The Network is aimed at Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross athletes of all abilities. Whether you are an Olympian or a complete beginner you are welcome to join, ask questions and connect with other paddlers. Whilst tailored for athletes, anyone with an interest in the sport is free to join from coaches to parents.

Don’t miss out on a valuable resources to improve your game. JOIN HERE

Read here on the About page

Friend: “How’s that rowing of yours going?”
The world of Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross is unknown to most people, we want to change that.

You know how exciting racing can be, the incredible sensations you can feel paddling a slalom boat and the beautiful places this sport can take you yet the average person is simply unaware. Currently, Slalom and KX lack real online presence. The @paddleslalom and @kayakcross instagram pages were created to boost viewership of the sport. Through a global network of paddlers we can mentor and advise, share insights to aid high performance and ultimately open up our sport to a greater audience.

Ultimate frisbee, MMA and Skateboarding are all examples of sports that have gained rapid popularity in recent years. Why? Widespread exposure as a byproduct of the Olympic Games, the use of Social Media to share and create a community combined with strong infrastructure to allow more to people to participate. This Network combined with the Social Media channels is a starting point and aims to follow a similar blueprint to mainstream the sport.

Want to Know more? Read the blog post ‘Formula 1: A Blueprint for Canoe Slalom‘.

People can share videos and communicate online however there is no one place dedicated to all things Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross. Our sport is operated mostly by word of mouth. Whilst this system works for athletes already established within the sport, it is difficult for people outside the loop to engage and get out on the water. The Instagram and X Platforms serve as the ‘shop window’ to grow the sport to a wider audience and canoeslalomkx.com is the ‘shop’ to help get people out on the water with ease.

Donations fuels the website to keep the community connected, informed, and growing. With your support we can improve content, inspire new paddlers, and create a thriving online hub for the sport we love. In the future we would like to target the grassroots levels of the sport by financially supporting the growth of local canoe clubs or funding coaching qualifications for example.

Support here

The Community is not connect to any official organisations or governing bodies. It is purely for people to ask questions, connect with people and clubs within the sport and arrange new opportunities. Large groups including the ‘Paddlers Roundtable’ ‘C1W’ and ‘Kayak Cross’ are moderated to ensure respectful conversation conversation, removal of spam and misinformation but otherwise it is a place of free discussion.

Join The Free Paddlers Network Group here

To have a global community hub for thousands of paddlers. To fund the growth and lower the barriers of entry to allow our sport to become more accessible. For Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross to be recognised in the mainstream of sport and known to the general population.