International Water Sports benefit the body

By Amal Hewavissenti

In all instances water offers all types of excellent opportunities for sport and other recreational facilities. Most water sports occur at sea and some others on rivers, lakes and swimming pools. Water sports such as rowing and swimming depend wholly on muscle power. Sometimes, the power of the wind or sea waves are readily harnessed by people in such sports as surfing and sailing.

In 1896, the first modern Olympic Games exclusively included swimming events which even today form an integral part of Olympic Program. The eminent swimmers might engage in swimming practice several hours a day in a pool because competitive swimming directly demands intensive training.

It is extremely vital to learn to swim before one takes up any water sport. In sports which take place particularly on the sea or on fast moving water (rapids of a river for instance), even most experienced swimmers are expected to wear life-jackets.

There are swimming races for four different strokes such as freestyle, breast-stroke, back stroke and butterfly. Free style swimming event usually range from 50 to 1500 metres in major championships and the other strokes each have 100-metre and 200 metre events. It is strange, sometimes, to note that the fastest human swimmers average more or less eight Km and over a straight 50-metre swim.

Thus, humans have developed several different methods of successful swimming. Swimming on the whole is a superlative form of exercise particularly for the elderly and disabled because the body is partly supported by water.

This position guarantees little strain on the limbs while exercising the muscles and joints of the body. Another considerable benefit of swimming for the elderly and disabled is that it strengthens the heart and lungs.

Another major pool sport is diving which is also an Olympic sport. Springboard diving is performed from a flexible board that is three metres above the water.

The high board diving is performed from a fixed platform about 10 metres above the pool. A top diver may move into the ‘pike’ position while making a forward dive from the high-board. Divers perform dives of varying difficulty from a program of not less than 80 standard dives and are marked by a panel of judges.

Other Pool Sports include ‘synchronised swimming’ in which women competitors perform ballet routines in the water to the rhythm of music and ‘water polo’ in which two teams of seven players try to score by throwing a ball into their opponents’ goal.

Surfing

This riding on big waves in the sea on a special board is highly popular among water sport lovers. Surfing in short, is the sport, of riding a surfboard towards the shore on the face of the wave. The basic surfing position is with one foot in the centre of the board, the other pressing down at the back. By changing the position of the feet and body the surfer can adjust his speed and direction.

Surfers aim to catch an unbroken wave and then slide down its face.

The most spectacular kind of wave is the “tube” which generally occurs when a wave curts over itself. Here, the surfer aims to slide into and through the tube. Professional surfers keep touring the world competing for higher amount of money in competitions.

The windsurfers have the double skills of surfing and sailing to steer their sailboards at high speed across the water.

The windsurfer steers by moving the sail which is noticeably controlled by a long pole which is attached to the board. In addition to racing, there are freestyle events where the wind surfers perform diverse routines and tricks.

Sailing

The history of yacht racing goes back to the 17th century where it had become a royal sport. Racing yachts range from simple dinghies with one person which most people can afford, to ocean-going vessels that cost too much to design and build, and require a crew of 20 or more.

In major regattas and competitions such as the Olympic Games, boats of a single type compete in a number of races over a triangular course marked by buoys.

The “White bread Round the World Race” for large ocean-going yachts is held every four years. The race always commences and finishes in Britain but the course itself varies from race to race. The total distance covered is about 60,000 kilometres.

Canoeing

This too is an Olympic Sport with events for the two main racing craft.

In the ‘Canadian Canoe’, the canoeist employs a single bladed paddle first on one side then on the other side.

In the special canoe called “Kayak”, a double bladed paddle is used.

In the Olympics, races are conducted on still water over 500 and 1000 metres but the longer distance has been meant for male competitors only.

One can observe that men and women are engaged in the race separately in singles, in pairs or in groups of four.

Up to nine canoes are allowed to take part in such races and each event has elimination process before the final.

‘White Water racing’ takes place on a rough rocky course and there are two main types. In ‘Salom’, the canoeists start at intervals and have to paddle through a number of ‘gates which are pairs of coloured poles hanging above the water. Competitors have to paddle through some gates down stream with the current and some have to paddle upstream.

In “Wild water racing” the competitors are expected to complete a difficult course of rapids, rocks and other obstacles at least three kilometres from start to finish in the fastest possible time.

Rowing is a sport for men and women in which long paddles (oars) are employed.

The boats are light and streamlined and oarsmen sit on sliding seats and the oars are fixed in outriggers. Rowing boats have crews of two, four or eight oarsmen.

Championships

Rowing events are generally held on lakes, rivers, and the sea.

For top level competitions such as Olympics and the world championships a dead-straight course on flat water is required.

Majority of water sports relay entirely on muscle power or the power of wind or sea waves.

But some water sports involve the use of motor boats which range in size from small vessels to large craft that weigh much.

The most powerful boats can reach speeds of 240 kilometres per hour. Different types of boats compete separately and there are hundreds of races and rega-ttas each year.