The North Fork Championship has achieved a legendary status among paddlers as the most extreme whitewater event in the world. The opportunity is clear for the sport’s most elite kayakers to prove themselves. The venue: the famously vicious Class V+ Jacob’s Ladder rapid on the North Fork Payette in the wild heart of Idaho. And now in its eighth year, the NFC is adding the title of a world championship, legitimizing what has long been its underground reputation. With the Association of Whitewater Professionals (AWP) naming it this year’s ‘Extreme Kayak World Championship,’ the NFC fills the void left after the 2018 cancelation of Sickline, the high-profile Austrian creek race which did not run this fall and long held the world-title mantle. And that’s not the only upgrade. NFC organizers also announced the first-ever Women’s Division, with equal pay for female winners.
Only two women have ever competed in the giant slalom-style finals on Jake’s, as the powerful cataract is nicknamed. Pro kayaker Katrina Van Wijk was the first to break down the doors in 2014, the sole woman among 19 men. Nouria Newman followed in 2015, racing the finals three times in total. “NFC had to do this because they are claiming to be the world championship this year,” said Newman, who won Sickline in 2017 (and has been vocal about its credibility as a world-title event). “If you take that responsibility in any sport, even the most male-dominated sport—feminism has come a long way and you can’t call yourself a ‘world championship’ without a women’s category.” While Newman can’t attend NFC this year due to visa issues, 17 women currently comprise the lineup for the inaugural Women’s Division. “There have been more and more women involved every year,” said Regan Byrd, who organizes the now massive multi-race event and festival with her husband James during their spare time, as both work as full-time nurses. “We’ve had ladies race in several different events and been voted in by their peers. It’s about progression, and it’s not surprising anymore to see women pushing it just as hard. Looking at the women who are coming, these are amazing kayakers with amazing accolades.” That who’s who list includes the likes of reigning ‘Queen of the Green (Race)’ Adriene Levknecht, fresh off a creek-race win Thursday at the GoPro Mountain Games. Other familiar American names, like White Salmon, Wash.’s Anna Wagner and Darby MacAdams, grace the lineup. But as a world championship, this year’s event is also drawing more international competitors, like former Sickline world champ Mariann Saether from Norway. “She’s been pro for over a decade, and is also a mom. It’s so cool to see her pushing it like she does and have that balance,” said Byrd. Other internationals include Capucine Thomas-Lepine, also from Norway; Pavlina Zasterova from Czech Republic; and Brydi Stark from New Zealand. On the men’s side, Byrd says to look out for a lot of previous champions and returning contenders — which is the real heart and soul of the NFC as something of a family reunion of paddlers, in the best tradition of kayak festivals. “Kyle Hull is one to watch,” she says. “He’s come every year and finished in the top ten. He knows the rapid well and is always a crowd favorite.” She ticks off other names in the lineup in a roll call some of the best kayakers in the world right now: “Dane Jackson, Louis Geltman, Tyler Bradt, [reigning champion] Aniol Serrasolses of course, and Ben Stookesberry’s coming out this year.”
NFC VII Event Recap from North Fork Championship on Vimeo.
The updates do not stop there. In prior years, organizers determined the field for the Jake’s Race Finals largely through pre-qualification (half through prior year’s results, half through peer voting selection), with only up to 10 wild-card spots determined by event qualification races held on a separate river section days prior. This year, no finals spot is guaranteed for any racer, with two elimination races setting up a TBD field ripe for upsets.
The action begins at 10:30 am tomorrow with a first Qualifier race for all 186 entrants, narrowing the field to 40 men and 10 women. Friday’s Semifinals (which replaces the Boatercross race of years past) feature a head-to-head race seeded according to finish times in the qualification race, narrowing a Finals field for Saturday afternoon’s main event of 20 men and five women (full schedule here).
View this post on Instagram
The 8th addition of the @northforkchampionship starts tomorrow with a qualification on this lovely piece of water. There are 180+ racers from around the world here to compete. 40 people will make it into the semi-final and 20 into the final on Jakes. It’s a stacked field of racers from all over the world, including North Fork specialist, salmon and freestyle champions, waterfall huckers, #bennyfuckingmarr and everything in between. Its going to be one for the books. It all starts tomorrow with the @kokatatusa qualifier on S-turn. Let’s get it! #nfc8 A post shared by Isaac levinson (@isaaclevkayak) on Jun 12, 2019 at 2:33pm PDT
That format change is a significant one, especially considering this year’s record number of pre-registered athletes who will compete in round one of NFC VIII. That means that of 186 athletes, 136 athletes will not make it past the first round. Competition will be fierce, to say the least. Regardless of the outcome, the NFC still retains its grassroots as an event designed to bring together the paddling community to celebrate talent on some of the most extreme whitewater on the planet. “Becoming the World Championship is really cool, but it’s a testament for the sport as a whole,” Byrd adds. “Kayaking is still fringe, but it’s evolved in such a way that we can reach so many more people. Ultimately that leads to bigger ideas for the sport.” The new North Fork (World) Championship runs through June 15, see the full schedule of races and events here.
Results and Recap from NFV VII
Read article
Where Did the World Championships Go?
Read article
The article was originally published on Canoe & Kayak
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The North Fork Championship has achieved a legendary status among paddlers as the most extreme whitewater event in the world. The opportunity is clear for the sport’s most elite kayakers to prove themselves. The venue: the famously vicious Class V+ Jacob’s Ladder rapid on the North Fork Payette in the wild heart of Idaho.
And now in its eighth year, the NFC is adding the title of a world championship, legitimizing what has long been its underground reputation. With the Association of Whitewater Professionals (AWP) naming it this year’s ‘Extreme Kayak World Championship,’ the NFC fills the void left after the 2018 cancelation of Sickline, the high-profile Austrian creek race which did not run this fall and long held the world-title mantle. And that’s not the only upgrade. NFC organizers also announced the first-ever Women’s Division, with equal pay for female winners.
Only two women have ever competed in the giant slalom-style finals on Jake’s, as the powerful cataract is nicknamed. Pro kayaker Katrina Van Wijk was the first to break down the doors in 2014, the sole woman among 19 men. Nouria Newman followed in 2015, racing the finals three times in total.
“NFC had to do this because they are claiming to be the world championship this year,” said Newman, who won Sickline in 2017 (and has been vocal about its credibility as a world-title event). “If you take that responsibility in any sport, even the most male-dominated sport—feminism has come a long way and you can’t call yourself a ‘world championship’ without a women’s category.”
While Newman can’t attend NFC this year due to visa issues, 17 women currently comprise the lineup for the inaugural Women’s Division. “There have been more and more women involved every year,” said Regan Byrd, who organizes the now massive multi-race event and festival with her husband James during their spare time, as both work as full-time nurses. “We’ve had ladies race in several different events and been voted in by their peers. It’s about progression, and it’s not surprising anymore to see women pushing it just as hard. Looking at the women who are coming, these are amazing kayakers with amazing accolades.”
That who’s who list includes the likes of reigning ‘Queen of the Green (Race)’ Adriene Levknecht, fresh off a creek-race win Thursday at the GoPro Mountain Games. Other familiar American names, like White Salmon, Wash.’s Anna Wagner and Darby MacAdams, grace the lineup. But as a world championship, this year’s event is also drawing more international competitors, like former Sickline world champ Mariann Saether from Norway. “She’s been pro for over a decade, and is also a mom. It’s so cool to see her pushing it like she does and have that balance,” said Byrd. Other internationals include Capucine Thomas-Lepine, also from Norway; Pavlina Zasterova from Czech Republic; and Brydi Stark from New Zealand.
On the men’s side, Byrd says to look out for a lot of previous champions and returning contenders — which is the real heart and soul of the NFC as something of a family reunion of paddlers, in the best tradition of kayak festivals. “Kyle Hull is one to watch,” she says. “He’s come every year and finished in the top ten. He knows the rapid well and is always a crowd favorite.” She ticks off other names in the lineup in a roll call some of the best kayakers in the world right now: “Dane Jackson, Louis Geltman, Tyler Bradt, [reigning champion] Aniol Serrasolses of course, and Ben Stookesberry’s coming out this year.”
NFC VII Event Recap from North Fork Championship on Vimeo.
The updates do not stop there. In prior years, organizers determined the field for the Jake’s Race Finals largely through pre-qualification (half through prior year’s results, half through peer voting selection), with only up to 10 wild-card spots determined by event qualification races held on a separate river section days prior. This year, no finals spot is guaranteed for any racer, with two elimination races setting up a TBD field ripe for upsets.
The action begins at 10:30 am tomorrow with a first Qualifier race for all 186 entrants, narrowing the field to 40 men and 10 women. Friday’s Semifinals (which replaces the Boatercross race of years past) feature a head-to-head race seeded according to finish times in the qualification race, narrowing a Finals field for Saturday afternoon’s main event of 20 men and five women (full schedule here).
View this post on Instagram
The 8th addition of the @northforkchampionship starts tomorrow with a qualification on this lovely piece of water. There are 180+ racers from around the world here to compete. 40 people will make it into the semi-final and 20 into the final on Jakes. It’s a stacked field of racers from all over the world, including North Fork specialist, salmon and freestyle champions, waterfall huckers, #bennyfuckingmarr and everything in between. Its going to be one for the books. It all starts tomorrow with the @kokatatusa qualifier on S-turn. Let’s get it! #nfc8 A post shared by Isaac levinson (@isaaclevkayak) on Jun 12, 2019 at 2:33pm PDT
The 8th addition of the @northforkchampionship starts tomorrow with a qualification on this lovely piece of water. There are 180+ racers from around the world here to compete. 40 people will make it into the semi-final and 20 into the final on Jakes. It’s a stacked field of racers from all over the world, including North Fork specialist, salmon and freestyle champions, waterfall huckers, #bennyfuckingmarr and everything in between. Its going to be one for the books. It all starts tomorrow with the @kokatatusa qualifier on S-turn. Let’s get it! #nfc8
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Isaac levinson (@isaaclevkayak) on Jun 12, 2019 at 2:33pm PDT
That format change is a significant one, especially considering this year’s record number of pre-registered athletes who will compete in round one of NFC VIII. That means that of 186 athletes, 136 athletes will not make it past the first round. Competition will be fierce, to say the least.
Regardless of the outcome, the NFC still retains its grassroots as an event designed to bring together the paddling community to celebrate talent on some of the most extreme whitewater on the planet.
“Becoming the World Championship is really cool, but it’s a testament for the sport as a whole,” Byrd adds. “Kayaking is still fringe, but it’s evolved in such a way that we can reach so many more people. Ultimately that leads to bigger ideas for the sport.”
The new North Fork (World) Championship runs through June 15, see the full schedule of races and events here.
Results and Recap from NFV VII
Read article
Where Did the World Championships Go?
Read article
The article was originally published on Canoe & Kayak
Results and Recap from NFV VII
Read article
Results and Recap from NFV VII
Where Did the World Championships Go?
Read article
Where Did the World Championships Go?
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
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