ICF Wildwater Canoeing Committee activities Q1 2025

Nation Meeting recap 

The new year of Wildwater Canoeing has started with an online Nations Meeting with a productive discussion with more than 60 participants. The main topics of discussion included the wildwater calendar and race formats for team events. 

Committee meetings

Three Committee meetings were held focused on season preparation, analysing themes from the ICF Paddle Summit, and working on a light version of technical deliverables. Additionally, the development plan for 2025 and future strategies were set. The new European Canoe Association Wildwater Canoeing Committee has been successfully integrated into the ICF Wildwater Canoeing Committee's work. Duties were shared between all committee members and new IT tools are helping with easier communication and project working.

Competition season kicks off

In Oceania, the competition season started at the beginning of January with the Australian Championships and national selection races on the Mersey River in Tasmania. In Europe, the season kicked off with national races in France and Belgium, followed by the opening of the ECA Cup in Fulda, Germany, with participants from nine nations.

Challenges ahead

One of the biggest challenges facing Wildwater Canoeing is the lack of organisers for the 2026 World Championships, the 2026 Junior and U23 European Championships, and the World Cups.

By Manuela Gawehn, Chair of the ICF Wildwater Canoeing Committee