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Olympic gold medalist, fireworks and fun to grace river at RIVERSPORT PaddleSports Festival

By Nate Fisher / Lifestyle / August 16, 2021

The International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint Super Cup race on Saturday evening will headline the multi-day, multi-event RIVERSPORT Paddlesports Festival, coming to downtown’s Boathouse District on the Oklahoma River beginning Friday, Aug. 20.

The ICF Canoe Sprint Super Cup will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday and will feature Team USA’s canoe sprint gold medalist Nevin Harrison and other Olympic competitors.

RIVERSPORT PaddleSports Festival Schedule Rundown

Friday, Aug. 20

  • ICF Super Cup World Party – 7 – 10 p.m.
  • Extreme Slalom & ICF Ranking Race - 7 – 9 p.m.
  • Dane Jackson, Evy Leibfarth - Freestyle Kayaking Demo - 8 p.m.
  • Fireworks to conclude (~9 p.m.)

Saturday, Aug. 21

  • RIVERSPORT Adventures & Rafting Open 11a-6p
  • Dane Jackson, Whitewater Kayaking Clinic, RIVERSPORT Rapids • 9:30a–4p
  • ICF Super Cup Sprint Portage Race, Oklahoma River • 10:30 – 11:30a
  • ICF Super Cup Heats & Quarter Finals, Oklahoma River • 4 – 6p
  • The Great Paddle Youth Event, Oklahoma River • 6p
  • ICF Canoe Sprint Super Cup Finals 8 – 10p
  • Fireworks!

Sunday, Aug. 22

  • RIVERSPORT Adventures & Rafting Open 11a-6p
  • ACA Nationals – race schedule to be announced
  • Dane Jackson, Whitewater Kayaking Clinic, 10:30a–3p

Monday, Aug. 23

  • ACA Nationals – race schedule to be announced

Tuesday, Aug. 24

  • ACA Nationals – race schedule to be announced

“19-year-old Nevin Harrison, the first American to win gold in canoeing in 33 years, will be racing at the Super Cup along with Olympic and World Champions from 18 other countries,” said Elizabeth Laurent, RIVERSPORT OKC chief marketing officer. “She is an amazing athlete with an amazing story. We’re all very excited to welcome her to Oklahoma City.”

Other notable events over the weekend include the ICF Super Cup World Party on Friday, which will feature an Extreme Slalom kayaking demonstration and race at the whitewater facility as well as a freestyle kayaking exhibition on the rapids by famed kayaker Dane Jackson, followed by live music from acoustic guitarist Joey Wallace. Admission is free, but there is a VIP experience available which includes two drink tickets, hors d’oeuvres, a full bar and casual mingling with international guests. VIP experience tickets are $35.

“Join us for the ICF World Party - we have free and ticketed options – then spend Saturday watching Olympic and World Champions race on the Oklahoma River,” said Laurent. “They couldn't have cheering crowds in Tokyo, so let's give them all the cheers when they race in OKC.”

Extreme Slalom will be an official Olympic event in 2024 and consists of athletes simultaneously dropping 12 feet into the whitewater channel and racing through a challenging course, undoubtedly producing some exciting head-to-head encounters. Similarly, the ICF Super Sprint Portage event at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday will feature a paddle-portage-paddle format consisting of a 300 meter race, portage sprint and an 800 meter race finale that will be sure to please race fans of all types.

In addition, the American Canoe Association Sprint and Slalom National Championships will be held concurrently with the ICF Super Cup events, the former on the river and the latter on the whitewater course. Four days of competition in classes from Bantam through Masters, as well as all Paralympic disciplines, are heading OKC’s way as part of the PaddleSports Festival.

Fireworks will conclude the evening both Friday and Saturday nights. For more information, check out https://www.riversportokc.org/events/.