Freestyle Rules

 Taken from the official rules developed by the IFC

 1.0 The Classes

1.1 Kayak K-1

  • There are no boat restrictions.
  • One single boat is to be used for the whole competition.
  • All competitors must wear a buoyancy aid and helmet.

1.2 Canoe Decked C-1

  • There are no boat restrictions.
  • One single boat is to be used for the whole competition.
  • Competitors must be kneeling and use a single bladed paddle.
  • All competitors must wear a buoyancy aid and helmet.

1.3 Open Boat OC-1

  • All competitors must wear a buoyancy aid and helmet.
  • One single boat is to be used for the whole competition.
  • Specifications: The depth of the boat must be at least 14 inches in the middle 2 feet of the boat.
  • The gunwale line may not drop more than 3 inches from the centre of the boat’s end.
  • Neither deck may exceed 22.5 % of the length of the boat.
  • Tumble home may not exceed 3 inches including gunwales and foam outfitting. Floatation must be removable and attached only with cord.
  • Completely solid bulkheads are not permitted. Bulkheads with holes for knees are allowed. There is no length restriction.

1.4 Squirt Boat

5.1. Wave/Hole Riding

  • Athletes are seeded in heats for the preliminaries based on their country ranking.
  • Preliminaries – Wave/Hole riding one practice ride for each competitor
  • The run begins as the paddler crosses the main lateral of the wave and continues until the time limit or the competitor exits the wave.
  • Two 45 second rides, two scores added together, make the competitors’ score.

 5.4 Competition Format

Preliminaries - Wave/Hole Riding

  • Women Athletes are seeded by preliminary results. 25% of the class up to a maximum of 20 and a minimum of 10 competitors will advance to the Quarter Finals.
  • Men Athletes are seeded by preliminary results. 25% of the class up to a maximum of 40 and a minimum of 10 competitors will advance to the Quarter Finals.

Quarter Finals - Wave/Hole Riding only

  • Three 45 second rides, best two scores count.
  • Top 15 Men competitors advance to the Semi Finals.
  • Top 10 Women competitors advance to the Semi Finals.
  • Semi Finals - Wave/Hole Riding
  • Two 45 second rides, best score counts.
  • For K1 - All 15 Men do two rides, top 5 go to finals.
  • For K1 - All 10 Women do two rides, top 5 go to finals.

Finals - Wave/Hole Riding for title of World Champion

  • All 5 competitors do one ride, lowest scoring competitor is eliminated.
  • All 4 competitors do one ride, lowest scoring competitor is eliminated.
  • All 3 competitors do one ride, lowest scoring competitor is eliminated.
  • Both competitors left do one ride, the top scoring competitor is World Champion.

5.5-1 Variety Score

    • Each trick nets one variety point.
    • All recognized tricks count as one point

5.5-3 Style Score

  • Squirt boat difficulty levels to determine style

Judges will use their discretion and give a score based on their overall impression of the ride. Factors that will be considered in this are the difficulty of tricks, form breaks, smoothness and maximum use of the river features.

Judges will base their style score on these guidelines:

  • 100% - Form breaks – High difficulty in tricks – Maximum use of multiple river features.
  • 75% - Minimal form break – good use of features and good tricks
  • 50% - Low smoothness / High form breaks but good use of some of the features and completed a few difficult tricks.
  • 25% - Minimum difficulty of tricks - Minimal use of features – High degree of form breaks

    • 5.5-4 Scoring Calculation

      • Each trick nets one variety point.
      • All recognized tricks count as one point
      • Each judge will also give a mystery score as a percentage from 0 to 100%
      • Each judge will also give a style score that is a percentage from 0 to 100%
      • The total score is the combination of variety + variety x mystery % + variety x style % = Total score

    Example: Variety of 10, mystery score of 50%, style score of 75%

    Therefore (10) + (10 x 5) + (10 x 7.5) = 135

    6.0 Judging

    3 Technical and 3 Variety judges.

    • Variety Judge
      • Judges the variety moves and awards extra points for Air, Cleans, Splits and Style
    • Technical Judge (Judges only verticality)
      • As each move is performed, the judges verbally give a point or word to their scribe who records that number or ticks the box opposite the word.
      • The judges should be close enough to confer, if necessary, but far enough away too not to hear each other as they call scores to their scribes.
      • 3 Technical judges - the high and low score will be dropped and the remaining score counts
      • 3 Variety judges - the high and low score will be dropped and the remaining score counts
      • Multiply the remaining two and add the style multiplier to give the final score

    6.1 Point Scoring Moves

    Scoring starts when the paddler crosses the main lateral of the wave.

    No points for window shading.

    4 points - Moves are scored as 180 degree direction changes with three levels of verticality:

    • Flat: 1 point (Flat = 0 to 45 degrees)
    • Elevated: 2 points (Off vertical = 45 to 70 degrees and 110 to 135 degrees)
    • Vertical: 4 points (70 degrees to 110 degrees)

    6.2 Scoring Format - Technical

    Scoring Move Point Value

    Moves are scored when there is a 180-degree change in direction and varies with the level of verticality:

    1. Flat (both in a hole or on a smooth wave) 1 point
    2. Off vertical (retendo/cartwheel/Blunt) 2 points
      (in a hole or on a smooth wave / Blunt only on smooth wave / stern or bow initiated)
    3. Vertical (retendo/cartwheel/Blunt) 4 points
      (in a hole or on a smooth wave / Blunt on smooth wave / stern or bow initiated)

    6.2-1 Variety Scoring

    Competitors perform moves from the Variety Moves List to multiply their technical score.  The Variety Judges note the different moves each competitor executes.

    Variety judges note EACH move done EVERY time it is performed.  In this way their scribe will tally the total number of splits, aerial moves and loop moves done.  The total will be given to the technical judge scribe, who will add the technical amount to their technical verticality score.  The values for these moves are as follows:
    SPLIT =     2 additional technical points
    AIR =     4 additional technical points
    LOOP =     4 additional technical points
          1. Variety Multipliers
    Value
    Moves
    Description
    0.1
    		 Back surf (2 second minimum) Competitor maintains a backward position with body facing completely downstream.
    0.1
    		 Flat spin (counts one way only) 360 degree rotation of boat at a 0-44 degree angle
    0.1
    		 Shuvit (counts one way only) The boat starts from a front or back surf, rotates through 180 degrees, then rotates back the same way a further 180 degrees (0-44 degree angle)
    0.6
    		 Blunt (counts left and right) Elevated 180 degrees rotation on green water at an angle greater than 45 degrees, clear of the foam pile, where the competitor rotates around the bow of the boat.
    1.0
    		 Back Blunt/Stab (counts left and right) Elevated 180 degrees rotation on green water at an angle greater than 45 degrees, clear of the foam pile, where the competitor rotates around the stern of the boat.
    1.4
    		 Aerial Blunt (counts left and right) Elevated 180 degrees rotation on green water at an angle greater than 45 degrees, clear of the foam pile, where the competitor rotates around the bow of the boat, which becomes airborne for part of the move
    0.2
    		 Pirouette (must land upright) 360 degree rotation at an elevation greater than 70 degrees, on the bow or stern
    0.2
    		 Clean spin (counts one way only, no paddle or hand touch) 360-degree rotation of the boat with one stroke at a 0-45 degree angle.
    0.4
    		 Super Clean Spin (counts left and right) 360 degree rotation of the boat with no stroke at a 0-44 degree angle
    0.2
    		 Cartwheel (counts left and right, (two ends minimum.) Two consecutive ends in the same rotational direction, with both ends at an angle greater than 45 degrees
    0.6
    		 Clean Cartwheel (counts left and right, no paddle or hand touch) Two consecutive ends in the same rotational direction, with one stroke, and both ends at an angle greater than 45 degrees
    1.0
    		 Super Clean Cartwheel (counts left and right, minimum two ends linked no paddle or hand touch) Two consecutive ends in the same rotational direction, with no stroke, and both ends at an angle greater than 45 degrees
    0.6
    		 Split wheel (counts left and right, one end must be vertical) Two consecutive ends, with a change of direction in between each. One end of more than 45 degrees, and one with more than 70 degrees
    1.2
    		 Loop (back/front or front/back) Two consecutive ends over 70 degrees where the boat remains at a right angle to the direction water flow
    0.6 -1.4
    		 Trophy Move A spectacular new move.

    Definitions to the table above:

    Cartwheels: To score as a variety point, cartwheels (left and right) cannot include the ends of a split wheel as one of the two ends. If a split wheel has already been awarded for variety in that run, the ends will count as part of the Cartwheel Variety Score. This only applies to Variety Judges. In other words, if a competitor does a left-right Split linked to just one end to the right, the first time they do it successfully, they get variety for Split wheel but not for right Cartwheel. The second time they do it, they get variety for right Cartwheel. Of course, if they do a left-right Split linked to two ends to the right, they get variety for both Split and right Cartwheel. If the extra end happens before the Split, the Split is still counted for variety and the Cartwheel is not (until the split wheel has been counted for variety). The Split wheel therefore takes precedent over Cartwheels. All moves are scored both ways.

    To score variety, Cartwheels must have two consecutive ends that are at least 45° elevated. Clean Spin means one half of the 360 is without the blade in the water. In C-1 and OC-1 the blade must be out of the water for one of the 180's to count as Clean (using one stroke that continues across the bow does not count as Clean). Aerial Blunts are usually Clean (no stroke on the second end). They couldn't count for both Clean Cartwheel

    6.3 Style Score

    This is a subjective score given by each Variety judge following each run.

    0, 5 or 10 points are allocated for each ride which results in multiplication of the total score of this run by 1.00, 1.05, or 1.10, respectively.

    The emphasis is on:

    • Boat control, timing and rhythm.
    • Use of the wave (more points are given for using all features of the wave/hole).
    • Artistic impression, choreography.

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