A event organized by Nepal Kayak Club

The first edition of Himalayan Freestyle Kayak Championships to be held soon on the Trishuli River!

Have you ever heard of McNasty, Aerial loop and Phonics Monkey? These are the names of some of the most amazing moves mastered by freestyle kayakers when playing on static waves or holes on rivers. A country world-known for its ragging rivers, Nepal counts an increasing number of skilled freestyles. Due to the high demand by the outdoor local scene of more events to be held in Nepal, Nepal Kayak Club is proud to organize the first ever edition Himalayan Freestyle Kayak Championships on 10th April, in Fishing village, on Trishuli River. The place has not been picked up randomly: the Trishuli River is one of the most iconic in Nepal and generations of safety kayakers and rafting guides have grown up on its banks. Today more than 90% of the members of the paddler community come from the area.  On the day of the competition, during 45-second runs, paddlers will perform various technical moves and tricks which will be scored by official judges. The more difficult the tricks are, as the ones where the paddler and his boat are completely airborne, the more points the athletes will get. The title of 2016 Himalayan Freestyle Champion will be awarded to the best paddler of the day following the final run. 50 000 NPR in total prize will be offered to the winners. The competition will host one Open Category however more categories will be opened if the women and juniors (under 18) reached the number of at least 5 participants.

What: 1st Himalayan Freestyle Championships

When: Sunday 10th April, 2016, from 9am to 5pm.

Where: Fishing, on the Trishuli river.

Who: any freestyle paddlers can attend the event by paying a 10 NPR entry fee. It’s not a joke! We think that it’s important for the athletes to pay even the smallest entry fee to get into the competition more seriously. The fee will offer access to refreshments and dal bhat and to free transportation between Fishing camping site and the venue, located at a 10-minute walk down the river. Visitors are of course welcome! Dal bhat will also be available for them (250 NPR).

The Nepal Kayak Club

The NKC has been created in 2011 as a non-profit organization committed to promoting education, certification, skills development, professionalism and opportunities for Nepal’s whitewater community. The club aims to act as community meet-up point and to help young Nepali kayakers hone their natural talent and progress into world-class kayakers, certified instructors and guides. So far 55 members have joined the NKC, from Nepal but also from abroad, coming from 8 different countries such as France, Canada, Iceland, United Kingdom, France, USA etc. In 2015, the NKC recieved the Paddle For Purpose Award from Canoe & Kayak Award. It came as a great reward for the long-term achievements of the club but also for the missions it organized in remote Nepal to help people affected by earthquakes that hit our country in April and May 2015.

Contact: To know more about the competition and Nepal Kayak Club, you can contact Anup Gurung, president of NKC : [email protected] or call +977 981 8888 944

Following the link below will redirect you to some freestyle kayaking images that you can use to illustrate press articles. Credit for all the images and poster are Nepal Kayak Club.