News Flash!!
Athletes Arriving to the Nantahala Gorge for ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup
2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup Final on Nantahala River September 7-9, 2012
WESSER, NC (August 9, 2012) – Freestyle athletes from around the world are converging on the Nantahala Gorge in preparation for the 2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup Final, which will be held this September 7-9 at the newly modified “2013 Wave” on the Nantahala River. Top competitors from 17 countries and five continents will participate in the 2012 Freestyle World Cup. This series consists of three events, all of which will be held over the course of three weeks in the Southeastern United States. The winners of the coveted title “2012 World Cup Champion” will be announced following the conclusion of last event, the Nantahala Gorge World Cup Final.
While the Japanese team is flying over 7000 miles to attend the event, others are driving in from just down the street, including Bryson City local Zachary Tomason and Sylva residents Scott and Aleta McCleskey. Aleta, a former US Freestyle Kayak Team Member, is excited that an event of this caliber will be held in her home-state. “One of the best parts about training for Freestyle is getting to travel around the world and seeing places you wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to visit. It’s a treat to host this event here, and show off the beautiful place that we live in for a change.”
Bryson City resident Matt Anger will also be representing the United States at the upcoming World Cups. Anger has been training on the feature here at the Nantahala for the past several years; now, he is looking forward to matching his hard-earned skills with competitors from around the world. “This is going to be my first international event. It’s been fun getting a chance to train with the Germans and Slovakians over the past couple of days, and it’s exciting to see more folks arriving every day.”
The Nantahala World Cup will offer free viewing access in a family-friendly riverside setting. Spectators can expect mounting excitement over the course of the three days of competition, as athletes are either eliminated or proceed to the next round. In addition, the event will feature free live music, kid’s activities, and a youth freestyle exposition. Competition will begin at 10:00am Friday-Sunday. For a full event schedule, please visitwww.freestylekayaking2013.com.
Endless River Adventures is proud to be a participating sponsor of the 2012 World Cup and 2013 International Freestyle Competition.