 April 16-18, 2010
The NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) Freestyle Shootout kayak rodeo—now in its third year—was recently named the inaugural event for the USA Freestyle Kayaking national championship points series. The series features six events spanning the country, with the first-ever national championship to be decided July 2 in Missoula, MT. This series will be crucial in helping the sport of freestyle kayaking gain inclusion in the 2012 summer Olympic Games in London. This outpost is located in far Western North Carolina on US Highway 19, approximately 12 miles west of Bryson City, on the south side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about 80 miles from Asheville.
With three days of paddling events, The NOC Freestyle Shootout will share the weekend with NOC’s perennial spring festival, Demo Days, where 60+ kayaks and canoes will be available for free test-paddles on the Nantahala River. Events begin on Friday evening, April 16 with an ‘open surf’ under the lights. Kayakers can enjoy practicing after dark on the wave outside the NOC Outfitter’s Store. Following the open surf, Eric Jackson, founder of Jackson Kayak will give a talk on the rules, moves and scoring of freestyle kayaking at The Pourover.
The competition begins late Saturday morning, and runs throughout the afternoon. Classes are Pro Men, Pro Women, Expert Men, Expert Women, Cadets, Open Novice and Open Canoe. Each paddler gets three 90-second ‘runs’ on the wave feature, with the top five paddlers in each class advancing to Sunday’s final competition. Throughout both days, visitors can enjoy a festival-like atmosphere with DJ Terrence Young and restaurant specials at NOC. Saturday evening, The River Bottom Nightmare Band featuring members of Asheville’s Firecracker Jazz Band will perform at The Pourover. Sunday evening, NOC hosts an awards ceremony where $10,000 in cash and prizes will be handed out to the top three paddlers in each class.
Rounding out the weekend, the NOC Outfitter’s Store will feature beginning-of-season sales both inside and outside the store, including $200 off the purchase of new, in-stock boats. Free parking is available for guests all weekend at NOC, and there is no admission cost to attend the festival. .
What is Freestyle Kayaking?
Freestyle kayaking, similar to vert-ramp skateboarding, features an athlete performing technical moves and tricks on a single feature, only instead of using a half-pipe, kayakers use rivers features like waves and holes. Freestyle moves are usually highly stylized spins, turns, cartwheels and flips that often involve the boater going completely airborne.
Nantahala Outdoor Center is the nation’s largest outdoor recreation company. Over a half million guests visit NOC annually to embark on a diverse collection of more than 80 different whitewater rafting and land-based itineraries, learn to kayak at NOC’s world-renowned Paddling School, travel to foreign countries with NOC’s Adventure Travel program, test the latest outdoor gear and shop at its flagship retail stores or enjoy NOC’s resort amenities such as its four restaurants and multi-tiered lodging. A privately-held, employee-owned company, NOC is one of the largest employers in western North Carolina and 22 Olympians and Olympic coaches have called NOC home. NOC has been recently recognized by The New York Times as the “Nation's Premiere Paddling School,” “The Best Place to Learn” by Outside, and as “One of the Best Outfitters on Earth” by National Geographic ADVENTURE.
From Asheville, NC -Take I-40 West toward Knoxville, TN. Take exit 27 onto US 74 West toward Waynesville. The Nantahala is located 50 miles down this road. Stay on 74 West. Eight miles west of Bryson City, the four-lane highway you are on will split into two 2-lane roads. Stay on 74, which is the left lane. Go another five miles. On the last descent you will see a yellow caution sign on the right indicating you are entering the Nantahala Gorge. Just after the sign you will see the Nantahala River, and NOC's Nantahala Outpost. |
