The Art of Paddling: An Illustrated History: Volume 3 - From Fiberglass to Polyethylene. Extreme Feats

The canoe is the oldest boat and its origins are lost in time. Thousands and thousands of years ago the canoe became a privileged means of hunting and fishing, for the transport of people and goods, for the exploration and colonization of even distant lands. The work is divided into four chronological volumes and is also suitable for consultation, letting oneself be guided by the numerous images and anecdotes: VOLUME 1. The Canoe in Antiquity VOLUME 2. From 1800 to 1954. Wooden and Folding Canoes VOLUME 3. From Fiberglass to Polyethylene. Extreme Feats VOLUME 4. Rafting and Inflatable Canoes. Competitive Canoe and Champions The work develops the history of canoeing from antiquity to the present day (in particular, up to the 2024 Paris Olympics). The third volume tells the story of the canoe since, in the mid-1950s, fiberglass was introduced for the construction of hulls, which were much more rigid and robust than those made of wood and canvas folding canoes. This innovation made it possible to obtain canoes with which to tackle previously unthinkable sections of rivers. Later, in the mid-1970s, there was a second revolution in materials with the advent of polyethylene, which allowed the construction of hulls virtually indestructible, although heavier than those in fiberglass.. With polyethylene canoes, the threshold of extreme in river descents was raised even higher, tackling the most difficult rapids on the planet and jumping waterfalls tens of meters high. Polyethylene was later used for the construction of recreational and touring canoes. At the same time, fiberglass was introduced in the field of competitive canoes, a theme dealt with in Volume 4, and in that of sea, lake and easy river canoes for recreational, tourist and exploratory use. In particular, the first sea kayak, inspired by Inuit kayaks, was produced in England in 1970 in fiberglass. The book presents the yards that have contributed to these two great revolutions in terms of materials and that have been able to offer increasingly specific models for the various uses required by the market. In addition, are presented the most significant river and sea ventures, made from the mid-1950s to the present day, together with their protagonists. Revised edition by the author of February 6, 2026.