Riverboarding is a new exciting whitewater sport that combines swimming, ocean bodyboarding, and crazy people who like to swim down whitewater rapids and over waterfalls – headfirst! Riverboarding is extreme, so boarders don protective gear from head to toe, along with wetsuits, specialized helmets, fins (for propulsion and steering) and a buoyant, oversized bodyboard with handles, known as a Riverboard. All Riverboarders will compete in one division, unless there is a minimum of 5 competitors to make up a Women’s division or an Under-16 division. The winners of the Gorge Games Riverboarding events will earn points toward the 2008 Face Level Riverboarding Championships, a year-long competition series whose eventual winner will become a fully sponsored Riverboarder and win a riverboarding trip to Costa Rica**!

Anyone with strong swimming ability and some whitewater experience (it’s ok if you are / were a raft guide, kayaker, swiftwater rescue personnel, etc) can compete in the Riverboarding events. However, because of the extreme nature of the sport of whitewater riverboarding, competitors will be required to pass a basic skills test before being allowed to compete. Racers will also be required to riverboard the race course prior to the events to familiarize themselves with the river’s features, hazards, and temperature.

** Certain Restrictions May Apply see Sports Director for details

Riverboarding Competitions
This year’s Gorge Games will feature all 4 of the primary riverboarding competition disciplines:

Slalom
Riverboarders race downriver against the clock through gates, fastest time wins*
Boardercross
Head-to-head, full-contact downriver sprint race
Extreme Downriver
A mass-start, long distance downriver endurance race
Freestyle Surfing
Bodyboarding tricks in the river, surfing on a powerful river wave

Location
The incredible White Salmon River near the towns of Husum and BZ in Washington 15 minutes from the Gorge Games Adventure Village.

Safety
Riverboarders will need to have their own gear and riverboards for the competition. It is highly recommended that racers wear the warmest wetsuit they can bring, because the White Salmon is extremely cold, even in July due to the beautiful, narrow gorge whose walls rise straight up out of the river. Please plan accordingly.

All participants will receive a Gorge Games technical tee shirt, athlete’s appreciation bag, athlete’s pass to Adventure Village , Athletes Village , all Gorge Games sporting venues and all Community events. Not to mention an experience you’ll always remember!

FAQs
Course Map