The last two days of competition provided high tension and excitement – and also doled out crushing heartbreak and triumph to some of the world’s best freestyle athletes, proving that on Garburator, anything can happen.
In Men’s OC1 Finals, more impressive aerial moves were laid down, and the crowd was exuberant as the men took to the wave. Andy Hill (CAN) claimed the first gold medal of the day after an incredible third ride, where he landed a flashback, blunts, and a massive pistol flip, earning him 281.67 points. Coming in almost 100 points behind Hill was Dane Jackson (USA) with 190 points, and Brad McMillan (USA) claimed bronze with a 70 point ride, pushing former champion Jordan Poffenberger (USA) into fourth place and off the podium.
In Junior Women’s finals, Sage Donnelly (USA) dominated the competition, posting a best score of 588.33—a score that would have topped the podium in Senior Women’s K1 division. Coming in second was teammate Darby McAdams with 203.33, followed closely by Sophie McPeak (GBR) with 71.67.
Junior Women’s champion, Sage Donnelly, celebrates after her first place finish on Garburator at the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championships.
Junior Men’s K1 saw some high scoring rides with a heavy presence from Great Britain. Topping the podium was Hugo Anthony (GBR) with an impressive 781.67, followed by Alec Vorhees (USA) with 676.67, and clinching the bronze medal was Scott Hugo (GBR) with 593.33.
Competition for women’s K1 semi-final was intense
The Men’s C1 division saw Dane Jackson on top of his game, throwing an impressive 863.33 points on the board in his third run, securing the top spot. In second place was Seth Chapelle (USA) with 565 points and in third was 20-year old Zach Zwanenburg (CAN) with 528.33 points. Poffenberger (USA) was again pushed out of the running for a medal in this category, posting a best score of 505 points.
Women’s K1 semi-final was easily one of the exciting and stressful rounds of the entire competition, with early favourite Adriene Levknecht (USA) flushing on both of her rides, which pushed her into 9th place and out of the running for finals. Emily Ward (GBR) topped the podium with a 320 point score. Going into the top five after her were Emily Jackson (USA), Claire O’Hara (GBR), Hitomi Takaku (JPN) and Katya Kulkova (RUS). The competition was tough on Saturday as the top five women took to the wave, but Jackson’s experience with competition paid off, and she took the top spot with a score of 448.33.
The top five women’s K1 finishers at the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championships. From left to right: Hitomi Takaku, Emily Jackson, Claire O’Hara, Katya Kulkova, and Emily Ward.
Very close scores at the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championships
In Men’s quarter finals on Friday, the field was cut from 20 to 10, and later that day the same group of men were culled from 10 to the top 5. Scores were incredibly close, with the top five posting scores between 1100 and 1500 points. In the end, moving onto Saturday’s final were Dane Jackson (USA), Nick Troutman (CAN), Bren Orton (GBR), Joaquim Fontane Maso (SPN) and Mathieu Dumoulin (FRA). The final proved to be a nail biter, with early favourite Orton flushing on one of his rides, and posting a highest score of 876.67 points, which wasn’t enough to break into the top three. Troutman had the hometown crowd’s attention, but struggled to post high scoring rides on his first two rides before coming back with a vengeance for the bronze medal, posting a score of 1170 before losing his paddle in the foam pile and hand paddling downstream. In the end, brother-in-law Dane Jackson added to his medal collection with a gold medal ride with an incredible 1653.33 points, followed by Dumoulin with 1420 points.
Matt Hamilton announcing live with Dane Jackson, the Men’s K1 winner of the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championships.
This year’s world freestyle event was one for the books, with plenty of drama, great weather and perfect water levels. The event truly captured the spirit of the paddling community as a whole—coming together to celebrate life, whitewater and paddling with friends from around the world. Truly, a world-class event on a world-class feature, accompanied by an epic after party.
More Photos
Emily Jackson, K1 Women’s top place finisher on Garb at the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championships.
Anthony Hugo, the winner of the Junior Men’s Finals, selfies on the shore of the Ottawa River at Garb during the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championship.
Dane Jackson celebrates with Zachery Zwanenburg and Seth Chapelle following a top three finish in the C1 division at the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championships.
Anthony Hugo, winner of the Junior Men’s divison, on Garb at the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championship.
The scene at the Lorne on the Ottawa River at the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championships.
Nick Troutman, who placed third in Men’s K1, celebrates a podium finish his mom, an avid supporter and volunteer, at the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championship.
