Charles City Challenge Whitewater Festival celebrating 10th year

To The Press

Paddlers will return to Iowa’s first whitewater course this weekend for the 10th annual Charles City Challenge Whitewater Festival.

Winner of an Iowa Tourism Award for outstanding event, the Charles City Challenge attracts kayakers and stand up paddleboard (SUP) talent from across the Midwest.

Scheduled events include Kayak Boater X, SUP X, Kayak Rodeo, River Surf Competition and more, in mens and womens divisions and youth divisions.

“I’m excited for all the events at this year’s Challenge! It’s such a fun day paddling with new and old friends from all over the U.S.,” said paddler Hannah Ray J, who also serves on the organizing committee.

“This weekend we’ll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the event. We anticipate competitors from Iowa, neighboring states and across the U.S. will come together for a weekend of whitewater fun and competition at our riverfront park. Spectators are welcome and encouraged to come check out the action as well,” she said.

The event kicks off today (Friday) with a practice day. There will be a river clean-up from 1-3 p.m., followed by a River Surfing Clinic from 4-6 p.m.

Registration for whitewater events begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at the bandshell on the riverbank near the Charles City Public Library. A $35 participant fee covers event registration, one T-shirt and entry for prize drawings.

Medals will be awarded to top place finishers. Paddling events are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and will run consecutively until finished.

The Cardboard Boat & Hooligan Race will also take place on Saturday, at 12:30 p.m. Teams are invited to float inner tubes, inflatable rafts or cardboard boats through the course for fastest times, with Chamber Cash prizes awarded.

This contest is free to enter and open to the public. Teams can pre-register at the Chamber office or sign up on the day of the event by 12:15 p.m.

Additional activities taking place on Saturday will be hidden rocks, a scavenger hunt, and book walk for the kids. There will be a DJ and cookie dough treats on-site, along with some whitewater-related vendors.

Sunday, June 26, brings a “Sunday Funday” day of paddling. A detailed listing of other community events can be found at www.charlescitychamber.com.

Charles City Whitewater at Riverfront Park opened in 2011 and was designed by Recreation Engineering and Planning from Boulder, Colorado. The course encompasses 11 acres of water with three world-class whitewater features.

The surrounding Riverfront Park includes 23 acres of land featuring a handicapped-accessible boat launch, disc golf course, natural play area, amphitheater, storm water fountain, labyrinth, picnic shelters and access to the community’s paved recreational trail.

The Charles City Challenge is a function of Charles City Whitewater in conjunction with the Charles City Area Chamber of Commerce.

It is sponsored in part by Circle K Communications, CUSB Bank, Edward Jones – Mark Sindlinger & Jeremy Heyer, Fidelity Bank & Trust, First Citizens Bank, First Security Bank & Trust, Larry Pump-CPA, Mike Molstead Motors, Quality Auto Service, Subway and Tellurian Brewing.

For registration forms and more information visit www.charlescitychamber.com, contact the Charles City Area Chamber of Commerce at (641) 228-4234, or email ginger@charlescitychamber.com.

Charles City Challenge Whitewater Festival

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

Course open to recreational paddling.

• 1-3 p.m. – River and river bank cleanup.
• 4-6 p.m. – River Surfing Clinic with Hannah Ray J & crew.
• 5-9 p.m. – Party in the Park in Central Park.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

• 9 a.m. – Riverfront registration begins.
• 10 a.m. – Kayak Boater X – Adult/Youth.
• 11 a.m. – SUP X – Adult/Youth.
• 11:30 a.m. – Kayak Rodeo – Beginner.
• 12:30 p.m. – Cardboard/Hooligan River Run.
• 1 p.m. – Kayak Rodeo – Intermediate/Advanced.
• 2 p.m. – River Surf Comp.
• 2:30 p.m. – The Ball to the Wall Race.
• 3 p.m. – Awards/Prize drawings.

ABOUT THE EVENTS

• X events group kayaks, canoes or SUPs in a mad dash to the finish line, through gates and around obstacles, with the first person to touch the exit point finish marker the winner. The divisions may have a mass start for all competitors or be run in heats, depending on the number of entries.
• In Rodeo events, individual kayakers score points for tricks performed in one of the swirling whitewater features during two 2-minute time periods, with the scores from both periods combined for a total score.
• The River Surf Competition judges SUP riders in the Double D Wave on technical skill, tricks and style, for two rides each with scores combined from both rides.
• The ball event starts with colored beach balls dropped from the pedestrian bridge and the teams racing to get their ball and then get it downstream to the exit by bumping, kicking, throwing or whacking it with paddles – but not carrying it. After exiting the river each team has to race back up to a target area on the riverbank where the winning team is the first to have its ball touch the target and all the team members touch the target or each other.