Canoe Slalom is an Olympic sport. Great Britain has been very successful in the sport of Canoe Slalom winning medals at the last four Olympic Games.
The aim of slalom canoeing is to complete a set course in the fastest time with the least number of time penalties, ‘FAST and CLEAN’ is the ultimate goal!
The course consists of 18-25 numbered gates strung over a minimum of 250m length of river. The gates are made up of two suspended wooden poles set a minimum of 1.2 meters apart and are to be completed in numerical order. The course must consist of at least 6 upstream gates: painted with red and white stripes and the rest are negotiated downstream: painted with green and white stripes. A 2 second time penalty is awarded when either or both poles are touched by any part of the competitor’s body or equipment and a 50 second penalty is awarded when a gate has been missed altogether or if you have gone through it in the wrong direction.
Each competitor has two judged and timed runs. In the Premier Division both run times and penalties are added together to give the competitor's overall result. In Divisions 1-4 it is the best run total that counts towards the result.
There are three boat categories in Canoe Slalom: K1 (Kayak single), C1 (Canoe single) and C2 (Canoe double). All three categories, including men and women, race on the same course with the same gate configuration. Races are generally held on weekends between February and October. At the lower divisions, races are held on flat or gently moving water. At International and Olympic level, the races are held on fast flowing sections of white water.
We would suggest that Paddlepower Discover would be a good minimum level to compete at your first slalom race, however this is not essential.
To enter a Division 4 event you can often enter on the day, however good practice would be to enter in advance. A calendar of events can be found at the Canoe Slalom website. If you are not a member of a National Governing Body then you will need to take out a day/weekend membership so you are covered by insurance, this will be explained to you on the day. The race course will be available for practice before the race starts, often the night before and the morning of the race.
Further information on Canoe Slalom can be found at the Canoe Slalom website:
www.canoeslalom.co.uk