Carl Luther (GER)
2008 Class | Pioneer
Carl Luther, known as “CIL,” was an ardent kayaker and through his writing and photography introduced the public to kayak touring which included all levels of kayaking, including whitewater.
One of Carl Luther’s earliest photo illustrations for kayaking was for Klepper in 1907. His advocacy for the formation of clubs, including the German Canoe Federation, as well as competitions set the foundation for the development of paddlesports in Germany, one of the first countries to embrace organized paddlesports.
Carl was a charter member of the German Kayak Touring Club (1919) and served on its board of directors through 1935. He was an organizer of the first wildwater race on the Isar (1921), and an organizer and supporter for the development of the German Canoe Federation (1926). He was the author of one of the first “how-to” books about kayaking and river touring, Paddelsport und Flusswandem (1923)
