Timmins, Ontario is home of one of the greatest paddling festivals around, The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival. Over the past 10 years, what started off as a small paddling festival, has grown into city-wide festival that celebrates the impact paddling has on the community.
Who Competes In The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge?
Last year, over 200 paddlers from all over the world registered for all of the events at The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and over 20,000 people actually attended the festival. Timmins also brings in the Summer Watersports Company for a number of stunt shows and fly boarding. This year you will have the opportunity to try out flyboarding with skilled instructors on hand.
Kayakers will have their choice of nine events to participate in. Novice paddlers can join in on a fun five-kilometer paddle. Paddlers with a little more experience can compete in the 10-kilometer “Plastic Kayak Challenge.” There is also a 16-kilometer recreational event with only boats under 14’4″ allowed, as well as a 16-kilometer Recreational Elite event with only boats that are a 10.65.1 ratio. Elite kayakers can compete in the 32-kilometer race.
On top of the five normal races, The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge also has a senior division, a youth challenge and a celebrity race.
After 10 years of being kayak-centric, The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge will be inviting canoeists to join in the festivities this year. Canoeists will compete in a 10-kilometer, open category event with payouts to the top 5 finishers in both men’s and women’s categories.
The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival will be held August 24-26, 2018. For more information and to register, go to www.thegreatcanadiankayakchallenge.com.
