raising sitting height in female white water kayakers

The study compared female white water paddlers over two conditions: with seat raise and with no seat raise. The aim was to determine whether raising the sitting height would improve paddling efficiency. Sitting height of each participant was recorded in order to calculate the seat raise height required and three-dimensional kinematic data was collected for six participants over both conditions. Twelve measures of efficiency were utilised. The efficiency of all participants improved on the seat condition for ≥4 of the measures, with three participants showing improvement for ≥6 of the measures. The stern snaking measure had the highest value of significance (P = 0.1455) and showed an average of 11.98% reduction in movement between no seat and seat conditions. The results indicate that improvements were seen although these were individualistic. Therefore it can be concluded that it is worth experimenting with a seat raise for a female kayaker who is lacking efficiency, noting, however, that improvements might depend on anthropometrics and the seat height selected, and therefore could elicit differing results.

Strategic and temporal substitution among anglers and white-water kayakers: The case of an urban regulated river

Urban recreational landscapes, including rivers, are subject to increased demands for energy production as well as other uses. Recreationists apply a range of behavioral strategies to achieve and maintain their preferred experiences and outcomes as much as possible in these ever changing environments. Although resource and activity substitution are well known coping strategies for recreationists, less is known about strategic and temporal substitution. We studied how whitewater kayakers and salmon anglers applied strategic and temporal strategies to cope with a highly variable river environment due to hydro-peaking, a production scheme that may become increasingly common as hydropower is combined with other sources of renewable energy. We identified a range of behavioral strategies that recreationists use to better cope with frequently changing water levels, including ad-hoc and planned temporal substitution and tactical and spatial substitution. While kayakers used mostly temporal and spatial substitution, anglers applied tactical substitution, such as changing gear and tackle, and improving their skills specifically in response to unfavorable conditions. Future research should seek to confirm and expand the investigation of temporal and strategic substitution to other recreation activities and to other countries and regions. Management implicationsThe study highlights a range of useful, cost-effective mitigation alternatives supported by outdoor recreationists. The mitigation strategies will become more relevant in the future, as policies and licenses for hydropower generation are currently reviewed in many countries. The societal demand for different types of renewable energy has increased the demand for water impoundment facilities when implementing hydro-peaking for electricity generation during peak periods of demand. The relicensing process provides opportunities to better address the multi-functional demands on regulated rivers and to reduce negative impacts of hydropower generation. Increased and formalized contact between users and the hydro company, better information, and physical modifications are all highly relevant mitigating measures that would enhance the suitability of the study area for recreation within the existing regulation regime, with several of these measures specifically improving temporal substitution.

Beyond “Because It's There”

Since 2009, participation rates for adventure pursuits such as kayaking and climbing have increased over 25% (Outdoor Industry Foundation, 2011). This study investigated the reported motivations for participation in adventure recreation over a six-year period using the independent variables of gender, experience level, and activity type. The study consisted of 801 participants engaged in four different adventure activities (rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, and canoeing). Using factor analysis, three factors emerged: Social, Sensation-Seeking, and Self-Image. Of these three factors, subsequent analyses using three-way ANOVAs, revealed significant differences regarding activity type, gender, and experience level. Using discriminant analysis, the Social factor was the most successful in predicting group membership regarding gender, activity type, and level of experience.

Development and Application of the River Values Assessment System for Ranking New Zealand River Values

In New Zealand and elsewhere no system has existed for objectively ranking the relative importance of different use (e.g., irrigation and hydro electric power) and non-use (e.g., whitewater kayaking, recreational angling, native birdlife) river values. Development of such a system would provide an opportunity for improved policies and rules around water and river use, development and conservation opportunities, and for understanding tradeoffs when competing and overlapping demands are placed on the same resource. In this paper the River Values Assessment System (RiVAS), a Multi Criteria Analysis based approach, is described and demonstrated by application to the salmonid angling value (and in a more limited way to swimming) in Tasman District rivers of the South Island, New Zealand. The system has 10 steps, and a decision support system which finally helps decide the national, regional or local (or high, medium or low) importance or significance of rivers for particular values. As with any MCA approach there is a wide range of limitations all of which are addressed, and none of which are ultimately fatally detrimental to the system.

Monitoring the state of New Zealand rivers: How the River Values Assessment System can help

The River Values Assessment System (RiVAS) is a standardised multi-criteria analysis approach for developing river rankings for diverse values (e.g. irrigation, whitewater kayaking, native birds) to aid decision-making regarding various aspects of river management. The method identifies primary attributes that characterise the value and an indicator for each. Eleven values have been, or are being, implemented. In this paper, the distribution of primary attributes and indicators by value are mapped. Almost all values require some sort of ‘count’ data (especially recreational and ecological values) and most require water quantity or water quality data. Conversely, some values require data solely pertinent to that value. The tangata whenua (indigenous peoples of New Zealand) value is the most holistic. Findings suggest that comprehensive state of the environment reporting for rivers requires data additional to that currently collected, especially recreation-related data. RiVAS provides a useful framework for thinking strategically about monitoring and reporting.

Recreation Specialization Among New Zealand River Recreation Users: A Multiactivity Study of Motivation and Site Preference

This study explored the influence of specialization and activity on motivation to participate and site preference among three activities: whitewater kayaking, multisport racing, and fishing. Subjects consisted of 270 river-based recreationists in New Zealand. MANOVA results indicate a moderate effect for activity on motives to participate and site preference and a weak effect for specialization. Inter-activity motivation and site preference differences reveal similarity between whitewater kayaking and multisport and distinct differences between these and fishing. In these data, the distinctive nature of the activity provides greater explanatory power for motivation to participate and site preference than does the specialization construct.

Scapulohumeral kinematic assessment of the forward kayak stroke in experienced whitewater kayakers

By understanding the normal humeral and scapular kinematics during the kayak stroke, inferences about the relationship of kayaking technique and shoulder injury may be established. The purpose of this study was to describe scapular and humeral kinematics and to compare dominant versus non-dominant symmetry in healthy whitewater kayakers performing the forward stroke. Twenty-five competent whitewater kayakers (mean age: 34.1 ± 9.4 years, mean height: 1.768 ± 0.093 m, mean mass: 78.2 ± 13.0 kg) underwent humeral and scapular kinematic assessment, using an electromagnetic tracking device, while kayaking on a kayak ergometer. Paired t-tests were used to determine symmetry. Scapular and humeral kinematic means and standard deviations at six time points during the kayak stroke were described. Scapular and humeral kinematics were shown to be similar upon bilateral comparison. The greatest potential for injury during the forward stroke may be at thrust paddle shaft vertical when the humerus is maximally elevated in internal rotation and adduction as subacromial structures may be mechanically impinged. The relationship between scapulohumeral kinematics related to injury at other time points are also described.

In Response to Exostoses of the External Auditory Canal in White‐Water Kayakers

In Response to <i>Exostoses of the External Auditory Canal in White‐Water Kayakers</i>

Policy Entrepreneurs, Issue Experts, and Water Rights Policy Change in Colorado

Policy entrepreneurs can influence policy changes and decisions. These people invest their time, knowledge, and skills into promoting policies with which they agree. This paper investigates the influence that entrepreneurs had in the case of recreational water rights policy in Colorado to build a model of policy entrepreneurship. Almost 20 Colorado communities have constructed white-water kayak courses to boost their local economies. In twelve of these communities, construction was followed by community pursuit of a new form of water right—the recreational in-channel diversion. This case study is relevant to many areas of environmental policy and management where policies are transitioning from traditional consumptive uses of the resource to nonconsumptive uses. This policy change was not a given in Colorado communities, with recreational water rights requiring significant investments of community resources. These research findings conclude that policy entrepreneurs were influential to policy change, but the most important actors were expert entrepreneurs who hold expertise in water resource matters.

Exostoses of the external auditory canal in white‐water kayakers

Exostoses of the external auditory canal are benign bony tumors associated with frequent cold-water exposure. Obstruction may lead to conductive hearing loss and recurrent otitis externa, requiring surgical correction when symptoms become intolerable. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence of exostoses in white-water kayakers and identify associated risk factors and protective measures. Cross-sectional. Six hundred eleven white-water kayakers from across the United States were included in the study. Percent occlusion was graded as minimal (<25%), moderate (25%-75%) or severe (>75%). Subjects completed a survey of risk factors and protective measures. Kruskal-Wallis and chi(2) tests were performed to determine significant associations with percent occlusion. A multivariate proportional odds regression model was fit to adjust for confounding between the variables. The prevalence of exostoses in kayakers was 79% (482/611); 13% (78/611) had >or=75% occlusion. Percent occlusion was associated with total years kayaked (P < .001), frequency >or=1 day/week (P < .001), male gender (P < .001), and increasing age (P = .005), although frequency, gender, and age were confounded by total years. Styles that involve repeated submersion were also associated with greater occlusion (freestyle, P = .036; squirt, P = .016). Subjects who used earplugs for a greater proportion of their kayaking career were less likely to have exostoses (P < .001). When adjusted for confounding, only total years (P = .0003) and age (P = .0027) remained significant. Kayakers are the first inland population to experience exostoses at the rates seen in coastal populations (e.g., surfers). When used long-term, earplugs may be protective.

Recreation Specialisation among New Zealand Whitewater Kayakers: A study of motivation and site preference

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of specialisation to motivations and site preferences among whitewater kayakers. Subjects consisted of 358 whitewater kayakers in New Zealand. Data was collected via an internet survey in New Zealand in 2008. Research questions addressed the delineation between levels of specialisation and associated relationships with motivation and site preference variables. Results found that high levels of motivation and site preference for wilderness values, enjoyment of nature, similar people, achievement, and physical fitness were supportive of a social world perspective, regardless of the specialisation level. Specialisationrelated differences emerged for achievement, teaching others, and challenge/safety. Low motivation and preference were found for introspection, family togetherness, escape, equipment, facilities, and novelty. Hammett, Backlund, and Bixler (2004) indicate that recreation resource managers would find this information to be instrumental in aiding future policy and planning decisions.

Kayak stroke technique and musculoskeletal traits in shoulder injured whitewater kayakers

Kayak stroke technique and musculoskeletal traits in shoulder injured whitewater kayakers

External auditory canal exostoses in white water kayakers

ObjectiveIn this study, the presence and severity of external auditory canal exostoses (EACE) in a group of white water kayakers related to the duration and intensity of kayaking and the...

Alternative treatments of the cost of time in recreational demand models: an application to whitewater kayaking in Ireland

The measurement of travel costs in recreational demand modeling has been a contentious issue for many decades. This article explores the use of a number of alternative methods of incorporating time costs in the travel cost modeling process. Travel cost values where the opportunity cost of time is excluded, where it is included as a percentage of the individual's reported wage rate and where it based on an estimated wage from a secondary data source (the European Community Household Panel) are compared and then used in a conditional logit model to estimate the demand for whitewater kayaking in Ireland. We then evaluate the effect of different treatments of the cost of travel time on the welfare impacts of a number of different management scenarios for kayaking rivers in Ireland, and find that statistically significant differences emerge.

Examining interactions between adventure seeking and states of the four channel flow model

This study evaluates the relationships between states of the four channel flow model and adventure seeking traits among Whitewater kayakers using a modified Experience Sampling Method. Study hypotheses were concerned with determining whether the interaction between adventure seeking and the four channel flow model predicts differences in dimensions of subjective experience. Questionnaires were administered on‐site to 52 Whitewater kayakers on the Cheat River in West Virginia at eight sites varying in river difficulty (Class I‐V). Data were analyzed at the level of single experience measurements (n = 409 experience observations) rather than per respondent. Statistical analyses (using principal axis factoring and hierarchical linear modelling) confirmed a three dimensional structure of flow indicators, and that the interactions of adventure seeking and the channels of the flow model were significant predictors of an Intrinsic Freedom dimension. Although the adventure seeking trait was a significant predictor of the Affect and Activation dimension, this dimension and the Cognitive Control dimension were not significantly predicted by interactions with channels of the flow model. The significant interaction between the flow state and adventure seeking trait in predicting the Intrinsic Freedom dimension suggests that higher adventure seeking, coupled with entering the flow state, enhances the intrinsic nature of the subjective experience in the Cheat Canyon. Implications of this interaction include a focus on programming for opportunities that inspire intrinsic freedom.

Die isolierte Impressionsfraktur des Jochbogens beim alpinen Wildwasserkanusport

Whitewater kayaking is a rapidly growing form of extreme sport with a high risk potential for upper-body injuries, mainly concerning the head and torso. Direct impact traumata, such as a creek bone fracture, require an operation. The follow up treatment is aimed to prevent any loading from taking place. If necessary, a special facemask can be made to avoid injuries resulting from direct contact with hard surfaces. A suitable helmet for kayaking should include facial protection, which is not very common.

Pinned on Karma Rock: Whitewater Kayaking as Religious Experience

This paper argues that whitewater paddling constitutes religious experience, that non-western terms often best describe this experience and that these two facts are related and have much to tell us about the nature of religious experience. That many paddlers articulate their experiences using Asian and/or indigenous religious terms suggests that this language is a form of opposition to existing norms of what constitutes religious experience. So, investigating the sport as an aquatic nature religion provides the opportunity to revisit existing categories. As a "lived religion," whitewater kayaking is a ritual practice of an embodied encounter with the sacred, and the sacred encounter is mediated through the body's performance in the water. This sacred encounter-with its risk and danger-illustrates Rudolph Otto's equation of the sacred with terrifying and unfathomable mystery and provides a counterpoint to norms of North American religiosity and related scholarship.

Focus Introduction: Aquatic Nature Religion

Outdoor adventure and other recreational practices can express, evoke, and reinforce religious perceptions and orientations to natural and social worlds. Some participants in them understand itself to be sacred in some way and believe that facilitating human connections to is the most important aspect of their chosen practice. Such activities can be construed by scholars as nature religion, and profitably analyzed by comparing characteristics commonly associated with religion to the beliefs and practices of participants engaged in these activities. Here I introduce as Aquatic Nature Religion three case studies that explore the religious, or religion-resembling aspects, of surfing, fly fishing, and whitewater kayaking. These studies provocatively challenge conventional understandings of religion and pose anew the boundary question: Where does religion end and phenomena that are not religious begin?.

Bilateral Comparison of Scapulohumeral Kinematics in Expert Whitewater Kayakers

Kayaking is a unique sport as propulsion of the kayak is done without use of the lower extremities, placing high demands on the torso and upper extremities. Epidemiological studies have shown that unilateral shoulder injuries are very common in whitewater kayakers. It is speculated that symmetrical scapulohumeral kinematics play an important role in prevention of shoulder injuries, while at the same time facilitating effective forward propulsion of a kayak. However, bilateral asymmetries have been previously reported. Although the role of the scapula in shoulder injuries is well documented, analysis of scapular kinematics during kayaking has not been previously reported. PURPOSE: To compare three-dimensional scapular and humeral kinematics at six time points during the kayak stroke. METHODS: Twelve healthy expert whitewater kayakers (37.0 ± 12.2 yrs, 175.6 ± 10.2 cm, 74.2 ± 10.0 kg) paddled on a kayak ergometer, while bilateral scapulohumeral kinematics were analyzed using an electromagnetic tracking device. Scapulothoracic upward/downward rotation, anterior/posterior tilting, internal/external rotation, protraction/retraction, elevation/depression and humeral elevation and horizontal abduction/adduction were analyzed while subjects paddled at a self-selected pace. Bilateral kinematics were compared at six corresponding time points during the kayak stroke. The averages of 10 strokes were compared with dependant t-test. Alpha levels were adjusted based on the number of comparisons made at each time point. RESULTS: No significant differences were found for any variable at any time point. Scapular kinematics mean bilateral differences ranged from 0.2-7.4° while humeral kinematics differences ranged from 0.7-12.2°. CONCLUSIONS: In this group of expert whitewater kayakers, it was shown that bilateral scapulohumeral symmetry exists during the forward kayak stroke. Bilateral symmetry may distribute high shoulder forces equally to prevent injury, while facilitating effective forward propulsion, in healthy kayakers. Future studies should evaluate the role of injury and fatigue on bilateral scapular kinematics while paddling.

Barking Dog Rapids 2

Summer 2007 - Volume 11 Number 3 "Barking Dog Rapids 2" pastel on pastel paper, 24"x36" By Terrance Chang, MD This piece was inspired by Dr Chang's favorite getaway and adrenaline kick --whitewater kayaking on the South Fork of the American River in Coloma, C