Whitewater kayakingWhitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a small boat down a fast-moving river. Sometimes a graceful ride, it is more often an adrenaline-filled display of strength, quick thinking and technical skill. Whitewater kayaking first became popular in central Europe in the 1950s, when daring kayakers would plunge through rapids in fast-flowing rocky rivers. The term "whitewater" refers to the appearance of the frothy water found in rapids. Rapids are created when rivers are on a steep gradient, making the water flow very fast, when the flow is constricted into a narrower channel, or where an obstruction such as a boulder interrupts the river, causing eddies and swirling currents. ......