Canoe Jousting

Canoe jousting is a funny and enjoyable sport widely played in England and slowly creeping to the rest of the world. Clubs have been created and the sport now has set tournaments.

The game involves two canoes racing up the river to reach a defined sport. Once the sport has been reached by the canoes, jousting then begins. Each canoe houses two rowers. The objective of canoe jousting is to be the first team to submerge the other team’s canoe using any means that can possibly be used. Tools like the paddles, goggles or swim shoes cannot however be used. Even though poles were being used in the pioneer games, these were found to be dangerous tools to be used among colleagues.

There is a judge who does not actively joust. He or she stands at the river-bank where the jousting action is taking place and decides the particular time a canoe has been submersed and the decision is usually absolute. Some judgement calls have been difficult even though the wins are usually obvious. Initially, the game was taken as a fun sport, usually following a drinking spree either after a morning or afternoon.

To be eligible to take part in the modern canoe jousting, one has to be of acceptable physical health and age such that one can bear reasonable injuries. The order of play is that teams gather for preparations which include wearing life jackets and bailing the canoe as required. They start rowing and the teams begin to hit each other. Hitting is only allowed between the neck and waist of the opponent.

The order of play involves teams preparing as required by wearing life-vests and bailing the boats out if necessary. Once this is done, the teams row out into the lake for a distance of 100 feet away from the shore, maintaining a 50 feet distance from each other. The jousters determine the staring location. However, the other officials can point out any of the teams to move. The referee usually signals the match to start jousters usually have ten minutes in which to make the maximum possible passes. After this, two of the teams row with an ‘acceptable speed’ towards one another. The referee can point out that a team’s speed is not acceptable. He or she can ask the rowers to amend this. Once the canoes are close to each other at a reasonable range, they can down their paddles and start using the lance. With this, all jousters try to hit the opponent between the neck and waist.

Faults in this sport include hitting the opponent’s neck and above, or hitting the waist and below. Grappling and aggressive or rude conduct while canoeing are other faults. Bailing the canoe while jousting is another offence and earns a penalty to the opposing team. Taking a deserved penalty involves the offending team loosing their lance, an official warning towards the wrongful team, a team’s complete removal from a tournament or/and a location.

Each team consists of one boat (often provided by a jousting club), 2 participants called the jousters, two paddles, two lances, two life vests which have to be utilized according to the manufacturer’s specifications and optional equipment such as goggles, extra shirts, swimming shoes, Viking helmets and any other equipment that the team may deem appropriate to assist them win the joust. Equipment that can seriously harm the body are however frowned upon by the officials.