Whitewater rafting is an extreme sport and well as a recreational activity for the daring that uses a raft to navigate in wild rivers and other flowing bodies of water. The degree of difficulty usually depends on the current of the water and the features of the water like the kinds of rocks and the remoteness of the location.
Whitewater rafting, before it evolved into an extreme sport, was originally intended to be an important means of transportation for those living near bodies of water. The first known journal on rafting expedition was that of Lieutenant John Fremont of the US army in 1842 on his journey in the Platte River. His raft was designed by Horace H. Day and it used four independent rubber cloth tubes. Rafting become started to gain popularity in the 1960s when rafting companies were being established and routes like in the Grand Canyon were made. The Munich Olympic Games in the 1970s included rafting in its events. More and more rivers in the world opened rafting activities in the 1980s. Some of these rivers were in Africa and South America. The Barcelona Games in 1992 and the Atlanta Games in 1996 signaled the world wide sensation of rafting. Another prominent event that included rafting was of the Summer Olympic Games hosted by Ocoee River in Tennessee Valley. In 1997, the International Federation of Rafting was instituted. The first Official International Championship took place in 1999.
Whitewater rafting is dangerous sport so safety measures should be taken very taken very seriously. Many accidents have happened in the past because the gears used were not considered very carefully. Rafts should be made of strong and flexible materials and should be thoroughly checked for weak points before embarking on a trip. For beginners, there should be at least two professional whitewater rafters to accompany them. It is also imperative the participants know first aid because unexpected accidents can happen. A rafting hitting a stone and capsize can injure people. The strong current can make it very hard for people to do rescue and operations.
There are many tour companies offering rafting for recreation as well as extreme action sport. These companies though charge insurance fee that are slightly higher than regular outdoor activities like mountain climbing or hiking. Many clubs and organization accept total beginners. Joining clubs can be a great opportunity to learn from the pros.
In North American, the popular Whitewater rafting destinations include Hudson River near Lake George in New York, Snake River near Jackson Hole in Wyoming, Tieton River near Naches and Washington.
The Bujagali Falls on the Nile, the Tana River and the Zambezi River are favorite locations in Africa.
The Hokitika River in New Zealand, Yoshino River in Japan, Tully River in Queensland, Australia, Chico River, Kalinga in the Philippines, Ganga in India and the Kiulu River, in Sabah, Malaysia are top spots in Asia and Oceania.
The Soca River in Slovenia, Tara River in Montenegro, Enns River in Austria, Sjoa River in Norway are Europe’s best Whitewater rafting places.
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This is great, thanks a lot for this post, i found a lot of information in this article. i like it very much, really, because i’m also a water rafting enthusiast.