Pacifico Kayak Cross

The Pacifico Kayak Cross is a whitewater battle royale sprint to the finish. Kayakers will race head-to-head and navigate up and downstream gates in a series of elimination rounds until the finisher is crowned.  

NEW FOR 2026: The Pacifico Kayak Cross will serve as a qualifying event for the Kayak Cross at the 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, July 20–25, 2026, in Oklahoma City. The top male and top female finishers will earn automatic qualification spots, with two additional Olympic Spirit Award spots. Oklahoma City will host the canoe slalom and kayak cross events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, connecting this qualification pathway directly to the LA28 Olympic venue.  

sunday, june 7

1:00 PM

CATEGORIES:

Open – Men
Open – Women
Nonbinary

*Minimum age to compete is 14 years old based on the athlete’s age on event day, June 7, 2026. 

mandatory equipment:

• BOATS/KAYAKS
  • Boats may not exceed 9’ in length. All boats will be measured at the start of the race.
  • Boats must be plastic, production whitewater creek boats with bulkhead footrests and appropriate grab-handles.
  • Pre-production, modified or non-creek specific boats within the standards of modern creek-specific designs may be allowed, but only with prior approval of the Race Directors.
  • If in doubt about your boat, ask Race Directors at least 24 hours in advance of the competition.
• Unsafe or excessively used equipment (such as: excessively worn PFDs, unsuitable helmets, damaged boats, spray skirts with holes, inadequate footwear, etc.) may be deemed unsuitable.

additional equipment:

• Athletes must wear their competitor bib outside their PFD at all times.
• Bibs will be collected at the end of the race.
• Rescue-certified PFDs
• Helmet
• Protective footwear
• Dry-top
• Paddling jacket or wetsuit
• Float bag
• Throw bags
• Equipment will be reviewed at check-in. The Race Director has the right to refuse any non-conforming equipment (e.g. bicycle helmets, nylon spray skirts, etc.).

FORMAT, Rules & information:

• Athletes must arrive at the put-in no less than 45 minutes before the race start time to go through a gear check, attend mandatory safety meeting, receive start times, and pick up their competition bib.
• Paddlers who lose their equipment and require a rescue of any kind and/or appear to be excessively struggling and/or swimming will be pulled from the course by the safety team. Paddlers who lose their gear and exit the river will receive a DNF.

course:

• The course is on Gore Creek between the Covered Bridge and International Bridge.
• The course will consist of 3-4 downstream gates and, where possible, 2 pairs of upstream gates.
• The two pairs of upstream gates will be set to allow the athlete to choose to negotiate either up right or up left.
• The course will contain a marked roll zone or alternative, depending on water level.
• All athletes should be aware that all competitions take place in mountain rivers which may have challenging conditions such as underwater obstacles, unseen hazards, rocks, debris and vegetation.

gate NEGOTIATION:

• The following must be satisfied for a gate to be considered correctly negotiated;
  • All gates must be negotiated in accordance with the direction established by the course map.
  • The athletes whole head and both shoulders must cross the gate line in accordance with the correct side of the gate and the course plan.
  • The paddler’s body and part of the boat must cross the imaginary line of the gate. The gate can be moved with a paddle and “batted” out of the way, however, the paddler MUST pass on the correct side of the buoy pole.
  •  The paddler must touch the International Bridge to finish
  • Athletes are permitted to touch the gates with any part of their body or equipment. Athletes are only permitted to touch the gates with their hand if that hand is holding their paddle.
  • Athletes are not permitted to move the gates with any part of their body or equipment for an unfair purpose (leading to disadvantages to another athlete). 

roll zone:

• The roll will only be performed during the Semi-Finals and Finals. 
  • No roll will be performed during the Qualifying Runs. 
• For the roll, the boat must make a complete 360-degree kayak roll within the marked area.
  • At one point, the boat must be upside down under the barrier. 

safety:

• Kayak to kayak contact is permitted.
• Athletes are permitted to reach across another athlete with their arm or paddle, making brief contact with the athlete’s body.
• Athletes are not permitted to deliberately reach across and / or hold back another Athlete with their hand, arm, or paddle.
• Purposeful paddle strokes off another athlete’s body are not permitted.
• Dangerous contact with another athlete’s head or body that may result in a personal injury is not permitted, the blade must be in the water for propulsion.
• An athlete with a broken paddle must drop back and/or complete the course alone.
• The broken end of the paddle is considered dangerous. They may drop the paddle and use their hands to finish the course. 
• In all cases the situation is assessed by the judges.

penalties:

• Athletes will receive a fault (FLT) for the following actions:
  • False start – athlete moving after the READY command but prior to, the GO command.
  • Non-negotiated gate unless renegotiated.
  • Negotiating the gate in the wrong direction.
  • For roll zone, roll not executed within the zone.
  • For roll barrier, the boat was not upside down at one point under the barrier unless renegotiated.
  • Full 360-degree roll is not completed.
• Athletes will receive a did not finish (DNF) for the following actions: 
  • Capsize. 
  • Crossing the finish line upside down. 

• An athlete will receive a DNS if they or any of their equipment fall from the start platform before the READY command. 
• Final race rules and format will be available during the safety meeting. 
• Event organizers and whitewater rescue teams are not responsible for equipment rescue and/or equipment removal from the GoPro Mountain Games whitewater courses should athletes lose their equipment during practice or competition.  
• Athletes are encouraged to use reef safe sunscreen during all competitions. 
• CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY. Prior to participation, please ensure your river gear is CLEAN of plants, mud, and debris; DRAINED of standing water; and completely DRY before your competition. Following these CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY steps and getting all watercraft properly inspected helps to protect the waters we paddle from aquatic invasive species. Learn more at www.cleanboater.org. 

location:

Race start is located riverside below the Covered Bridge in BFGoodrich Gear Town and the finish location will be at the International Bridge.

2025 RESULTS

RESULTS ARCHIVE

PRICE

EARLY BIRD PRICING // February 4 – April 1, 2026
$40

STANDARD PRICING // April 2 – May 26, 2026
$45

FOMO PRICING // May 27 – June 6, 2026
$60

ALL ATHLETES RECEIVE:

• Athlete Bag with GoPro Mountain Games gear 
• Discounted Mountains of Music tickets [All shows at The Amp] 
• 3-Day Pass to the Athlete Lounge  
• Chance to enter the UNVEIL IN VAIL daily prize giveaway 

PAYOUT

TOTAL PRIZE PURSE: $1,500

OPEN
MEN
1st – $750

WOMEN
1st – $750

PRIZES