Slalom boaters and whitewater paddlers always seem to coexist but not really connect. That should not be as the two can really learn from each other.
In running slalom gates there is intense focus on setting specific boat angles and planning moves ahead of time. These two techniques specifically are part of day one learning at the gates. Whitewater kayakers tend to leave these two lessons for much later in their paddling. And often whitewater kayakers do not really “think” about boat angle and planning moves ahead of time—it just kind of gets learned experientially.
Slalom boaters on the other hand get so focused on precision that they forget how important it is to be able to deal with a mistake….or deal with getting trounced on the river. Quite often slalom boaters can look like champions on a slalom course, but if the venue changes to a higher volume river—especially one with holes, they do not do so well.
Each venue can be shared and both styles of boaters be better paddlers with their new technique.