We pack a lot into the pages of every issue of Kayak, but there’s always more great stuff we just can’t fit in. So join Teeka and Beau, our otter mascots, to find out more about the theme of each issue, or just pick up some random bits of Canadian history.

Extinct Olympic Sports

Did you know that there are 28 sports represented at the Summer Olympic Games? Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Well, that number jumps to over 300 when you count all the events within each sport.

But for all of these current Olympic events, there are others that are no longer part of the Games. Below are just a few of these “extinct events”:

Tug of War

Yes, it’s true. This super-fun game was an Olympic event from 1900 to 1920. Here’s how it worked: one team of eight men had to pull the other team a distance of about two metres to win. If neither team managed to do this after five minutes, then the team who pulled its opponents the furthest became the winner.

Golf

Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world. But it’s only been an Olympic sport twice — in 1900 and 1904. In 1904, a Canadian athlete named George Seymour Lyon beat 76 American competitors to take the gold medal. After he won, he walked all the way to the victory podium on his hands. (Okay, we lied about its extinction. Golf is making its comeback in Rio 2016!)

Rope Climb

Rope climbing was featured in the Olympics in 1896, 1904, 1906, 1924, and 1932. It was part of the gymnastics programme, and it was one tough event! Starting in a seated position, athletes had to climb a long, vertical rope in the shortest time possible, using only their hands.
 

Lacrosse

Lacrosse is Canada’s national summer sport. People in our country have been playing it for centuries. Maybe that’s why our lacrosse teams did so well at the Olympics. Lacrosse was an official Olympic sport in 1904 and 1908. Both times, Canadian teams took the gold medal.

200m Obstacle Race

This swimming race was only an Olympic event once — at the Paris Games in 1900. Competitors had to swim a 200-metre course through the muddy waters of the River Seine. This was tougher than it might sound, because rows of boats were placed along the course as obstacles! As the athletes swam towards the finish line, they had to alternate between climbing over the boats and swimming underneath them.

Standing High Jump

In regular high jumping, athletes get to take a running jump to attain height. But that wasn’t the case with the standing high jump. This event required athletes to plant both feet on the ground and then jump as high as possible — no run-up allowed! It was an Olympic event from 1900 to 1912.

Other unusual events from past Olympics: