The first ever combined ICF Canoe Sprint Super Cup and Stand Up Paddling World Cup could not have chosen a more suitable location than the Riversport venue in Oklahoma City.
The venue is a paddlesport enthusiast’s dream, with flatwater and whitewater facilities right on the doorstep of the city. The venue hosted last year’s ICF Super Cup, and also regularly hosts major canoe slalom events on a purpose-built course that opened in 2016 and was designed by the developers of the London 2012 Lee Valley course.
The development of Riversport as a paddlesport venue began in the 1990’s. One of the driving forces behind its development was Mike Knopp, who is the current executive director of the Riversport Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that focuses on outdoor adventure.
Last year’s Super Cup featured racing under lights for the first time, and this weekend’s 350 metre finals for both men’s and women’s K1 and C1 will once again take place after sunset. The ICF Stand Up Paddling world cup technical races will also be held under lights.
The exciting K1 and C1 canoe sprint relay races will be held on Saturday morning, along with the SUP sprint finals. Heats and quarter finals of the Super Cup 350 metre event and the SUP technical races will be held on Friday.
The three-day event will finish on Sunday with the men’s and women’s long distance SUP finals.
40 athletes from 20 different nations will take part in the invitation-only Super Cup event. Olympic champions Tom Leibscher and Max Lemke of Germany, Marcus Cooper of Spain and American Nevin Harrison will be among the star attractions for the 350 metre and relay events.
The ICF Super Cup will be the centrepiece of a three-day world paddlesports festival featuring an ICF stand up paddling world cup, Red Bull rapids and dragon boat racing.
This will be the fourth ICF Super Cup, after previous events in Russia, China and last year’s event in Oklahoma City. This year’s event was originally scheduled to return to Russia, but was moved after the invasion of Ukraine.
The ICF SUP events will be the third world cup for the season. It will also provide athletes with a final major race ahead of next month’s ICF SUP World Championships in Gdynia, Poland.
