Updated 4/13/2022: If you missed the 2022 USA Freestyle National Team Trials check out this highlight video:
This weekend you can watch the best of the best playboaters — including freestyle legends Emily and Dane Jackson — compete in the 2022 USA Freestyle National Team Trials, March 19-20 at the McClendon Whitewater Center in Oklahoma City. Competitors are qualifying to compete at the 2022 Nottingham Worlds in a variety of events within the discipline.
Canoe freestyle showcases athletes performing acrobatic movements while paddling in a whitewater feature such as waves, holes, and eddy lines.
Athletes compete in four types of boats in freestyle competition: surface kayaks, decked canoes, open canoes, and squirt boats. In kayaks, athletes are seated and use a double-bladed paddle. Canoes require the athlete to be in a kneeling position with a single-bladed paddle. Squirt boats are designed to use the flow of the water to perform tricks both underwater and on the surface.
Athletes score points based on accuracy, height in the air, and the complexity of the combined moves. Seamless transitions and the use of the paddle also play into scoring.
Admission to the event is free, and the athletes will be practicing throughout the week prior. Racing will begin on Saturday, March 19 from 10 am – 4 pm.