Water Sports
There are a large number of sports that involve water. Jet Ski
is the brand name of personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by
Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name is sometimes mistakenly
used by those unfamiliar with the personal watercraft industry
to refer to any type of personal watercraft; however, the name
is a valid trademark registered with the United States Patent
and Trademark Office, and in many other countries.
The "Jet Ski" was preceded in 1929 by a one-man standing unit
called the "Skiboard" which was guided by the operator
standing and shifting his weight while holding on to a rope on
the front, similar to a powered surfboard. While somewhat
popular when it was first introduced in the late 1920s, the
Great Depression sent it into oblivion.
Rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on
rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of
race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the
reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against
the water.
The sport can be both recreational, focusing on learning the
techniques required, and competitive where overall fitness
plays a large role. It is also one of the oldest Olympic
sports. In the United States, high school and collegiate
rowing is sometimes referred to as crew.
While rowing, the athlete sits in the boat facing backwards
(towards the stern), and uses the oars which are held in place
by the oarlocks to propel the boat forward (towards the bow).
This may be done on a river, lake, sea, or other large body of
water. It is a demanding sport requiring strong core balance
as well as physical strength and cardiovascular endurance.