2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup Final
September 7-9, 2012

Don't Miss World Class Kayaking on the Nantahala!

The Nantahala is going big-time this September 7-9th, as top international paddlers arrive to compete in the 2012 Freestyle World Cup Final. This winter's enhancement to the Nantahala freestyle feature, including the construction of the 2013 Wave have made the Nantahala a legitimate destination for the world's elite freestyle competitors, and this summer, they're headed here to try out the wave prior to next year's World Championship.

Consruction of the 2013 Wave was made possible through a generous grant by the Golden Leaf Foundation, and through a community focused effort led by the The Nantahala Gorge Organizing Committee, the Swain County Chamber of Commerce, Swain TDA, Smoky Mountain Host, USACK, and ICF. Since its grand opening on December 16th, 2011, athletes and engineers have been working together to fine-tune the wave shaper, creating a state of the art competitive feature that will continue to be a training spot and a community gathering place long after the 2013 event for which it was constructed.

A Week's Worth of Festivities

Athletes will begin to arrive the week before the event, and will be training on the 2013 Wave throughout September 3-6th. Competition will begin on September 7th with the Preliminary heats, Semifinals and Finals will take place over the weekend.

Friday and Saturday, join us after the competition for live music at the Pourover Pub. Enjoy craft beer, hot snacks, night events, and more!

2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup Final
Event Schedule

Event Schedule Coming Soon! Stay tuned for more details.

Competitor Information

The USA is hosting all three ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cups in 2012. USACK, the governing body of US paddlesports, has chosen not to specify an athlete limit, so USA Freestyle Kayaking has not scheduled a team selection event. However, US athletes must fulfill several requirements in order to participate at this event. 

• Be full members in good standing with USACK. 
• Attend at least one USAFK Points Series Event in 2012. In order for their performance at USAFK Points Series Events to count towards qualification, athletes must establish full USACK membership prior to the start of competition.
• Register to compete with USAFK. Registration will open after the start of the 2012 USAFK Points Series. Please visit www.usafreestylekayak.com for more information.

All international athletes must:

• Be registered for the 2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup by their National Federation. Please contact your governing body to coordinate registration.

International Team Leader Travel Information
for World Cup #3

Event Venue:
Nantahala Boutdoor Center
13077 Hwy 19 West
Bryson City, NC 28713

Location:
The Nantahala Outdoor Center is located in the Nantahala Gorge, in the mountainous region of Western North Carolina. It lies between Bryson City to the East, and Andrews and Murphy to the West. September in this area tends to be quite pleasant, with temperatures ranging from the 60s to the high 70s Fahrenheit. However, early fall brings with it a significant chance of wind and heavy rain.

Airports: 
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)
Asheville, NC
Drive time: 1 hr, 54 min. (80.79 miles) 

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Atlanta, GA
Drive time: 3 hr, 22 min. (177.71 miles)

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Charlotte, NC
Drive time: 3 hr, 24 min. (184.55) 

Transportation:
Swain County is a rural area, and while some lodging and restaurants are available at the event venue, the Nantahala Gorge is not within walking distance of Bryson City or any other township. Teams are encouraged to arrange for ground transportation for athletes and staff; all three airports listed above offer adjacent car rental operations.

 Lodging:
Spectators, competitors, and team support staff can choose from a variety of onsite and offsite lodging for the 2012 ICF Freestyle World Cup, with options to fit every budget. Please visit the NOC lodging page for more information on onsite lodging at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. For those wishing to stay offsite, the Nantahala area lodging and visitor information page offers some recommendations. Full area accomodations information is available at www.freestylekayaking2013.com.

International athletes and team leaders are welcome to contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more lodging and travel related information.