The first IRF Rafting European Cup (and Balkan Cup) race on the calendar for 2024 will be held within the Kresna Gorge on the Struma River in Bulgaria on April 19-21, 2024. This event will feature both R4 rafting events in Sprint/H2H/Slalom/Downriver and also extreme kayaking events.
The Class II through IV Struma River within the Kresna Gorge flows through the Tisata nature reserve, and is home to many important Mediterranean habitats hosting diverse plant and wildlife species. Until a few years ago the sport of whitewater rafting was virtually unknown in Bulgaria. Now, the gorge is the location of an emerging recreational whitewater rafting industry. As with many of the worlds rivers there is tension between preserving the environmental values of the watershed, as well as the push for development. The Struma Motorway, part of The European Transport Corridor project funded through the EU, is planned to cut through the Kresna Gorge. There has been a long battle between the government/government funded construction companies, and residents/environmental groups, surrounding this project.
The race organizer is Rafting Team “Adventure Net” (Emilia Peneva). Please keep tabs on their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/
