- Recent Events
- Black River
- Bois Brule River
- Brule River
- Chippewa River
- Eau Claire River
- Flambeau River
- Manitowish River
- Menominee River
- Montreal River
- Namekagon River
- Peshtigo River
- Pike River
- Pine River
- Popple River
- Red River
- St Croix River
- Tomahawk River
- White River
- Wisconsin River
- Wolf River
Facebook- Links
- Site Updates
- Terms of Use
- Contact
WPG
A canoeing, kayaking, and whitewater rafting guide to Wisconsin's most popular paddle rivers.
2011 USA Canoe and Kayak Junior Team Trials
Wausau Whitewater Park, Wausau, WI
Saturday and Sunday, June 25th and 26th, 2011
The 2011 USA Canoe and Kayak Junior Team Trials were held in Wausau over the weekend. The event featured many of the best young paddlers from across the country including participants from, Colorado, Maryland, North Carolina and Wisconsin, all competing for a spot on the US Junior National Team. Everyone performed well, but there was one athlete who stood out from the field in the Men's K1 (kayak, single) who appears to be a rising young star in the sport. 18 year old Michal Smolen of Charlotte, North Carolina displayed a combination of high-level aggression with incredible consistency that is somewhat rare in a sport as dynamic as Whitewater Slalom, especially with someone this young. Perhaps, the best compliment that could be given to him is that he made it look so smooth and effortless! Congratulations Michal! Congratulations as well to all of the junior athletes who participated this weekend, everyone competed strong on a challenging course.
If you've never been to one, or even if you've never paddled before, whitewater canoe and kayak slalom races are exciting to watch. The spectator area at the Wausau Whitewater Park is so close to the river that you can clearly see the intensity and concentration on the faces of the racers as they paddle their boats through the roaring, challenging, whitewater course. It won't be long before you find yourself clenching your fist saying "c'mon, c'mon, Go! Go!" as the athletes make complex boat maneuvers and contort their upper-bodies to narrowly avoid hanging gates in a race against the clock. Then you have to stop and remind yourself, as in the case of this event, most of these paddlers aren't even 18 yet!
Congratulations and thanks to the USA Canoe and Kayak Association and Wausau Whitewater for putting together another excellent event. The competition was awesome and there was plenty of food and refreshments available for the spectators throughout the weekend. And thank you Mother Nature for giving us a spectacularly beautiful, second day of competition on Sunday.
Craig Marking
Wisconsinpaddleguide.com