The ICF Canoe Slalom races come to Montgomery Whitewater
Montgomery Whitewater had visitors from all over the world this past weekend.
The 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom Spring Races brought nearly 100 canoe athletes to compete against each other for a chance to build their international rankings.
Paddlers raced down the channel and against powerful rapids while having to maneuver through many obstacles.
They competed against each other to gain points and raise their ranking to have an opportunity to compete in the upcoming Olympics.
“I really like it because you just get to go out on the water, and it’s really fun. Learning how to do each gate and making it as fast as possible is just really interesting. Again, the water is just really fun to paddle on, and to do all the gate combinations is really cool,” said Andrew Sawers, a Men’s MK1 Jr. Division competitor.
“I love to see the grit that the athletes have. They are intense competitors, and they love this sport. They are putting everything they have into getting down the channel with the perfect lines, and that is just really inspiring to watch,” said Montgomery Whitewater Content Creator, Abby Smith.
The spring races included Olympic athletes and those from Canada, Brazil, and others this week.
The top finisher in the Women’s Canoe Slalom Spring Race was Evy Leibfarth, and in the Men’s Canoe Slalom Spring Race, Zach Lokken finished with the most points.
