In 2013, Uptown Columbus Inc. led the river restoration project by removing two dams and developing a whitewater course for outdoor enthusiasts.  In addition to supercharging the community’s economic development efforts, the $26 million project made Uptown a mecca for outdoor recreation, especially freestyle kayaking.  

With the GoodWave rapid gaining international acclaim, Columbus became a destination for the freestyle kayaker community.  Columbus began hosting regional and national kayak competitions.  Uptown achieved worldwide recognition in 2021 when the International Canoe Federation selected the community to host the 2022 World Cups and the 2023 World Championships.  

After hosting these two Olympic-caliber competitions, Uptown’s next step was to start an annual competition for national and international paddlers.  Named the Columbus Cup, this inaugural event attracted freestyle kayakers from across North America last year.  The competition is also one of the few that offers a purse for the winners.

Uptown is now working on the 2025 Columbus Cup.  To leverage the branding already associated with the long-running River Festival and better deploy staff and volunteer resources, the Columbus Cup is set for April 11th and 12th to help lead into the festival.  The Columbus Cup will kick off with an informal “Paddle with the Pros” event for local kayakers of all skill levels to interact with competitors.  The competition will then take place on Saturday. For more information on the event visit www.alwaysuptown.com/the-columbus-cup 

In planning the 2025 Columbus Cup, the Uptown leadership team worked with the American Canoe Federation’s Freestyle Committee to identify a suitable date.  We also engaged key competitors about the competition and its operations.  Uptown has already secured Waveshaper Island and has submitted various permits to host the competition.  We will use the graphic package developed last year.

Uptown is also looking to the future.  We anticipate forging relationships with the Montgomery Whitewater Center and the Nantahala Outdoor Center to create a month-long series with stops at each site.  Competitors would accumulate points for participating in each competition.  The ultimate winner of the series would be crowned after the series.  Uptown hopes to unveil this event in 2026.