The thrilling and fast paced Kayak Cross (KX) discipline has surged in popularity in recent years, captivating spectators with its intense head-to-head format of racing. As a hybrid of white-water kayaking and Canoe Slalom, KX has managed to carve its own niche in the realm of extreme sport. Nevertheless, there has been a divide amongst paddlers on the rise of KX. Many Canoe Slalom purists scoff at the idea to paddle plastic whilst other paddlers have adopted the discipline as a focus over slalom. One thing is certain; the new discipline will debut at the 2024 Paris games in 10 days’ time. Will this new wave of kayaking be the catalyst to boost paddle sports into the mainstream eye or an unfortunate Olympic flop?
Origins and Evolution
Kayak Cross first emerged on the kayaking scene during the 2015 season as an extension to the Canoe Slalom event. The rules and regulations behind the new sport were initially, to put it politely, tenuous. Since its launch, KX has evolved into its own exciting new entity. The once unserious event that ran at the end of the weekend whilst teams were packing their bags, has flourished into an adrenaline pumping sport that has gained fast traction and Olympic recognition. Kayak Cross has shown its capacity to be something great in recent years, paddlers have been crowned champions and investment has been pumped into levelling up the sport. In 2022 the ICF announced Kayak Cross will be added to the Paris 2024 Olympic programme. Someone will rise to be the first ever Kayak Cross Olympic Champion. This sport is only just beginning, and the future of what it that entails is exciting.
A game of skill or luck?
With the competitive head-to-head format of Kayak Cross, the sport is far from predicable. In slalom, the best paddler generally wins – why else would Jess Fox be 14x world champion? For Kayak Cross, it’s anyone’s game. The short format battle can change the race trajectory and crush paddlers odds of victory at any given time making it an adrenaline thrill ride for the spectator. Whilst there is an element of unpredictability, paddlers have emerged as consecutive champions and nations have established themselves as specialists in recent years. Despite missing Olympic quota, Dimitri Marx and Jan Rohrer of Switzerland have emerged as an expert duo in this new sport, guiding the way of technique and the art of team collaboration in head-to-head battles. Joe Clark has shown it is no game of luck too winning back-to-back titles and emerging victorious in front of a home crowd at the 2023 World Champion in Lee Valley, London. Junior paddler, Faust Clotet from Spain, recently showed consistency to take a consecutive clean sweep of race wins at the 2024 Jr and U23 World Championships in Liptovsky. Whilst consistent victory has shown the best paddlers usually reap the rewards, the pressure of an Olympic crowd could easily flip the race. It will be a game of the calmest minds combined with brutal physicality to take gold.
Future Potential
The increased exposure from the games is key to expansion and innovation. The coming-of-age sport as we have already witnessed is ever evolving. New regulations have been established, safety equipment advanced and competition has intensified. From humble beginnings to Olympic success, kayak cross is well on the rise.
Could we see a new generation of paddlers emerge and embrace the thrill of paddle sport as a product of The Games?
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