ACA 2023 IN OKC
ACA 2023 IN OKC at RIVERSPORT
Welcome!
The American Canoe Association (ACA) and RIVERSPORT are pleased to welcome you to the 2023 USA Junior, U23, Senior Canoe Slalom National Team Selections, and the Level 3 World ranking race April 14-16, in Oklahoma City. The event will be held in the city’s Boathouse District on RIVERSPORT’s $45M whitewater course. Conveniently located in downtown OKC, it is within walking distance of the Bricktown Entertainment District where you will find hotels, restaurants, and family entertainment.
If you’re not already familiar with RIVERSPORT, I encourage you to take a few minutes to look over riversportokc.org and check out some of our videos and photos on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube @riversportokc. Since many of you will be training in OKC for an extended period, we also invite you to explore our city and all it has to offer by visiting https://www.visitokc.com/things-to-do. If you want some help choosing restaurants, museums or attractions, let us know – we’re happy to help.
We always look forward to welcoming whitewater paddlers to Oklahoma City.
See you soon!
Sincerely,
Mike Knopp, Executive Director
Host Organizer (HOC) RIVERSPORT OKC
Key contacts
Seth Stevenson, RIVERSPORT OKC • +1 (405) 552-4040
Jedediah Hinkley AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION • +1 (435 )640-6950
Registration
Registration for the ICF World Ranking race must be done through the ICF SDP system from your National Federation.
NonAthlete Registration Form
All non-athletes who will be involved in the event, including volunteers, must complete this registration https://www.americancanoe.org/events/register.aspx?id=1734243 and the nonmember waiver https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/v/nonmemberwaiver
Key Dates
| Bulletin published | March 6 |
| Entry Deadline | March 26 |
| Competition Schedule posted | April 10 |
| Unofficial Training | April 3-9 |
| Official training period | April 10-13 |
| ACA CSL Committee Meeting | April 13 |
| Team leaders meeting | April 12 |
| Competition | April 14-16 |
| First ITO’s meeting | April 13 |
Competition Days
Day 1- Ranking race, USA Selections, CSLX Time Trial
Day 2- Ranking Race, USA Selections, CSLX Brackets
Day 3-USA Selections, Awards, Team Meeting
Oklahoma City – The Modern Frontier
Located in America’s heartland, Oklahoma City’s western heritage and lively atmosphere combine with an innovative spirit you won’t find anywhere else.
Known for its friendliness, the OKC metro area has undergone major transformation in recent decades with more than $1.8 billion invested in quality-of-life improvements including sports and recreation venues, updated schools, changes to create a vibrant, walkable downtown and improving neighborhoods.
RIVERSPORT
RIVERSPORT and the Boathouse District are located adjacent to downtown Oklahoma City at the intersection of highways I35 and I40, the crossroads of the nation. The $100M+ development includes a series of iconic boathouses and four- story Canoe Sprint finish line tower, a whitewater center, a six-story adventure course, a zip line, surfing and an indoor alpine ski simulator. RIVERSPORT is a US Olympic and Paralympic Training Site and hosts national and international canoe slalom races on the whitewater course, and national and international rowing and canoe sprint regattas on the adjacent Oklahoma River – the only permanently lighted race venue in the world.
RIVERSPORT is also located within walking distance of downtown’s Bricktown entertainment district which means great hotels, restaurants and entertainment are just steps away.
The State of Oklahoma
With numerous industries and a growing base of companies, Oklahoma is positioned for a strong future in aviation/ aerospace, biotechnology, energy, healthcare, a developing film industry and travel/ tourism.
In September, 2021, the state celebrated the opening of the First Americans Museum. Located on the Oklahoma River east of the Boathouse District, the world-class museum features Native American history, culture, food, and art.
| Area Population | 1.4 million |
| Avg High Temp Range for April | 72˚F |
| Record High for April | 89˚F |
| Mean min. temperature | 68˚F |
| Chance of rain in May | + 32-40% |
TRANSPORTATION TO OKLAHOMA CITY
Located at the crossroads of the interstate highways I-35, I-40 and I-44, Oklahoma City is as easy to reach as it is to navigate. With more than 2,400 miles of four-lane roads, it has been ranked as the sixth most drivable city in the U.S.
Airport
Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) offers nonstop air service to 20 destinations in the U.S., including west and east coast cities.
Airport to Hotel Transportation
Many hotels offer shuttle service to the airport; please check with your hotel directly for details.
Taxi Service
Taxis are located in the Transportation Plaza accessed from the baggage claim (lower) level. Average fare from the airport to downtown is $15.
Uber & Lyft Apps
These apps are commonly used in the Oklahoma City/Bricktown area and offer affordable options for getting around town.
Shuttle Service
Public vans are onsite to meet all scheduled flights and transport incoming passengers to their desired destination. Visit Airport Express, Inc. online, call (405) 681-3311 or send an e-mail request for more information. Airport Express also offers disability services through its MedRide. Call (405) 685-8267 to learn more.
Rental Cars
For a complete list of rental services, visit https://www.visitokc.com/meetings/plan/getting-here-and-getting-around/
HOTELS
Oklahoma City offers a wide range of hotel options and we are pleased to offer special event rates at the partner hotels. If there is a code listed, use that when booking on-line.
| Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown Oklahoma City www.marriott.com/OKCDF 10 SW Fourth St. (0.7 miles) Oklahoma City, OK 73109 405-604-5050 Rate Coming Soon • Code: RIVERSPORT Rate | Renaissance Oklahoma City Hotel Downtown Bricktown Hotel www.renaissance.com 100 E Sheridan Ave. (1.6 miles) Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405-768-5300 Rate Coming Soon • Code: RIVERSPORT Rate |
| Residence Inn by Marriott Oklahoma City Downtown/Bricktown www.residenceinn.com 400 E Reno Ave. (0.5 miles) Oklahoma City, OK 73104 Call (405) 601-1700 and use code RIVERSPORT OKC Rate Coming Soon | Staybridge Suites Oklahoma City Downtown www.staybridgesuites.com 120 S Lincoln Blvd. (0.5 miles) Oklahoma City, OK 73104 Call (405) 602-8830 • Rate Coming Soon |
COMPETITION VENUE
RIVERSPORT Rapids was built in 2016 and hosted US Canoe Slalom and several US Canoe Slalom Championships.
The course is 305 meters (1,000 feet) long and drops 510 centimeters (16’ 9”) from start to finish. This recirculated water pumped course is estimated to be level WW III-IV at 10 m³/s (350 ft3/s) flows during a competition.
PRE-COMPETITION TRAINING PERIOD
The HOC offers a pre-competition training period from April 3 – 9, for the 2023 CSL USA Team Selection, participants at the cost of $25 for one session and $40 for two.
| 4/3 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 4/7 | 4/8 | 4/9 | |
| 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. | X | X | X | X | |||
| 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Please contact Rafal Smolen rsmolen@americancanoe.org to reserve your pre-training spot
OFFICIAL TRAINING PERIOD
The official training for the competition starts on 10 April and ends on 13 April after the morning session. The water cost of the official training and competition period is covered by the HOC.
Pre-Competition and Official Training Period will be organized in groups according to schedule. The official training schedule will be published here at a later date.
COMPETITIONS
The ACA USA Junior, U23, Senior Team Selection will begin April 14 and conclude April 16. The Canoe Slalom ICF Level 3 World Ranking race will begin April 14 and conclude April 15. The competition schedule for the entire event will be published after the close of the Nominal Entry period.
The following events will be offered during the competition: MC1, MK1, WC1, WK1, MX1 and WX1.
| # | Gender | Events (short) | Events (long) |
| 1 | Women | K1 | Women Kayak Single |
| 2 | Men | K1 | Men Kayak Single |
| 3 | Women | C1 | Women Canoe Single |
| 4 | Men | C1 | Men Canoe Single |
| 5 | Women | X1 | Women Extreme Slalom Single |
| 6 | Men | X1 | Men Extreme Slalom Single |
COMPETITION RULES
The ACA USA Junior, U23, Senior Team Selection as well as the ICF Ranking will be run in accordance with the current ICF Canoe Slalom Competition (race format and advancements).
ACCREDITATION & REGISTRATION FEE
Registration and race information will be headquartered in the RIVERSPORT Whitewater Center.
Registration fee
The registration fee is $150 USD per Athlete
Payment
Registration and payment can be made online beginning March 1, 2023 and close March 26, 2023
Nominal entries
Nominal entries close: March 26, 2023
Athletes will be assessed an additional $100 late fee after March 26, 2023
Each athlete competing must be entered by name.
Reminder
Entries or accreditation requests sent directly to the committee or the competition organizer will NOT be accepted.
SafeSport
If 18 years or older by the final day of competition athletes, coaches, and officials must have completed
their annual SafeSport training (90-minute SafeSport Trained – NGB1 course or 30-minute Refresher course if renewing). Without up-to-date training, you will not be able to participate in the Team Selection Event.
- Returning SafeSport users, log in at safesporttrained.org
- First-time SafeSport users, Create an ACA SafeSport Account (ACA key embedded)
In a continued effort to make paddlesports safer for minors, the ACA adheres to Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP). Please familiarize yourself with the MAAPP. Check out MAAPP at-a-glance for a summary of the essentials.
EXTRA SERVICES
Medical Services
During the event period (14-16 April, 2023) we will provide a first aid service. Please note that this medical service will cover only emergency cases and that all participants are responsible for arranging, at their cost, their own international medical insurance policy. During the training period the NFs are responsible for their participants.
| OU Health–University of Oklahoma Medical Center Emergency Room – Open 24 hours 700 NE 13th St 1+(405) 271-3667 2.1 miles from RIVERSPORT MAP | Today Clinic Primary & Urgent Care, Central OKC Urgent care center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 701 NE 36th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Hours: M – F 10am – 7pm • Sat & Sun Closed 4 miles from RIVERSPORT 1+(405) 631-0611 MAP |
Spectators
Admission to racing will be free; parking will be $10. No parking fees for accredited attendees.
PRESS AND MEDIA INFORMATION
Please contact M. Elizabeth Laurent, elaurent@riversportokc.org, and include your full name, telephone number, the name of your media outlet.
Local Media Officer
M. Elizabeth Laurent
email: elaurent@riversportokc.org
