The kayak was invented thousands of years ago, and was used to help indigenous peoples hunt for seals. The technology that is used to build kayaks improved rapidly in the 20th century, as kayaking became a recreational activity and a competitive sport. Advanced kayakers can now navigate all but the most difficult whitewater rapids.
Early Development
Kayaks were originally developed by Eskimos along the Siberian coastline about 8,000 years ago. The long, narrow watercraft were covered with seal skins. They were hard to sink because they contained inflated seal bladders, making them ideal for navigating whitewater. About 2,500 years ago, primitive kayaks consisting of a wooden framework covered with animal skins were used to transport goods from Armenia to Babylon.
European History
In 1860, John MacGregor began manufacturing kayaks in Scotland after he observed them during a trip to North America. He wrote a book about kayaking, and this greatly increased the recreational use of kayaks. In 1905, German Hans Klepper invented a folding kayak known as a foldboat, according to the website Kayak Escape. In 1907, Alfred Klepper modified this design and began mass production of kayaks. Kayaking became even more popular as a recreational activity, and the newly designed kayaks allowed people to explore areas previously untouched by humans, such as rivers at the bottoms of canyons.
The Eskimo Roll
In the 1920s, an Austrian named Edi Hans Pawlata reinvented the Eskimo Roll, a revolutionary technique first developed by ancient kayakers, that allows recovery from a 180-degree capsize using a paddle and appropriate body movements. To recover from a capsize, the kayaker lifts his torso toward the surface, flicks his hips to turn the kayak halfway up, and pushes the kayak the rest of the way up by pushing his paddle toward the river bottom. This technique allowed adventurers further access to rough rivers by reducing the risk of capsizing.
The Hollowform Revolution
A Californian named Tom Johnson developed a polyethylene kayak marketed as the Hollowform in 1973, according to the website Museum of Learning. Thanks to its material, this kayak was much more durable than previous kayaks, and was mass-produced. With the Hollowform, whitewater kayakers could now use rocks as part of their navigation strategy -- instead of avoiding rocks to reduce damage to the kayak, they could bounce off them to point themselves in the right direction. This added safety and maneuverability lowered the minimum skill level necessary to navigate a kayak, making whitewater kayaking much more accessible to the general public. The Hollowform revolution greatly increased the popularity of kayaking, particularly in California.
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