NOC Freestyle Shootout
April 20-22, 2012

If You Build it, They Will Play

The 2012 NOC Freestyle Shootout will be the first official Freestyle event to be held at the newly enhanced Nantahala Wave, designed for the upcoming 2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships. Come out April 20-22 to be a part of this historic event, and get a ride on the wave before the pros swoop in from around the world.

Made possible through a generous grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation, and commissioned by the Nantahala Gorge Organizing Committee, the 2013 Wave will bring world-class competition to the Nantahala Gorge. The Freestyle Shootout, however, remains open to competitors of all ages and ability levels. Classes and clinics for paddlers of every stripe are also available throughout the weekend; find out more about NOC’s Paddling School.

Watch this short highlight reel from the 2010 event.

Also at NOC this weekend, Demo Days will be happening Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Choose from over 60 boats and test-paddle them for free on the Nantahala throughout the weekend. Manufacturer representatives will be on hand to help you decide on a boat that is the right fit for your needs, and answer questions about the year’s hottest gear. Whether you’re looking for an upgrade or just getting into the sport, bargains at NOC’s Outfitter Store will make sure you’re geared up for the season.

NOC's campus provides 360° views of the event and convenient foodservice, shopping, and lodging options. If you're new to the sport and don't know what freestyle kayaking is, read this blog posting for a quick primer. Add the Shootout to your April calendar today and be part of the festivities!

Contributed video of training for the 2011 event.

2011 Sponsors

A special thanks to WorldKayak.com for providing event support, judges, and scoring information. All competitors for the points series must be registered with USAFK. Freestyle boaters are offered a discount on the USAFK membership fee by downloading and returning this form at the Freestyle Shootout.

Event Entertainment

There's more than exciting freestlyle action at NOC Freestyle Shootout. Check out the skinny on some of the entertainment we've got lined up for the weekend:

	Live music Saturday night! Hang out at the Pourover Pub, relax, dance, or just enjoy the show.
	Taste the area's best beer: our friends at Nantahala Brewing Company will be sampling some of the best brews you've ever had, including their signature "Noon Day IPA".
	Enjoy amazing deals at NOC's Outfitter's Store. Buy any new boat and receive a coupon book for NOC products and services, valued at over $500! See the Demo Days page for details.
	Not a freestyle paddler? Enter the Dagger Dash attainment race on Sunday and race from the Founder's Bridge to Nantahala Falls and back for a big prize. We'll have a few GreenBoats available for participants. Please see rules, below, for more info.
	Our upstream friends at ERA will be hosting the Wave Sport Open at Nantahala Falls from 10am to 3pm. When you get tired of watching, head upstream and hop on the water.

About the Competition

The 2012 Prize Purse is $10,000. You know you want to win some of this! Judges from USAFK including Justin Owen will officiate the event. See below for rules. 

Men's Pro Prizes:
1st Place: $1,000 
2nd Place: $600
3rd Place: $300

Women's Pro Prizes:
1st Place: $500
Cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place will depend on the depth of the class. (If we can muster a full women's pro category the cash prizes will increase accordingly.) 

Friday, April 15
Open Surf Under the Lights! We invite all competitors to practice on the feature Friday night. We've rented nighttime illumination, so even late arrivals can get some practice time. Non-competitors are encouraged to spend some time on the water too. See the video above for an idea of how this works.

Saturday & Sunday, April 16-17
Hole time is limited to 90 seconds per ride.
Three rides Saturday, April 16 (Qualifier/Elimination)
Three rides Sunday, April 17 (Finals - top six in each division)
Must have five contestants in each division for prizes.

Registration Info:
Walk-up and register for the 2012 NOC Freestyle Shootout at the The Pourover/Slow Joe's Cafe Friday, April 15th from 4 to 9pm. Registration is capped at 100 paddlers.

Two-day event open entry:
$55 General
$35 Juniors
Free to non-sponsored NOC employees and NOC Youth Paddling Team paddlers..

Categories:
K1 Pro Men
K1 Pro Women
K1 Expert Men
K1 Expert Women
K1 Cadets
K1 Open Novice
C1 Open Canoe
(Other classes are possible if there are enough participants present.)

Attainment Race - The Dagger Dash
A Boater-cross-style Attainment Race at halftime on Sunday. Paddle from River's End Restaurant upstream to the Nantahala Falls, then back to the NOC takeout. Register for the attainment race prior to race-time on Sunday at the event bridge.

Boats: the official boat of the Dagger Dash, of course, is the Dagger Greenboat. NOC and Dagger will pool their resources to provide approximately ten Greenboats. Boats will be loaned out on a first come-first serve basis. All remaining competitors are welcome to provide their own boats - remember to be sporting! (Acceptable entries will be determined by participant concensus.)

2011 Weekend Event Schedule

2012 Event Details Coming Soon!

In addition to a weekend of world-class freestyle kayaking, enjoy great gear demos, presentations and live music!

*Saturday Registration contingent on 100 competitor cap.

**All event photography provided by NOC, which operates under a special use USFS permit on the Nantahala. No outside commercial photography allowed.**