# List of artificial whitewater courses

The first whitewater slalom race took place on the Aar River in Switzerland in 1933. The early slalom courses were all set in natural rivers, but when whitewater slalom became an Olympic sport for the first time, at the 1972 Munich Games, the venue was the world's first concrete-channel artificial whitewater course, the Eiskanal in Augsburg. All Olympic whitewater slalom competitions have taken place in artificial courses, which now exist in 16 countries on five continents.
Streambed slalom courses still outnumber concrete channels, but most international competition takes place in the more controlled environment of an artificial course. The standard parameters for such a course, patterned on the Olympic model, are a length of about 300 metres (980 ft), a slope of 2% (20 m/km [110 ft/mi]), and a flow rate of 17 cubic metres per second (600 cu ft/s). Within those parameters, designs vary. Water diversion features can be natural rocks, shaped concrete boulders and wing dams, plastic bollards, wooden dams, or truck tires. Channel walls can be straight or slanted, and smooth or cobbled. The floor of the channel may have raised turbulence generators to slow the water speed. The course may be a single straight channel, parallel channels, one or more loops, or a figure-8.
Download coordinates as:
* KML
* GPX (all coordinates)
* GPX (primary coordinates)
* GPX (secondary coordinates)
Water can be supplied by diversion from a nearby river, tidal current, electric pumps, or a combination. The expense of operation is largely dependent on the water source. A single channel on the Olympic model — a six-metre (20 ft) drop at 17 m³/s — represents one megawatt of energy, either supplied by pumps or sacrificed in the case of diversion around a hydroelectric generator. Ironically, diversion is often more expensive than pumping if the diverted water would have made a bigger drop inside the hydroelectric facility. The extreme example of this is the Ocoee Whitewater Center where water must bypass a 96-metre (315 ft) drop in a dam, tunnel, and penstock, in order to water the 9-meter drop of the whitewater course.
Most artificial whitewater courses cover their operating costs by charging passengers for guided raft rides. Canoe and kayak slalom training and competition do not generate enough revenue.
The four riverbed courses on this list are all extensively engineered and used for major competitions. Ocoee is no longer used for slalom, but it was the 1996 Olympic venue. The other courses on the list have concrete channels, often built in former industrial canals or mill races. Every city that hosts a summer Olympics is now expected to build a spectacular new whitewater stadium, usually powered by electric pumps. The Lee Valley White Water Centre, constructed for the London 2012 Summer Olympics, cost £31million.
In the table below, the location of each facility for which there is no Wikipedia article is noted in the Comment column. If the facility is more than two years old, there is often a good satellite or aerial (bird's eye) picture available via the link.
Artificial whitewater canoe/kayak slalom courses — grouped by country — listed by completion date :
| | | | | | | Slope | Streamflow | |
| Date | Course name | Location | Water source | Power source | Shape | ft/mi (m/km) | cu ft/s (m³/s) | Comment |
| Australia |||||||||
| 2000 | Penrith Whitewater Stadium | Penrith | Penrith Lakes | Pumped | Loop | 91 (17) | 494 (14) | 2000 Olympics Sydney |
| 1974 | Brady's Lake Slalom Course | Bradys Lake, Tasmania | Bronte Lagoon | Dam release, Natural modified | Riverbed | 106 (20) | 918 (26) | 42°13′43″S 146°29′40″E﻿ / ﻿42.2286°S 146.4945°E﻿ / -42.2286; 146.4945﻿ (Brady's Lake Slalom Course) |
| Austria |||||||||
| 2013 | Vienna Watersports Arena | Vienna | New Danube | Pumped | Loop | 79 (15) | 424 (12) | 48°11′36″N 16°27′43″E﻿ / ﻿48.1934°N 16.4619°E﻿ / 48.1934; 16.4619﻿ (Vienna Watersports Arena) |
| Brazil |||||||||
| 2006 | Itaipu Slalom Course | Foz do Iguaçu | Itaipu Lake, Paraná River | Flow diversion & Pumped | Loop | 115 (22) | 441 (13) | 25°25′55″S 54°34′52″W﻿ / ﻿25.432°S 54.581°W﻿ / -25.432; -54.581﻿ (Itaipu Slalom Course) |
| 2015 | Deodoro Olympic Whitewater Stadium | Rio de Janeiro | city water | Pumped | 2 Loops | 95 (18) | 420 (12) | 2016 Olympics Rio de Janeiro |
| Canada |||||||||
| – | Canoe Meadows Race Course | Kananaskis | Kananaskis River | Dam release, Natural modified | Linear | – | (27–31) Normal | 51°03′18″N 115°01′08″W﻿ / ﻿51.054965°N 115.018834°W﻿ / 51.054965; -115.018834﻿ (Canoe Meadows Race Course) |
| – | Minden Wild Water Preserve | Minden, Ontario | Gull River | Dam release, Natural modified | Riverbed, Maintained | – | 825–1650 (25–50) | 2015 Pan-Am Games |
| – | Pumphouse Tailrace | Ottawa | Ottawa River | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 45°25′01″N 75°42′40″W﻿ / ﻿45.417°N 75.711°W﻿ / 45.417; -75.711﻿ (Pumphouse Tailrace) |
| – | Rutherford Whitewater Park | Whistler | Rutherford Creek | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 50°16′26″N 122°52′01″W﻿ / ﻿50.274°N 122.867°W﻿ / 50.274; -122.867﻿ (Rutherford Whitewater Park) |
| China |||||||||
| 2004 | Whitewater Stadium of Nanjing | Nanjing | Xuanwu Lake | Pumped | Loop | 79 (15) | 565 (16) | 32°03′54″N 118°48′36″E﻿ / ﻿32.065°N 118.81°E﻿ / 32.065; 118.81﻿ (Whitewater Stadium of Nanjing) |
| 2007 | Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park | Shunyi | Chaobai River | Pumped | Loop | 110 (21) | – | 2008 Olympics Beijing |
| 2007 | Xiasi Canoe Slalom Course | Xiasi | Qingshui River | Flow diversion | Linear | 102 (19) | 424 (12) | 26°31′37″N 107°48′14″E﻿ / ﻿26.527°N 107.804°E﻿ / 26.527; 107.804﻿ (Xiasi Canoe Slalom Course) |
| 2007 | Rizhao Canoe Slalom Course | Rizhao | Rizhao Harbor | Pumped | Loop | – | – | 35°25′05″N 119°33′40″E﻿ / ﻿35.418°N 119.561°E﻿ / 35.418; 119.561﻿ (Rizhao Canoe Slalom Course) |
| | Miyi Canoe Slalom Training Base | Miyi | Peace River | Flow diversion | Linear | 119 (23) | 494 (14) | 26°54′22″N 102°07′01″E﻿ / ﻿26.906°N 102.117°E﻿ / 26.906; 102.117﻿ (Miyi Canoe Slalom Training Base) |
| Czech Republic |||||||||
| 1983 | Prague-Troja Canoeing Centre | Prague-Troja | Vltava | Flow diversion | Linear | 63 (12) | 565 (16) | 50°06′47″N 14°25′30″E﻿ / ﻿50.113°N 14.425°E﻿ / 50.113; 14.425﻿ (Prague-Troja Canoeing Centre) |
| – | České Vrbné Slalom Course | České Budějovice | Vltava | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 49°00′47″N 14°27′07″E﻿ / ﻿49.013°N 14.452°E﻿ / 49.013; 14.452﻿ (Ceske Vrbne Slalom Course) |
| 1984 | Veltrusy Slalom Course | Veltrusy | Vltava | Flow diversion | Linear | 53.50 (10) | 353 (10) | 50°16′37″N 14°18′54″E﻿ / ﻿50.277°N 14.315°E﻿ / 50.277; 14.315﻿ (Veltrusy Slalom Course) |
| – | Trnávka Slalom Course | Želiv | Trnava | Flow diversion | Linear | 86(16) | 424(12) | 49°31′26″N 15°13′08″E﻿ / ﻿49.524°N 15.219°E﻿ / 49.524; 15.219﻿ (Trnávka Slalom Course) |
| – | Roudnice nad Labem | Roudnice nad Labem | Elbe | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 50°25′44″N 14°15′36″E﻿ / ﻿50.429°N 14.260°E﻿ / 50.429; 14.260﻿ (Roudnice nad Labem) |
| – | USD Opava | Opava | Opava (river) | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 49°57′28″N 17°53′08″E﻿ / ﻿49.9577°N 17.8856°E﻿ / 49.9577; 17.8856﻿ (Opava) |
| Proposed | Zdiměřice Whitewater Park | Zdiměřice | | Pumped | Loop | – | – | 49°59′17″N 14°31′41″E﻿ / ﻿49.988°N 14.528°E﻿ / 49.988; 14.528﻿ (Zdiměřice Whitewater Park) |
| France |||||||||
| 1988 | Épinal Slalom Course | Épinal | Moselle River | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 48°10′23″N 6°26′46″E﻿ / ﻿48.173°N 6.446°E﻿ / 48.173; 6.446﻿ (Épinal Slalom Course) |
| 1992 | Lannion Whitewater Stadium | Lannion | Leguer River | Flow diversion, Tidal | Linear | 47 (9) | 530 (15) | 48°43′44″N 3°27′32″W﻿ / ﻿48.729°N 3.459°W﻿ / 48.729; -3.459﻿ (Lannion Whitewater Stadium) |
| 1992 | Parc des Eaux Vives | Huningue | Rhine River | Flow diversion | Loop | 75 (14) | 353 (10) | 47°35′24″N 7°34′55″E﻿ / ﻿47.590°N 7.582°E﻿ / 47.590; 7.582﻿ (Parc des Eaux Vives) |
| 1993 | L'Argentière-la-Bessée | L'Argentière-la-Bessée | Durance River | Natural flow | Riverbed | 47 (9) | 2470 (70) | 44°46′48″N 6°33′36″E﻿ / ﻿44.780°N 6.560°E﻿ / 44.780; 6.560﻿ (L'Argentière-la-Bessée) |
| 1996 | St Laurent Whitewater Stadium | St Laurent | Scarpe River | Gravity, Pumped | Linear | 86 (16) | 424 (12) | 50°17′53″N 2°48′14″E﻿ / ﻿50.298°N 2.804°E﻿ / 50.298; 2.804﻿ (St Laurent Whitewater Stadium) |
| 1997 | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Isère River | Dam release | Riverbed | 184 (35) | 883 (25) | 45°36′11″N 6°45′58″E﻿ / ﻿45.603°N 6.766°E﻿ / 45.603; 6.766﻿ (Bourg-Saint-Maurice) |
| 1997 | Nancy Whitewater Stadium | Nancy | Meurthe River | Flow diversion | Linear | 72 (14) | 706 (20) | 48°41′38″N 6°12′04″E﻿ / ﻿48.694°N 6.201°E﻿ / 48.694; 6.201﻿ (Nancy Whitewater Stadium) |
| 1999 | Cesson-Sévigné Whitewater Stadium | Cesson-Sévigné | Vilaine River | Gravity, Pumped | V-shape | 39 (7) | 424 (12) | 48°06′54″N 1°36′25″W﻿ / ﻿48.115°N 1.607°W﻿ / 48.115; -1.607﻿ (Cesson-Sévigné Whitewater Stadium) |
| 2000 | Cergy Whitewater Stadium | Cergy | Oise River | Pumped | Loop | 103 (20) | 565 (16) | 49°01′44″N 2°03′07″E﻿ / ﻿49.029°N 2.052°E﻿ / 49.029; 2.052﻿ (Cergy Whitewater Stadium) |
| 2000 | Millau Whitewater Course | Millau | Tarn River | Flow diversion | Linear | 31.5 (6) | 565 (16) | 44°05′36″N 3°04′44″E﻿ / ﻿44.0934°N 3.079°E﻿ / 44.0934; 3.079﻿ (Millau Whitewater Course) |
| – | Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf-Paradise | Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf | Rhône River | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 45°22′44″N 4°45′19″E﻿ / ﻿45.379°N 4.7554°E﻿ / 45.379; 4.7554﻿ (Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf-Paradise) |
| – | Isle de la Serre | Sault-Brénaz | Rhône River | Flow diversion | S-shape | – | – | 45°50′56″N 5°24′50″E﻿ / ﻿45.849°N 5.414°E﻿ / 45.849; 5.414﻿ (Isle de la Serre) |
| – | Slalom Ardèche | Vallon-Pont-d'Arc | Ardèche River | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 44°23′56″N 4°23′06″E﻿ / ﻿44.399°N 4.385°E﻿ / 44.399; 4.385﻿ (Slalom Ardèche) |
| 2008 | Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium | Pau | Gave de Pau | Flow diversion | Loop | 94 (18) | 494 (14) | 43°17′10″N 0°21′29″W﻿ / ﻿43.286°N 0.358°W﻿ / 43.286; -0.358﻿ (Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium) |
| 2008 | Châteauneuf Whitewater Sports | Châteauneuf-sur-Cher | Cher River | Diversion, Pumped | 110 meter Loop | 58 (11) | 459 (13) | 46°51′22″N 2°19′12″E﻿ / ﻿46.856°N 2.320°E﻿ / 46.856; 2.320﻿ (Châteauneuf Whitewater Sports) |
| 2013 | Sainte Suzanne Whitewater Stadium | Sainte Suzanne, Réunion Island | Sainte Suzanne River | Pumped | 250 meter loop | 63 (12) | 420 (12) | 20°54′47″S 55°36′54″E﻿ / ﻿20.913°S 55.615°E﻿ / -20.913; 55.615﻿ (Sainte Suzanne Whitewater Stadium) |
| 2019 | Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium | Vaires-sur-Marne | Marne River | Pumped | 300 meter Loop | | | 2024 Olympics Paris |
| 2022 | Base Nautique: Natur'O Vive | Épinal | Moselle River | Pumped | S-shape | 79 (15) | 420 (12) | 48°11′10″N 6°26′35″E﻿ / ﻿48.186°N 6.443°E﻿ / 48.186; 6.443﻿ (Épinal Pumped Slalom Course) |
| Germany |||||||||
| 1971 | Augsburg Eiskanal | Augsburg | Lech River | Flow diversion | Linear | 79 (15) | 353 (10) | 1972 Olympics Munich |
| 2006 | Kanupark Markkleeberg | Leipzig | Markkleeberger See | Pumped | 2 Loops | 111 (21) | 494 (14) | |
| Greece |||||||||
| 2004 | Heleniko Whitewater Stadium | Athens | Gulf of Athens | Pumped | Figure-8 | – | 618 (18) | 2004 Olympics Athens |
| 2008 | Evinos River Slalom Course | Nafpaktos | Evinos River | Diversion | 520 meter Linear | 53 (10) | 530 (15) | 38°27′14″N 21°42′29″E﻿ / ﻿38.454°N 21.708°E﻿ / 38.454; 21.708﻿ (Evinos River Slalom Course) |
| Italy |||||||||
| 2007 | Ivrea Whitewater Stadium | Ivrea | Dora Baltea River | Flow diversion | Linear | 168 (32) | 706 (20) | 45°27′50″N 7°52′30″E﻿ / ﻿45.464°N 7.875°E﻿ / 45.464; 7.875﻿ (Ivrea Whitewater Stadium) |
| Japan |||||||||
| 2019 | Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre | Tokyo | | Pumped | Linear/Lift | 103 (20) | 424 (12) | 2021 Olympics Tokyo |
| Macedonia |||||||||
| | Skopje Slalom Canoeing Center | Skopje | Treska | In stream, Dam release | Linear | | | 41°57′29″N 21°17′46″E﻿ / ﻿41.958°N 21.296°E﻿ / 41.958; 21.296﻿ (Skopje Slalom Canoeing Center) |
| Mexico |||||||||
| | Union de Tula | Union de Tula | Rio Ayuquila | Dam Release | Altered stream | | | 19°57′36″N 104°22′16″W﻿ / ﻿19.960°N 104.371°W﻿ / 19.960; -104.371﻿ (Union de Tula) |
| New Zealand |||||||||
| 27 April 2016 | Vector Wero Whitewater Park | Wiri, Auckland, New Zealand | | Pumped | | 79 (15) | | 36°59′53″S 174°53′17″E﻿ / ﻿36.998°S 174.888°E﻿ / -36.998; 174.888﻿ (Vector Wero Whitewater Park) |
| Poland |||||||||
| 2003 | Krakow-Kolna Canoe Slalom Course | Kraków | Vistula River | Diversion | Linear | – | – | 50°01′55″N 19°49′30″E﻿ / ﻿50.032°N 19.825°E﻿ / 50.032; 19.825﻿ (Krakow-Kolna Canoe Slalom Course) |
| Russia |||||||||
| 2008 | Okulovka Whitewater Canal | Okulovka, Novgorod Oblast | Peretna River | Dam release, Natural modified | S-shape | 100 (10) | 309 (30) | 58°24′40″N 33°17′47″E﻿ / ﻿58.411°N 33.2965°E﻿ / 58.411; 33.2965﻿ (Okulovka Whitewater Canal) |
| Slovakia |||||||||
| 1978 | Ondrej Cibak Whitewater Slalom Course | Liptovský Mikuláš | Vah River | Diversion | Parallel Linear | 113 (21) | 530 (15) | 49°04′26″N 19°37′08″E﻿ / ﻿49.074°N 19.619°E﻿ / 49.074; 19.619﻿ (Ondrej Cibak Whitewater Slalom Course) |
| 1996 | Cunovo Water Sports Centre | Bratislava | Danube River | Diversion | 2 Loops | 98 (19) | 777 (22) | |
| Slovenia |||||||||
| 1990 | Tacen Whitewater Course | Ljubljana | Sava River | Dam Spillway, Tailrace | Linear | – | 989 (28) | |
| Spain |||||||||
| 1991 | Segre Olympic Park | La Seu d'Urgell | Segre River | Flow diversion, Pumped | 2 Loops | 114 (22) | 618 (17.5) | 1992 Olympics Barcelona |
| 2008 | El Canal de Aguas Bravas | Zaragoza | Ebro River | Pumped | Loop | 101 (19) | 424 (12) | Expo 2008 |
| 2012 | Parc del Mig Segre | Ponts | Segre River | Dam release, Natural flow | Linear | 13 (4) | 1272 (36) | 41°55′22″N 1°10′58″E﻿ / ﻿41.9228°N 1.1829°E﻿ / 41.9228; 1.1829﻿ (Parc del Mig Segre) 300-meter course |
| Sweden |||||||||
| 2019 | Falu Vildvattenpark | Falun | [] | Pumped | | | | 60°35′30″N 15°38′49″E﻿ / ﻿60.591709°N 15.646838°E﻿ / 60.591709; 15.646838 |
| United Arab Emirates |||||||||
| 2012 | Al Ain Adventure | Al Ain | | Pumped | 3 loops | | | 24°05′46″N 55°44′24″E﻿ / ﻿24.096°N 55.740°E﻿ / 24.096; 55.740﻿ (Wadi Adventure) |
| United Kingdom |||||||||
| 1981 | Canolfan Tryweryn | Bala, Gwynedd | Llyn Celyn / Afon Tryweryn | Dam release | Riverbed | – | 350 (10) | 52°56′49″N 3°39′05″W﻿ / ﻿52.94705°N 3.65137°W﻿ / 52.94705; -3.65137﻿ (Canolfan Tryweryn) 1000-meter course |
| 1982 | Cardington Slalom Course | Bedford | River Great Ouse | Flow diversion | Linear | 60 (11) | 530 (15) | 52°07′37″N 0°25′44″W﻿ / ﻿52.127061°N 0.428897°W﻿ / 52.127061; -0.428897﻿ (Cardington Slalom Course) 150-meter course |
| 1986 | Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre | Nottingham | River Trent | Flow diversion | Linear | 30 (5.7) | 883 (25) | 52°56′44″N 1°05′27″W﻿ / ﻿52.94569°N 1.09074°W﻿ / 52.94569; -1.09074﻿ (Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre) 500-meter course |
| 1999 | Nene Whitewater Centre | Northampton | River Nene | Flow diversion, Pumped | Loop | – | – | 52°13′43″N 0°52′06″W﻿ / ﻿52.2285°N 0.8684°W﻿ / 52.2285; -0.8684﻿ (Nene Whitewater Centre) 300-meter course |
| 1995 | Tees Barrage International White Water Course | Stockton-on-Tees | River Tees | Flow diversion, Pumped | Loop | 53 (10) | 353 (10) | 54°33′56″N 1°17′08″W﻿ / ﻿54.56545°N 1.28565°W﻿ / 54.56545; -1.28565﻿ (Tees Barrage International White Water Course) 250-meter course |
| 2010 | Cardiff International White Water | Cardiff | fully enclosed | Pumped | 1½ Loops | | 565 (16) | 51°26′55″N 3°10′55″W﻿ / ﻿51.44864°N 3.18186°W﻿ / 51.44864; -3.18186﻿ (Cardiff International White Water) 250-meter course |
| 2010 | Lee Valley White Water Centre | London | Groundwater | Pumped | 2 Loops | 88 (17) | 460 (13) | 2012 Olympics London |
| 2014 | Pinkston Watersports | Glasgow | Forth and Clyde Canal | Pumped | 2 Loops | 79 (15) | 247 (7) | 55°52′23″N 4°14′56″W﻿ / ﻿55.873°N 4.249°W﻿ / 55.873; -4.249﻿ (Pinkston Watersports) 100-meter course |
| United States |||||||||
| 1984 | East Race Waterway | South Bend IN | St. Joseph River | Flow diversion | Linear | 33 (6) | 500 (14) | 41°40′34″N 86°14′42″W﻿ / ﻿41.676°N 86.245°W﻿ / 41.676; -86.245﻿ (East Race Waterway) |
| 1991 | Dickerson Whitewater Course | Dickerson MD | Potomac River | Pumped | Linear | 91 (17) | 600 (17) | Heated water |
| 1996 | Ocoee Whitewater Center | Ducktown TN | Ocoee River | Dam release | Riverbed | 99 (19) | 1560 (44) | 1996 Olympics Atlanta |
| 2006 | U.S. National Whitewater Center | Charlotte NC | city tap water | Pumped | 2 Loops | 113 (21) | 550 (16) | |
| 2007 | Adventure Sports Center International | McHenry MD | Deep Creek Lake | Pumped | Loop | 91 (17) | 550 (16) | |
| 2010 | Marge Cline Whitewater Course | Yorkville, IL | Fox River | Flow Diversion | Linear | | | 41°38'33.8"N 88°26'35.1"W |
| 2016 | Riversport Rapids | Oklahoma City OK | city tap water | Pumped | 2 Loops | – | | 2028 Olympics Los Angeles |
| 1974 | Wausau Whitewater Park | Wausau WI | Wisconsin River | Dam Release | River Bed | – | 650 | 44°57′27″N 89°37′59″W﻿ / ﻿44.957495°N 89.633055°W﻿ / 44.957495; -89.633055﻿ (Wausau Whitewater Park) |
| 2023 | Montgomery Whitewater | Montgomery, AL | Man made reservoir | Pumped | Dual Channel Whitewater Course and Flat Water | | | |
| Note: Slope and Streamflow numbers refer only to the 300-meter section used for Olympic-style slalom training and competition. |||||||||
* ↑ William T. Endicott, Slalom E-Book, p2 Archived 29 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
* ↑ "Rapids of Rockies come to Herts for 2012 Olympic canoeists," Matthew Beard, London Evening Standard, 24 May, 2010 Archived 5 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine retrieved: 16 December 2010
* ↑ "Brady's Lake Slalom Course Information". Paddle TAS. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
* ↑ "Gull River Whitewater Park". Whitewater Ontario River-Wiki. Whitewater Ontario. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
* ↑ "Whitewater park opens in south Auckland". Auckland Council. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
* ↑ "Whitewater park years in the making opens". The New Zealand Herald. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
* ↑ "History of the National White Water Centre". National White Water Centre. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
* ↑ "Marge Cline Whitewater Course". Yorkville, IL. Retrieved 17 August 2020.