Race ResultsWC 2019 Series
Results: OW; OM
WC Silokek
Results: MM, U19M, OM, OW, U23M, U23W
Ibar, Serbia 2019
Results; Video; Photos
EC 2019 Series
Results: R6 Overall; R4 Overall
EC Devil’s Stream
Results; Photos; Video;
EC British Open
Results; Photos
Canada Nationals
Results; Photos: -1-, -2-, -3-. Video H2H.
Pre-WRC, Ziyuan
Results: Men, Women; Photos: Trng, SP/OC, SL, H2H, DR; Videos: D1, D2, D3, D4;
ERC Vrbas, Bosnia
Results and media
EC Results so far
R6: OM; OW. R4: OM; OW.
EC Trnavka
Results: Sprint; Slalom. Photos.
WRC 2019, Tully
Results, Photos, press releases, etc
EC Wildalpen
Results: OM, U23M, OW; Photos
EC Priboj, Serbia
Results; Photos
EC Nottingham
Results, Photos: -1-, -2-, -3-. H2H Video
EC Romania, Dracula Race
Results; Photos
WRC 2018
All results
more archived Race Results
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By IRF admin, on January 17th, 2020  Having trouble working out what age group you are in for our divisions? Here are a list of ways you can work it out to see if you are eligible for the 2020 year:
You are OLD ENOUGH to compete in the Open division in 2020 if you:
- are 14 years or older on the 1st of January 2020
- were born in 2005 or earlier
YOUTH – you are eligible to compete in the U19 division in 2020 if you:
- are under 19 years old on the first of January 2020
- were born in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005
JUNIOR – you are eligible to compete in the U23 division in 2020 if you:
- are under 23 years old on the 1st of January 2020
- were born in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005
MASTERS – you are eligible to compete in the Masters (40+) division in 2020 if you:
- are 39 years or older on the 1st of January 2020
- were born in 1980 or earlier
By Joe, on December 17th, 2019 GAISF Council grants the IRF Observer Status
To our IRF Member organisations, rafting clubs, athletes, associates, officials, coaches, and friends:
I am delighted to announce the momentous and historic news that the International Rafting Federation (IRF) was officially granted Observer Status by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) Council when it convened 27 October 2019. The IRF recently received a certificate from GAISF commemorating this achievement.
 Read the official announcement from GAISF here.
GAISF is the umbrella organisation for International Sport Federations. GAISF Observer Status will open opportunities to network with the GAISF family and open important doors for the IRF in the world of international sports. It may also help our national federation members obtain the critical funding they need to support and grow their national organisations. GAISF states that “The GAISF Observer Status aims to assist and accelerate the International Rafting Federation (IRF) efforts to become a GAISF member, in particular by helping to develop the number of National Federations recognized by National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or by the Highest National Sport Authorities (NSAs).”
GAISF Observer Status is a milestone for the IRF and for the sport of rafting. It has been a long road to achieve this goal, and those of us involved in the process want to extend our sincere appreciation for your patience and continued support throughout this journey. With this achievement behind us, the IRF is in an excellent position to quickly and proudly take rafting to even greater heights.
As part of our commitment to rafting sport, the IRF Board of Directors and I are adamant in our desire to share our success with all members of the worldwide rafting family regardless of their current loyalties. It is natural that passionate rafting enthusiasts will have differences of opinions on how to best advance our goals. However, despite these differences, I believe we all share the same core goals, ambitions, and love of rafting. A renewed effort will be made in the coming weeks and months to reach out to those who have held differing views so that we remain united, and all of us may move forward together to benefit from this exciting, positive future for rafting.
 From those of us who spearheaded the GAISF Observer Status request process – I want to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the many IRF member NF’s and individuals who stood firmly by us with loyalty and commitment. This support was key for keeping us motivated to complete this task. Your loyalty will not be forgotten as we continue to move forward in the years ahead.
I am, you are, we are IRF! Congratulations to all!!
Sincerely and with respect,
Joseph Willis Jones
International Rafting Federation – President
#RaftersAreAwesome #strongertogether #weareirf #gaisf #internationalrafting
By IRF admin, on December 17th, 2019 Yes, we head back to the Czech Republic for our Euro Champs in 2020, this time to the artificial course Roudnice on the Labe River for the Sprint, H2H and Slalom, and to the exciting Devil’s Stream for the Downriver.
 Details:
- Dates: 8 – 13 June 2020
- Organised by: Union of Boaters of the Czech Republic (SVoCR)
- Team sizes: R4 and R6
- Divisions and categories: U19M, U19W, U23M, U23W, OM, OW, MM, MW
- Be prepared that due to the race schedule it will not be possible to combine team members in categories: U19/U23/open and open/masters. This is the same restriction for whole teams as well
- Team combinations in R4/R6 is possible and recommended
-
 Disciplines: Downriver, Sprint, H2H, Slalom
- Entry Fee: 100 EUR per person at maximum, will be confirmed later
- Entry Closing Date: 1st April, 2020 for registration and payment via bank transfer
- Contacts and information:
ERC 2020 Information letter #1 has more details for you, take a read and get planning!
Please note: All countries planning to send teams are to please inform the organiser as to how many teams in each R4 and R6 category they will be sending by 31st January, 2020. This is essential for planning.
#AreYouReady #RaftersAreAwesome #irferc #ercczechrepublic #devilsstream #roudnice #czechrafting #JsiPripraven #RaftariJsouUzasni #certovyproudy #nekecejapadluj #whitewaterrafting #StrongerTogether #RiverFamily #WeAreIRF
By IRF admin, on December 13th, 2019  Dry bag
Such a handy item to have in many places, not just on river trips – like going hiking in the rain, canyoning, boating, beaching. Read about five surprising uses of dry bags from managing your laundry, or as a pillow, managing cables and tech stuff, and staying in shape! Take a look at some options that Aquapac offer.
 Throw rope
This is an essential peace of gear for a rafter. Beside being critical for rescue and hauling wrapped rafts off rocks it has many other uses as well – clothes line, pillow, to hang sun or rain shelters on. If you’re not sure which one to get, read our article here to find which one would be best suited.
IRF Gear
Give someone some IRF branded gear for their next trip to the World or European Rafting Championships. Great for IRF Official’s and supporters.
There is a large range of sizes and colours, as well as styles. Plus some other gear like bags, bibs, for baby’s, organic tops, long sleeve tops, and beanies.
Take a look at the IRF online store:
 Bottles / flasks / mugs
There are some great options out there in the insulated bottle / flask / mug category these days – all designed to keep your drinks at the temperature you’d like them to be at! Keep that beer cool! Try the Keg Cap which can extend the life of the beer for up to five days.
Solar chargers
Its time to avoid using disposable batteries and move over to solar chargers. Here is a site that gives you a comprehensive break down on what is out there: www.outsidepursuits.com/best-solar-charger/.
Power bank
 So handy to have for anyone with a Smart phone, and especially someone who is away from power points on a regular basis. With phones now being photo and video cameras, plus the essential connection in times of emergencies, all rafters should have power banks to ensure they have battery life when they need it. Read reviews about PC Worlds best 2019 power banks – the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank Pro being rated as the best portable power bank.
 Peli case or smart phone cases
A long time favourite of any rafter, Pelican cases keeps special gear safe and dry inside these virtually indestructible cases. A lifetime warranty comes with one of these and you have over 100 to choose from.
They also sell waterproof smart phone cases that also deal with being regularly dropped!
Comfy, breathable, quick drying underwear
 Yeah, getting underwear as a gift sucks, but being able to wear something else other than bathers the whole river trip is very tempting! The ExOfficio Give-N-Go Underwear is highly breathable and quick-drying, perfect for river trips! Check out a review.
#AreYouReady #RaftersAreAwesome #rafting #StrongerTogether #internationalrafting #RiverFamily #WeAreIRF
By IRF admin, on December 13th, 2019 The 2019 World Cup Series saw only 2 events this year due to unforeseen circumstances causing the World Cup in Georgia to be cancelled. The first was in China at the Pre-Worlds, and the second was in Indonesia on the Silokek River recently.
 The World Cup Series is aimed at teams at a club level, particularly at teams that don’t qualify for the annual World Rafting Champs or just enjoy having fun in rafting competitions. Teams do not have to qualify, they can just enter and get out there and enjoy the challenge of new rivers, in different countries, meet new paddlers and gain essential experience to improve their chances for future selections.
The Pre-Worlds/World Cup Series event was held on the Wu Pai River, Ziyuan, Guilin, Guangxi Province, China from the 21 to 27 August. There was a total of 30 teams racing at the Pre-Worlds, 15 in the Open Men category and 15 in the Open Women. Teams came from far and wide as China extended their usually hospitality, with 17 countries being represented. Read the full summary of the event: Wupai 2019 – ready for WRC 2020
Links for WC China/ Pre-Worlds:
 The Silolek Geofest Rafting World Cup 2019 in Batanag Kuantan Sijunjung was held from the 10 to the 14 of November.
Indonesia has a very large raft racing population and this event had a total of 45 teams racing, spread out through most of the categories.
Three countries were in attendance, the visiting nations being Malaysia and Czech Republic. The Czech Masters won their category, but in the Open Men the usually dominant Czechs didn’t have it their own way, being beaten to 4th place by local Indonesian teams, and closely followed by relatively recent new-comers, Malaysia who are training up Judges and making a big effort to join the international raft racing world.
Results: MM, U19M, OM, OW, U23M, U23W
2019 World Cup Series winners
 In the Open Women category it is the Open Women Indonesia team that have won the series with a total of 992 points, having won H2H, Slalom and Downriver, and a 3rd in Sprint at the Silolek World Cup event.
Second was Czech 1 with a total of 964 points made up from winning the H2H and Downriver, and a 2nd in Slalom and Sprint at the Pre-Worlds WC event.
Third in the series was Russia 1 who won the Sprint and Slalom at the Pre-Worlds and took 2nd there in the H2H and Downriver, with 956 points.
 In the Open Men it was a tie on 972 points between the World Champions, Team Brotas/Alaya of Brazil, and DKI Jakarta of Indonesia. Brazil achieved that with wins in Sprint, Slalom and Downriver and a 3rd in H2H, and Team DKI Jakarta achieved it with wins in Sprint, H2H and Downriver and a 2nd in Slalom.
Third in the Series in the Open Men category was Team RGS with 917 points, gaining that with a win in the Slalom, 2nd in H2H and 3rds in Sprint and Downriver.
Overall Results of the 2019 World Cup Series: Open Women; Open Men
Congratulations to all the teams that took part! Enjoy your end of year and hope see you all at the 2020 World Cup Series!
#AreYouReady #RaftersAreAwesome #rafting #StrongerTogether #internationalrafting #RiverFamily #WeAreIRF
By Sean, on December 10th, 2019  By Zachary Collier
The rivers of Bhutan were first explored by groups of international kayakers in the late 1990s. They discovered some phenomenal runs for both rafts and kayaks ranging from Class I to V+. In the 2000s these explorers brought groups of kayakers to Bhutan for the first commercial whitewater trips.
Bhutan’s first local river guides were originally trained by kayakers. As rafting became more common, these guides trained in Nepal and were mentored by Nepali rafting guides who worked in Bhutan during the busy season.
The past decade has seen a steady increase in the number of international visitors to Bhutan for rafting, kayaking, and/or SUP trips. My company, Northwest Rafting Company, offers multi-day rafting+culture adventures to this Himalayan nation for people who love whitewater. At the same time, day trip offerings on the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu (chhu is the Dzongkha word for river) for the average visitor to Bhutan has exploded. I remember bringing my guests to the put-in for the Mo Chhu in 2011 and not seeing another raft. These days the put-in for this popular commercial trip is full of rafts, guides, gear, and vehicles.
There are now six rafting companies in Bhutan. Most of them do trips on the Class II Mo Chhu in the Punakha Valley, but they are starting to branch out to many of the nearby Class III, IV, and V rivers. As this industry grows, Bhutanese guides are looking for increased professional training.
In order to assist, we began a fundraiser so that Bhutan’s most experienced river guides, Thinley and Chencho, can take an IRF Instructor Course in Oregon next spring. We also hope to raise enough funds that IRF Assessor Mark Hirst can make a trip to Bhutan next fall to observe the first IRF course taught by Thinley and Chencho and approve them as full IRF instructors.
This training will allow Thinley and Chencho to certify other guides in Bhutan as IRF guides and trip leaders and raise the level of training throughout the Bhutanese guiding community. Please check out our Indiegogo fundraiser and consider making a donation. You’ll be helping this exquisite Himalayan kingdom [or ‘nation’] build its economy and share its rivers with the world.
#AreYouReady #RaftersAreAwesome #rafting #StrongerTogether #internationalrafting #RiverFamily #WeAreIRF
By IRF admin, on November 22nd, 2019  Camel White Water Challenge 1996, Zambezi River By Mark Hirst
At some point in our raft guiding careers we will all experience a flip! This article aims to highlight some of the key points associated with flipping and will hopefully deliver a few tips to aid in the recovery of a flipped raft along with its crew. Let’s focus on the 3 main areas of a flip:
BEFORE
One of the subjects often neglected during a safety demonstration is the flip. Raft guides often brush over the subject and only offer a few verbal pieces of information with no visual demonstration. This in turn can lead to a messy clean up as the crew did not receive enough information on what to do during a flip scenario. Continue reading The magical 4 letter F word!!
By IRF admin, on November 21st, 2019
 Police and ex-combatants practice rafting together in San Vicente del Caguán. UN mission in Colombia. Credit: www.elespectador.com Colombia’s Rafting For Peace raft team made a big impression on all who attended the 2019 World Rafting Champs in Australia earlier this year (see Rifles for paddles).
They were touched by their amazing story and admired the strength these paddlers showed in not only taking on learning to raft, but to also step away from their previous lives and make a difference for their future and by so doing, inspiring so many others.
Recently this team and their village of Miravalle in San Vicente del Caguán hosted the Colombian National Rafting Championship on the Pato River. This area was previously a strategic rearguard of the Farc. This event was also a selection for the IRF’s 2020 World Rafting Championships which are to be held in China in August. The top teams in each category will be invited to compete at that event.
 Planting trees to offset carbon – Sports for Climate Action. Picture credit: www.elespectador.com At this championship there were police and ex-combatants, who were former enemies, paddling in a team together and competing.
“I can’t explain how symbolic it is to have ex-combatants and the Public Force paddling together, and with the community organizing an event like this.” said Mauricio Artiñano, member of the Verification Mission of the United Nations Organization.
Former combatant, Hermides Linares, was in a team with two policemen and four more composed another team in the men’s open category. However, the teams from San Gil where this sport is strongest, dominated. There were a total of 11 Open Men’s teams. In the Open Women Lorena Leiva, also a former combatant, lead the only women’s team. There were 3 Under 19 Men’s teams and two Master Men’s teams – a total of 17 teams!
 The coffee served at the event was produced by ex-militants of the Farc, as were the medals, which were made out of reused wood by a collective called Artisans for Peace.
As part of their reinstatement process, these ex-combatants started Caguán Expeditions which is a tour operator in San Vicente del Caguán, in Caquetá. Their aim is to promote tourism through rafting.
 To see more about these amazing peace ambassadors and the results from the event:
www.facebook.com/RemandoporlaPaz/
To read more about this in Spanish: www.elespectador.com/colombia2020/pais/
By IRF admin, on November 20th, 2019  There are a LOT of reasons why this event should be on your bucket list!
Just look at the prizes – a bungi jump off the bridge for first place, a helicopter ride over the falls for second place, a bush drive for third place and a breakfast amongst the elephants for the best flip in Oblivion! And what do you have to do to earn those? Go rafting on the Zambezi!
There are 4 Events with the first 3 earning points for the Overall win, and the 4th having a separate prize.
Event 1 – ZAMBEZI TEST OF THE BEST
Timed race from the Boiling Pot below Victoria Falls to the eddy below rapid #4 “Morning Glory”. Rafts set off at one minute intervals, times are converted into points. Race water distance: 2300m.
Event 2 – ZAMBEZI LE’ MANS SPRINT
Mass start from the pool below Rapid # 5 to the pool above rapid #7. One team member to touch attainment point on river bank at finish. There is a strong element of moving on the rocks here to reach attainment point. Team finishing positions and times accrue points. Race water distance: 700m
One raft at a time down the course with attainment areas, start at Rapid #12 pool. Finish-jailhouse eddy Rapid #13. A timed race with time penalties for missing attainment targets, team positions and times accrue points. Race water distance: 900m with attainments excluded
The Overall winners were Team “Gravity” who defended their title in fine form jumped off the bridge. It was Team “Belgian Chips” who took second and enjoyed that helicopter flip!
 Event 4 – ZAMBEZI SURF & TURF
Best surf in the iconic rapid #18. To be judged in the Waterfront Bar by the festival goers. Not scored in the overall event. And the winners were “Refugees of Trump”- take a look at their winning flip ….
By IRF admin, on November 19th, 2019  With the IRF’s Guide Training and Education System growing so strongly at the moment a new committee has recently been appointed to help take the system to even higher standards.
This new committee is being led by Gaspar Goncz who is the Chair of the GTE Com and has been driving the system since May 2009 and is based in Hungary. New energy has recently come into the system from Mark Hirst who is an IRF Assessor, an advanced Rescue 3 training provider and First Aid Instructor. Mark has taken up the role as Secretary of the GTE and is uniquely positioned in that he travels far and wide therefore gaining knowledge of the rafting industry in all corners of the world which is necessary when working with a system like the IRF’s. He is based in Finland.
The other committee members are Joe Willie Jones who is also the IRF President and based in Chile, Pieter Bekkers who is on the IRF BOD and based in the Netherlands, Andrew Kellett based in South Africa, Gabriel Cote Vailquette based in Canada, Eneko Yarza based in the Basque region, Neil Newton Taylor based in Austria, Alex (Pongo) Baker based in Costa Rica, Nim Bahadur Magar based in Nepal, Tim Marshall based in New Zealand, and Graham (Fredi) Maifredi based in Australia. Behind the scenes we have Raewyn Larcombe who has been administrator to the system for many years (contact).
The new energy in the GTE System has taken it to new levels and we expect it to become even more dominant world wide and we hope to see it being accepted by even more governments as the official system for all river guides.
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Photo Albums
 ERC 2019, Slalom  WRC 2019, Downriver  WRC 2018, H2H  WRC 2017, Slalom  WRC 2016, Downriver  WRC 2015, Citarik River, West Java, Indonesia, (Masters Women, Slalom, 1st, Czech Republic) 
WRC 2014, Downriver
 WRC 2014, Sprint  WRC 2013, H2H  WRC 2013, Slalom  ERC 2014 |
With the IRF’s Guide Training and Education System growing so strongly at the moment a new committee has recently been appointed to help take the system to even higher standards.
