Mario Kart with boats: Meet kayak cross, the sport taking over social media and making its Olympic debut [Video]

This is not what kayak fans are used to seeing at the Olympics.Competitors’ boats drop into the water from a 15-foot-high platform as three other paddlers work furiously to gain traction.Video above: Noemie Fox revels in ‘super special’ kayak cross winThen, in bumper-car-like fashion, those athletes can ram the other kayaks at any time as they work their way around gates in different directions similar to downhill skiing. And before they reach the end, these Olympians have to go completely underwater to execute a 360-degree Eskimo roll.This new event is Kayak Cross, with elements that sound like a local amusement park ride. Competitors can’t really plan for what’s going to happen.”That is what I love about the sport,” New Zealand women’s kayaker Luuka Jones said. “You are in these different situations on white water and have to react in the moment and trust your instincts. That is the biggest strategy, …