Thanks to China’s rapid economic growth and also spurred on by the Olympic Games, canoeing, which used to be a niche sporting activity, has now become all the rage in the country.
"Since July 23, sales of canoeing-related products have increased by more than 30 percent compared with the same period last year, while sales of related accessories have tripled, which has greatly exceeded our expectations," said Qian Maobin, Beijing regional manager of Decathlon, the largest sporting goods retailer in the world.
Canoeing-lovers compete in a canoeing relay in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province on Sept. 6, 2020. (Photo provided by the Hangzhou 2022 Organizing Committee)
Canoeing-related training courses have also boomed. At a canoeing and kayaking club, membership soared from 10 at the beginning of its establishment to nearly 300. Canoeing has shifted into the public’s life, said Wu Meng, an executive of the club.
"A kayak with a short length and wide width is most suitable for beginners. With the improvement of technology, we also adopted the ’seayak’, which is more slender and suitable for cutting currents in the sea and rivers," explained Wu.
According to Wu, apart from providing a training and visitor experience, their business scope has also expanded to holding canoe sprint competitions and carrying out relevant on site tourism activities.
The improvement of China’s ecological water environment in recent years has similarly become a key factor in promoting the development of aquatic sports such as canoeing, noted Xu Jusheng, director of competitions with the Chinese Canoe Association.
In addition, the excellent performance of Chinese athletes in canoeing competitions at home and abroad has meanwhile catalyzed people’s participation in this form of sport, Xu added.
"Canoeing is indeed of great help to people’s health, especially for the youngsters, who like to experience adventures. This kind of sport is very exciting and challenging," Xu further pointed out.
Last year, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, a woman surnamed Xu living in Beijing started to learn canoeing when she found out that most indoor fitness venues were temporarily closed.
"I came into contact with canoeing because it made me feel closer to nature. Now, I’m growing to like it more and more. Plus, doing the sport is also good for my cervical vertebra and back," said the woman.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0812/c90000-9883160.html