2023 FREESTYLE WORLD CHAMPiONSHiPS

Adaptability. Precision. Consistency. The sheer unpredictable nature of the river. The 2023 Freestyle World Championships took place on the Chattahoochee River this October, returning to a wave for the first time since 2015. With it came new faces, the revitalization of a community, and a reminder that if you build it, they will come. When a region-wide drought forced changes to established norms, it breathed new life and energy into competitive freestyle and a hinted at what the future of the ICF could hold.

Anna Bruno

On Saturday, October 7th, the flags of 20 different countries waved as more than 200 athletes waited for the 2023 ICF Freestyle World Championships to start. Come Monday morning, the North Highlands Dam would release the pre-determined 7800 cfs and the Chattahoochee River would rise, forming Good Wave and showing what is possible when a city—two cities—stand behind a vision. Despite years of planning and preparation, the event almost didn’t happen. As September ended, reservoirs across the southern United States lay empty, and the Chattahoochee River was no exception. Through the fierce advocacy of the ICF Freestyle Committee and others, including the Governor of Georgia, a new agreement was reached with Georgia Power. Water would be released daily for the team training slots and the event, but only from 10…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Winter 2023

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