Canoe Freestyle World Championships
The first Canoe Freestyle World Championships sanctioned by the ICF was held in 2007 on the Ottawa River in Canada, and the first world cup series began the following year. These events take place biannually on alternate years. World Championships have been held in Switzerland, Germany, USA and back in Canada. The 2017 World Championships will head to South America for the first time, at San Juan in Argentina.
America's Jackson family are the biggest name in canoe freestyle, with father Eric picking up K1 gold at the very first World Championships in 2007, and then daughter Emily and son Dane dominating events in subsequent years. Dane Jackson has four World Championship titles (two K1 and two C1), while Emily has two titles of her own.
Canoe freestyle is contested by four types of boat, kayak (K), canoe decked (C), open canoe (OC) and squirt. In kayak, competitors are seated with their legs out in front using a double-bladed paddle, in contrast to the single-bladed paddle used in a kneeling position in canoe decked. Open canoes also use the single-bladed paddle in a kneeling position, but are slightly larger boats with no spray-deck to enclose the cockpit. Squirt boats have no restrictions but a greater emphasis is placed on smooth control and graceful moves. Points are awarded for each different rotation during a 60-second choreographed routine, and bonus points can be gained for how deep and how long the boat can be kept under water during a mystery move.