Switzerland is set to hold the first-ever Kayak Cross Summit to help shape the future of the new Olympic event.
Athletes, coaches, and event organisers from across the world are poised to gather in Huningue, Switzerland, for kayak cross discussions on November 13.
Organised by the Swiss Canoe Federation with support from the International Canoe Federation, the summit will be staged alongside an ICF Canoe Slalom World Ranking competition in kayak cross.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the past, present, and future of kayak cross, with workshops focusing on topics such as equipment, infrastructure, rules, and format.
The conference will run from 17:30 to 20:00 CET on November 13. It will be live streamed on the event page. More details on accessing the live stream will be available soon.
Click here to register to attend in person or online
It comes a little more than a year after kayak cross made a hugely successful debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Australia’s Noemie Fox and New Zealand’s Finn Butcher were crowned Olympic champions as the event generated an electric atmosphere at a packed-out Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
The Olympic debut was a landmark moment for the event, which first featured on the international circuit in 2015.
The Swiss Canoe Federation and ICF are now bringing together the Canoe Slalom community to set a course for the future.
“After the Olympics, it’s important to set a vision and clear benchmarks of where we want it to go, discussing with the community all aspects of it, such as rules, race formats, equipment, development,” said Pierre Labarelle, Head of the Organising Committee for the ICF Canoe Slalom World Ranking event in Huningue.
“I hope we can get out of it with a clearer view of where we all want it to go, and hopefully with some concrete propositions.
“I’m glad the ICF accepted to support the initiative because we all need to work together to become a successful sport on a wide range.
“Kayak cross is really a fun discipline, which definitely suits the younger fans and audience, but also the younger paddlers.
“It offers new dimensions to our sport with the head-to-head format, with the fight aspect, but also the tactical aspect, which is very important.
“I have the feeling it could help our sport reach wider fans and audience, if that’s what we want to achieve.”
Richard Fox, Chair of the ICF Canoe Slalom Committee, said: “I would like to thank Swiss Canoe for hosting this important forum.
“Bringing together athletes, coaches, and organisers will enable us to share learnings and shape the 2026 programme of work.
“This collaboration reinforces our commitment to innovation, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement across all areas of the sport.”
A training camp will be held at the Parc des Eaux Vives in Huningue from November 12 to 14, before kayak cross action takes place from November 15 to 16.
A world-class field of paddlers are set to assemble for the World Ranking event, including Noemie Fox, Great Britain’s multiple world gold medallist Joseph Clarke, and newly-crowned kayak cross world champion Angele Hug of France.
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