Summer Iowa Games Whitewater competitors have fun in quick current on Cedar River in Charles City

More photos from the Summer Iowa Games Whitewater events

Photo gallery from the Summer Iowa Games Whitewater Events -2022

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The current was high and fast in the Cedar River Saturday, but that didn’t deter 20 competitors in the Summer Iowa Games Whitewater Slalom events held in Charles City.

“The fast water did provide challenges,” said Piper Wall, commissioner of the event for the Summer Iowa Games.

“We always try to have a slalom course that will challenge racers while still allowing them to be successful. The gate placements with this year’s fast water were quite different from gate placements last year with low water,” she said.

Competitors took part in divisions that included kayaks, canoes, inflatable craft and standup paddleboards, in several types of events and in several age groups for men, women and teams.

“Even with the higher flows, we still had events in which non-whitewater paddlers could and did participate,” Wall said. “Examples would be the rope throw, riverboarding and rafting with whitewater paddlers. Next year we plan to add throw rope stuffing as an additional event – repacking a throw rope so it is ready for the next throw.”

This year the water made the speed of the swimmer for the rope throw rescue event speedier and the load on the rope thrower while pulling the swimmer in greater, she said.

“The day went super well,” Wall said. “The weather was great! The community support is so amazing – spectacular volunteer support, all of whom did a fantastic job. We could not do the events without all the awesome support provided here in Charles City!”

Even though a couple of other Iowa communities have built whitewater courses or features, and others are planned, Wall said she thinks the Summer Iowa Games whitewater events will remain in Charles City.

“The park is so well designed for this use, has the permanent system for helping make slalom gates setting very friendly, and has so much community support for the events,” she said.

Wall said she was still working on results, but the youngest competitor was 9. He riverboarded, rafted, kayaked and did the throw rope rescue for four gold medals.

“Our oldest competitor was 70,” she said. “He kayaked and rafted his way to four gold medals, also.”

Competitors are limited to medaling in four events.