World Kayak Event Coverage

Thun, Switzerland – This year’s ICF Freestyle World Champoionships mark new milestones in the evolution of the youngest discipline in paddlesports.

The first milestone is marked by attendance at the event by VIPs from some of the most august international sports bodies. Headlining the list of dignitaries is International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge. Joining Rogge from the IOC will be Sports Director Christophe Dubin. Other VIPs planning to check out the freestyle kayak action in Thun include Hein Verbruggen, president of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), Denis Oswald, Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), International Canoe Federation (ICF) Secretary General Simon Toulson and Leta Joos from the ICF Court of Arbitration.

Lluis Rabaneda, Chair of the ICF Freestyle Committee, a veteran of freestyle competition organization and the paddlesports industry for more than a decade, said he is honored that so many high-ranking officials have chosen to come to Thun and believes it demonstrates that the sport has attained a critical level of professionalism.

A key component of that professionalism comes with formalizing judging standards and providing ICF training and accreditation. During the past year, cross continent exchanges between North American and European judges, funded by the ICF, were conducted by veteran judge Jasper Polak. Only the most highly trained judges, those who demonstrate the best knowledge and consistency of scoring, will judge the competitor in Thun.

In freestyle kayaking, competitors have a set amount of time, usually 45 seconds or 60 seconds to perform as many maneuvers as possible on a stationary river feature such as a standing wave or hole. In Thun, the time limit will be 45 seconds and the feature is a wave.

The skilled and athletic moves range from simple spins to complex aerial moves with such dynamic names as McNasty, Phonix Monkey, Tricky Woo and Air Screws. The more difficult the move the higher number of points awarded for it. Bonus points may be awarded if the move is particularly huge in aerial amplitude or for smoothly linking more two or three moves.

For example, an Air Screw is defined as a barrel roll performed above the surface, front surf to front surf. The boat must be aerial for at least 270 degrees of the roll and must land in a front surf within 45 horizontal angle range. Any deviation from this technical definition means the competitor doesn’t score any of the 160 points awarded for this move. Moves are only scored once, although some moves may be performed to the right and the left and thus may be scored as two different moves. During this year’s World Championships, look for scores upwards of 900 to be tallied in the senior men’s division.

ICF Freestyle World Championships, produced by Verein Wellen Events, are scheduled to be held Aug. 31 through Sept. 6. For more detailed event information, visit http;//www.ict-thun2009.ch.