WRF is glad to announce that the Organising Committee has released details of the 2021 WRF World Rafting Championships, hosted in L’Argentière-Pays des Ecrins, France, from June 28 to July 3.
The first official bulletin is now online, and can be read here.
Dear Presidents, Athletes, Guides, Coaches, Technicians and Rafting lovers,
we are close to the end of this tough year that changed and is still changing our society due to the Covid-19 outbreak. I hope all of you can consider it a challenge and that 2021 will bring us out, overcoming this awful human and economic situation.
First of all I would like to send a hug to everyone who has been affected personally by the virus; I also want to include the family, teammates and friends of our beloved athlete Francisca.
Secondly I’m talking about the federal situation. I congratulate all the Federations that, despite the pandemic, managed to organise National competitions and rafting events; Boris Purjakov for organising the only international race making it possible to compete in Zubin Potok. Every occasion in the river this year has been particularly precious, reminding us that we can always move forward.
The WRF structure is developing through established and new peculiar figures. I would like to thank the Secretary General, Matteo Benciolini, assisted by Francesco Fiorini, on the international administrative matters, Xavier Postiaux and Christian Huenchuleo for the Training Programme and Stefan Purjakov for the Judges.
To these are added the Communication Commission that includes our Treasurer Blerina Ago, Nadjib M. who is working on the developing of the National Federations in the African continent, Nicole Alejandra Plagemann Guzmán and Cecilia Van Arnam for her work in South America, Priti Jindal for Asia, the press officer Claudia Nani and Marco Tomasini of the Federation of “Malta Sports for All” that recently joined WRF.
A big contribute regarding the gender equality is coming from Brazil thanks to Rebeca Fernandez; our Vice-President Fikret Yardimci is working on the sustainability of public transports; our friend and member Andrey Batalov is leading the way in the Para-Rafting world from Russia.
The working group is growing and the worldwide structure is improving, taking part to several international projects regarding environmental protection and sustainability.
I am grateful to all the new figures who are helping us sharing passion and experience enriching our World Rafting Family, where every river person who want to participate is welcome.
RSportz portal just came online and will be the starting point for efficiency.
We are renewing and concluding new agreements with governing structures in training, educational and environmental fields that will produce results soon, especially the discussion of our federation for the GAISF recognition. Once again I would stress our will to cooperate with integrity as the MoU we proposed to IRF confirms, on behalf of the Good Governance we believe in.
Last but definitely not least, a big thank to the Presidents Shaukat Pal Singh Sikand and Massimo Desiati for the effort they are putting in the organisation of their Continental Champs: India and Brazil, in the hope that many other international races will follow.
Finally I confirm that France is ready to host the World Champs 2021 (every National team will be welcomed free charge)! Our colleagues from L’Argentière-la-Bessée and the French Canoe kayak Federation are already managing every detail, especially about the World Para-Rafting Champs that will be held at the same time.
I invite you to to stay tuned on https://www.worldraftingfederation.com/news
We are looking forward to be back in the river paddling all together: we wait for you, check the WRF calendar!
The final thanks goes to the WRF Board that is becoming a close-knit team, with passion and determination: friends!
Happy holidays and happy new year to the World Rafting Family!
Your friend, Danilo
Step by step the international calendar is taking shape.
After the Covid-19 outbreak the Asian Championship planned for last October was suspended.
Everything in India was ready but nothing is gone: the resort town of Manali in the Himachal Pradesh state has to wait one year, and just for international athletes.
Indeed, the Indian Rafting Foundation will put in place its proven experience firstly organising the 14th National Championship in Manali from 24th to 28th March 2021.
Beas river flows through the Kullu valley
The race will be a springboard for the local organisation and will select the National teams for the season: we will see them in June at the World Champs in France and then “at home” paddling in Beas river again for the Continental title.
The class III+ river that rises in the Himalayas, almost 4000m above the sea level, will host its second race of 2021: WRF Asian Rafting Championship, from 6th to 10th October.
Indian team captains
Mr. Shaukat Pal Sing Sikand, Indian Rafting Foundation President, is satisfied with the Championships in March and October but that’s not all.
Many local events will be held all around India in order to increase the sport awareness among young generations and two international River Festivals in August 2021 are official for now, where also safety kayakers are invited.
From 1st to 8th August a limited number of international teams can participate in the 5th Kashmir Rafting Cup on the river Sind, in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir state.
Sind river
From 19th to 22th August Ladakh River Festival, well known as one of the highest kayaking competitions, opens its doors: rafting in the namesake of modern India, the great Indus River.
Indus river
If you need further information please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
During the last months the WRF Training Guide Programme Commission worked on the structure and contents of our Training Programme, appointing its details, and shared the fundamental steps during an e-conference where National Training Responsibles and Presidents took part in November.
After the initial greetings of the WRF President Danilo Barmaz, Francesco Fiorini, WRF Sport and competitions Commission member, introduced Mr. Xavier Postiaux from Belgium and Mr. Christian Huenchuleo from Chile, responsible and member respectively of the WRF Training Guide Programme Commission, and experienced rafting guides.
Mr. Xavier Postiaux, rafting guide since 1996.
He worked and paddled on the rivers of Europe, Iceland, Russia, Nepal, Canada, Peru and Chile.
The present situation counts about 20 National Training Responsible. This pivotal figure is in charge to schedule the training of the river guide and coach on the whole national territory, to train the instructors, to guarantee the maintenance of the standards laid down by the WRF Commissions in accordance with the local structures. The National Training Responsible is also the appointed interlocutor with the WRF Training Commission, cooperating in the international fields.
The aim of the WRF concerning this issue is to rise the number of the National Training Responsible to 39, the current members of the World Rafting Federation, without replacing the local organisation but sharing experiences and knowledges that will give an input to designate strategic points. Our river world will not grow up “from above”: there are not WRF instructors, WRF guides or WRF coaches; the WRF Training Commission indeed supports the training of instructors on request from the members, providing documents, workshops and any help it can get to the National Federation. The WRF Executive Board, that monthly calls a virtual but critical meeting due to the current pandemic situation, reiterates the philosophical will to share and cooperate.
Four starting points named “WRF Center of Excellence” show the strategic significance of building a network.
Huenchuleo Christian from Chile, President of the National Federation and Co-manager of the WRF Training Programme Commission, is working on the WRF Centre at the UFRO (Universidad de la Frontera) in Pucon, where he is already an instructor and the training manager of the white water activities.
Mr. Huenchuleo Christian is also a member of the National Rafting Team.
In India, the President of the Indian Rafting Foundation Shaukat Pal Sing Sikand is preparing the Centre of Excellence that will organise the next Asian Rafting Championship: the Grajretreat Resort (Himachal Pradesh state), in the middle of the Himalayas, is ready to host a great competition on the III+ level river Beas.
WRF President Danilo Barmaz and Mr. Shaukat Pal Sing Sikand from India
In June 2021 the World Rafting Championship will be held in L’argentière La Bessée. The WRF Centre, inaugurated in February 2019, gave birth to the Agonistic Rafting in France: the first National Rafting Championship in history took place there, 3 months later.
L’Argentière La Bessée on Durance river, in the middle of the French Alps
Last, and definitely not least, Sarapiqui Paddle Sports represents the Centre of Excellence of Costa Rica. The already structured organisation is the result of the 27 years of experience in organising river adventures and will give a fundamental input to the rafting movement in Central America.
Sarapiqui Paddle Sports since 1993: exploration and education
The WRF Training Programme for River Guide and Coach is available on our website and exposes the minimum standards required for the training of instructors, river guides and coaches, analysing the double aspect of rafting: the leisure activity and the sport.
The documents about the training structure and the pathway to become an instructor are available in the “River Guide” section on the WRF website.
WRF would also like to invite who is keen on rafting and its development to take a look at our website and consider the opportunity to go forward with our movement: do not hesitate to contact us, we can support each other!
Due to the new measures introduced by the Government of Costa Rica the Pan-American Rafting Championship are cancelled.
The Continental event, previously scheduled to take place in Quepos, Puntarenas, at the beginning of December and firstly postponed to March 2021 because of the current Pandemic situation, is definitely underwritten.
Cetina river, that flows from the Dinara mountain range to the Adriatic Sea, hosted the National Rafting Championship of Croatia on 14th-15th November. A long awaited return to the river, in compliance with the local provisions concerning the current pandemic situation, crowned the athletes who will compete under the Hrvatska flag at the WRF World Champs in France and the other 2021 international competitions.
The newly-elected President of the Rafting Committee Zdeslav Karlovac congratulated the winner team from Zagreb, Končar, on the overall victory: they got the gold in every discipline, slalom, RX and downriver, totalling 300,00 points. The silver medal went to the hosting club Cetina Raft (second place in slalom and downriver, third place in RX), while Rastočki Mlinari got the bronze (finalist in RX and third place in the other disciplines).
Mr. Zdeslav Karlovac has been declared satisfied of the general results, not only with the motivated teams but also with the whole organisation Comittee’s goal is the further development of our sport, structuring the disclosure in the clubs and raising sport performances, to achieve international results in the WRF competitions and benefit the whole river movement.
From 16th to 27th November Turkish Rafting Federation is organising a successful Training Camp in collaboration with Minister of Youth & Sports of Turkey, Rize Governorship and Ardeşen Governorship.
The training camp is taking place on the shores of the Black Sea, in Ardeşen town, a district of Rize Province, focusing on the basic techniques of our water sport.
120 young rafters (U19 cathegory) and trainers from all over the country (Şırnak, Bingöl, Hakkari, Van, Ordu, Erzurum and Elazığ) are paddling everyday in R4 teams, sharing experiences and discovering and developing the rafting movement.
Athletes and trainers with international experiences are introducing dozens of young athletes to the river world.
The WRF’s strategic objective around gender equality calls for growing female participation at the World Championship to 50 per cent. The ultimate goal is to assist in removing barriers preventing women from participating in sport at all levels. This goal is reflected also in the introduction of the mixed category for the RX discipline.
REBECA FERNANDES, Vice President of the Associação Brasileira de Rafting, is a river lover and definitely an inspiring woman. She’s working in total agreement with our movement and she sends a letter to the Rafting World in this regard.
“Dear WRF,
Through many years of experience within competitive and commercial rafting, I come to present my company Mayim Rafting training for women, who has a new proposal regarding the training and qualification for women in Rafting.
Currently I dedicate myself to teaching and to the sport. The goal is to qualify the female gender through the development and adaptation of techniques in favour of the physical anatomy of the woman, to achieve her goals faster within the rafting. In my experience, woman needs physical and emotional resistance for the daily training that the activity requires.
Currently the sport and its proposed methods of qualification were developed by male gender majority.
Sometimes the mechanics creates discomfort for women in many factors such as the minimisation due to the reduction of the chest muscles and therefore the reduction of strength. Beyond that, there is the countless cases of harassment by colleagues, bullying due to clothing or simply because they are women.
Today I, Rebeca Fernandes, can see through my 16 years within the sport and international competitions, that the right moment for the strengthening of the female gender is now. I can also see that remained in the white-water world depends not only on a different qualification process, but also on a family environment, where women can feel welcome to develop their own techniques and skills without physical and moral harassment for simply having different anatomy and equipment that do not favour their practices.”
Straight forward women!
After the first Turkish Cup held in Beytüşşebap-Şırnak two weeks ago, Zap river hosted the second stage of the National Rafting Championship near the historical mountain town of Hakkari, south of Lake Van near the border with Iran and Iraq from 25th to 30th October 2020.
Minister of Youth and Sports of Turkish Republic Dr. Mehmet Muharrem KASAPOĞLU joined the event. After a speech during the opening ceremony he paddled the river Zap with the President of Turkish Rafting Federation Fikret YARDIMCI, 1700 meters above the sea.
Out of 25 Men, 11 Women and 10 Mix teams, these are the names of the winners:
U19 Man: Van-Catak Belediyesi Spor Kulübü-A Takimi
U19 Women: Tunceli Yurdum Spor Kulübü
Open Man: Antalya Manavgat Spor Kulübü
Open Women: Tunceli Genclik Spor Kulübü
Mix: Antalya-Manavgat Spor Kulübü-B Takimi
