2024 Paris Olympics: Montgomery Whitewater will host US trials
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Every athlete’s path starts somewhere. But for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the road to being on the U.S. Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross Olympic Team happens to start in Montgomery.
Trials are being held April 13 and 14 at Montgomery Whitewater, the city’s new premier whitewater rafting and kayaking artificial channels facility that opened in summer 2023.
“This will be my second Olympic trials and it would mean a lot (to make the team),” said Luca Bohn, 17, of Boulder, Colo., who competes in canoe. He said he thinks Montgomery Whitewater has one of the best whitewater courses in the U.S. for training.
“It’s probably my favorite course of the courses in the U.S.,” said Nik Nijhawan, 16, a kayaker from Boulder who has been paddling for about four years. “It has a good variety of features on it.”
Connar Haakenson, 14, a kayaker of four years from Lyons, Colo., agrees. “Just competing in it is pretty cool,” Haakenson said.
Scott Shipley, an Olympic kayaker and multi-time world champion who designed the artificial course, admitted he was a little surprised Montgomery Whitewater was given the opportunity to do trials so soon.
“We’re a new organization. We’re a new venue,” Shipley said. “To have them show up and say, 'Yes, this is world class and we totally want to put this race there' is amazing to us.”
Jed Hinkley, competition director for the American Canoe Association, said the Montgomery facility expands the ACA’s reach to areas that may not have seen the sport before, and that it will help develop a next generation of athletes.
“Because of the excitement of the city, and the whitewater facility getting behind the effort, that’s why we went with the proposal for Montgomery,” Hinkley said.
It’s an honor Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed isn’t taking lightly.
“With this significant win, Montgomery adds another internationally significant achievement, and demonstrates our status as a premiere destination for people who seek to better themselves and achieve the pinnacle of success — whether in sports, business or personal development," Reed said. "We are honored and proud to welcome these Olympic trial events and the athletes and fans that will discover all that Montgomery has to offer this spring."
Montgomery County Commission Chairman Doug Singleton said he’s still thrilled to have the facility and the opportunities that it brings. “It’s something that we worked hard to get here," Singleton said. "It was kind of the master plan when we were building whitewater to be able to attract these major sporting events here to Montgomery."
While the athletes are using the same course the public uses, Phillip Melton, facilities director at Montgomery Whitewater, said the main difference will be the slalom gates hanging over the water, which athletes have to maneuver around without touching to avoid penalties.
During the timed trials, Melton said they’ll have somewhere around 60 to 70 athletes competing from across the country. One of them is Olivia Spencer, a 20-year-old kayaker from Boulder, Colo., who has been paddling for about 8 years. She’ll be 21 by the time the trials roll around at Montgomery Whitewater. Along with the thrill of competing, she enjoys the chance to help mentor younger athletes.
Spencer said she had an amazing experience on the artificial whitewater channels in Montgomery during a recent training camp.
“Since nationals, all the boys have been raving about the whitewater here, and I finally got the chance to understand why,” Spencer said.
More: Montgomery Whitewater: What to know before your trip to the park
The sport is still somewhat male dominated, but Spencer said there are a handful of amazing female paddlers in the U.S.
“Naturally, we’re the minority among competitors, especially in the U.S., but there’s no shortage of amazing women in the sport,” Spencer said.
So what would a facility like this have meant to Shipley when he was first getting started as a whitewater athlete? He said he would have spent more time at home, instead of constantly having to be in Europe to train on courses there.
“Of the Olympic year in 2000, I spent 11 and a half months on the road,” Shipley said.
As usual, guests can come to Montgomery Whitewater for free to observe the trials. They’re preparing for that influx as well at Montgomery Whitewater.
“We’re going to have a big crowd coming in, so we want to prepare something that makes it fun for them,” Shipley said.
They’ve already impressed Spencer on that part.
“Montgomery Whitewater is really just a beautiful facility,” Spencer said. “The restaurant and the outfitter are both incredible. The Whitewater is amazing, and all the people on staff here at Montgomery Whitewater are just incredible.”
More: Local restaurant owner helps Montgomery Whitewater roll out redesigned Eddy's menu
Montgomery Whitewater has made similar impressions on other athletes.
“I see a lot of potential with the community,” Haakenson said. “It’s a really chill and nice place.”
Chill, but not so chilly. Nijhawan said Boulder’s cold winters don’t leave many options for paddling. Bohn agreed.
“Back in Colorado, it’s very cold,” Bohn said.
About the sport
Canoe slalom is contested by two types of boat, canoes and kayaks.
In canoe, a single-blade paddle is used by an athlete who is kneeling in their boat.
Kayakers use a double-bladed paddle and are sitting.
Canoe and kayak competitions are timed events where competitors navigate a whitewater course by passing through a combination of gates. Upstream gates are designated by the color red and downstream are green. Time penalties can be incurred for touching a gate (two seconds) and missing a gate (50 seconds).
Kayak Cross is the latest addition to the Olympic Program and will debut in Paris.
This new Olympic event puts four kayakers in a head-to-head format, racing down a section of whitewater while negotiating several inflatable gates.
The race starts with four kayaks on a ramp above the river. After launching 10 feet into the river, the athletes paddle around a series of red and green inflatable “gates” and complete a full kayak roll under a “roll zone” marker; the first boat to cross the finish line wins.
The Olympic Team Trials at Montgomery Whitewater Park will be open to the public and a schedule will be published when available at montgomerywhitewater.com, along with more information on the park and its other events.
This will be the first of two team selection events with the second one taking place at RIVERSPORT in Oklahoma City, Okla., on April 26-28, 2024.
— Montgomery Whitewater
What other leaders are saying
Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama: “Alabama has a tremendous tendency of stepping into the international spotlight — this time, to welcome the Olympic trials. Successes like this remind us of our ability to achieve world-class excellence, marking yet another pioneering first and fostering an impact that will ripple across our state's economy and tourism sector. To the athletes and fans converging from across the globe, I'm proud to welcome you to our great state this spring!"
Doug Singleton, Chairman of the Montgomery County Commission: “Montgomery County’s investment in this world-class attraction is paying off — not only in the recruitment of internationally significant events like these Olympic trials, but also in the Montgomery Whitewater Park’s commitment to introducing more people to healthy outdoor living, and aspirational athletes like the ones we will welcome in April.”
Cornelius (CC) Calhoun, Vice-President Montgomery City Council: “The honor and opportunity to host an Olympic trials event is something Montgomery has achieved through a visionary partnership between the city, county and community. Together, we’ve created a unique, state-of-the-art venue accessible to everyone — from the world’s best athletes to those who simply want to enjoy the outdoors.”
Leslie Sanders, Chair of the Montgomery County Community Cooperative District: “It has been part of our vision from the outset to create a venue that can attract international-level competitions and events — and it doesn’t get any bigger or better than Olympic level competitions. We look forward to further developing the Montgomery Whitewater Park’s potential to have a transformative impact on the state and the region.”
Anna Buckalew, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce: “The Montgomery Whitewater Park was envisioned as a catalyst for growth and brought to fruition by the same collaborative spirit that makes Montgomery a premiere destination for a professional sports event on the Olympic scale. Montgomery’s business community is eager to welcome the spectators, athletes and their support teams and look forward to serving and growing along with them.”
Dave Hepp, Chief Executive Officer of Montgomery Whitewater Park: “We are honored to host the 2024 Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross Olympic Team Trials and look forward to welcoming these elite paddlers and coaches to experience our state-of-the-art park. We also invite the region to come out and be inspired by these amazing athletes to get out on the water and try paddling for themselves.”
Beth Spilman, Executive Director for the American Canoe Association: “Montgomery had a vision to provide unique outdoor opportunities to its community, and the Montgomery Whitewater Park is the realization of this vision. They have embraced our sport, and we are beyond thrilled to be able to bring the Olympic trials there.”
Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at sheupel@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Whitewater athletes to compete in Montgomery for U.S. Olympics team
