The United States will send 17 of its best freestyle kayakers to compete against the world’s best this August on an idyllic playhole in Tune, Switzerland.
The questions is: Which 17?

Eric Jackson, 44, and his 19-year-old daughter Emily will soak up two of those spots, thanks to the world championships each won on Ottawa’s Buseater Wave two years ago. But the other 15 will go to the competitors who can amass the most points in the 60-second format.

Nearly 300 of the nation’s most devoted freestylers converged on Glenwood Springs, Colorado’s $1 million wave last week to train for the May 30 to May 31 competition that will determine who will wear the red, white and blue.  

Stephen Wright, who won the Reno River Festival’s freestyle crown back on May 9 is a favorite. And so is perennial red-ribboner Andrew Holcomb, arguably the best all-around kayaker in the world.

Jackson also said Clay Wright and Alex Mohm had a reasonable shot at making the team. Wright is 42 and has paddled since 1975. He’s already been on the U.S. Team several times.

The women’s favorites display the consistency of dominance enjoyed by a few women: Devon Barker, Jesse Stone, defending world champion Ruth Gordon, Tanya Faux, Elaine Campbell.

The category that demonstrates where freestyle kayaking has grown most is the junior men’s. Sixty boys will be vying for four spots. Foremost amongst them is Jason Craig and Dane Jackson. But the entire field is full of contenders.

“If the juniors competed in the senior class, the senior class would be a different team,” said Eric Jackson, defending world champion and co-owner of Jackson Kayak.

This is the first time Glenwood Springs has hosted a major freestyle event. Although the limited parking has forced paddlers to rely on periodic shuttles, the river, which as of May 27 is running at 13,000 cfs, has transformed the G-Wave into a did-you-see-my-last-ride kind of feature.

“It looks really good,” Jackson said. “It’s got a nice green runway. It’s really wide, but not huge. It’s an overhead wave. Maybe five or six feet tall. Good enough to throw air moves.”

It’s so good, Stand-up Paddleboarders are on the other side of the river, surfing it.
Organizers are expecting roughly 2,000 spectators for this team-defining event, roughly 40,000 fewer than showed up at the Reno River Festival.

But because of what this weekend will mean, no competition will be more significant this year.
“For an athlete, it’s the biggest event of the year,” Jackson said.
 

Images: From top to bottom: Andrew Holcomb, Ruth Gordon, Jason Craig