Kali River all set to Hold the first kayaking festival – Pramod Madhwaraj
Udupi: The Kali Kayak Festival (KKF) is all set to be the first kayaking festival to be hosted in the state of Karnataka from June 2 – 4 at the Kali River in Dandeli forests in Uttar Kannada district said Pramod Madhwaraj minister for state youth service, sports and Fisheries.
He was speaking at a press meet held at the press club on Wednesday, May 31; the Kali Kayak Festival is an initiative of the Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports (DYES) tourism department of Karnataka and the General Thimayya National Academy of Adventure and Good Wave Adventures. The festival will be the fourth of its kind in India, after Malabar River Festival in Kerala, Ganga Kayak Festival, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya Kayak festivals. With the addition of this festival in the Karnataka tourism’s portfolio, it will be a great initiative to place the state of Karnataka on the world stage with respect to the adventure sports circuit.
The idea behind the festival is to showcase the potential that the state of Karnataka has for international adventure tourism and to promote paddlesports in India in order to encourage its growth amongst the youth. The festival will be held in the pristine Kali River which flows through the beautiful confines of the Dandeli forests. The Kali River which is already famous for adventure sports such as rafting, is the perfect location to conduct such a festival owning to its challenging rapids, proximity to the road and easy access to a wide range of tourist accommodation. The event will be held in Kali, which is a favourite white river rafting destination in south India. Kali kayaking festival is expected to host around 100 athletes — from beginners to those at the intermediate level to professionals.
Kali Kayaking festival competitions are divided into three categories
Beginners: To attract participants who have never kayaked before
Intermediate: To attract recreational kayakers and budding athletes
PRO: Professional kayakers from all around the world.
Competitive Events: Kayak Slalom (PRO)
This is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. It is one of the two kayak and canoeing disciplines at the Summer Olympics and is referred to by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Canoe/Kayak Slalom.
Boater Cross (PRO & Intermediate )
The boaters cross is an event that involves 4 kayakers starting together down a ramp and racing down a rapid that may also involve negotiating a few obstacles. The top two athletes from each heat qualify for the next round while the bottom two athletes are eliminated. The race usually involves some carnage and boat to boat contact, however intentional contact with the paddle of hand is not allowed.
Downriver Sprint (PRO & Intermediate)
No obstacles, no contact just pure racing. Start from the ramp and pick the fastest line through the rapid. In the Time-based event, everyone gets 2 attempts.
Team Relay (PRO & Intermediate)
Athletes will create teams amongst themselves, with a team size of 4 participants. Teams should consist of at least 2 from the athletes from the intermediate category. Those that are not allowed to form such a team will not participate and may be signed up for providing safety. The race format is standard like a standard relay with teams racing each other in boater cross style.
Team Marathon (PRO & Intermediate)
Team race involving racing down the entire 10 km white water section of the Kali river. The team formed for the relay event must remain the same and cannot be changed without explicit approval from the organisers. All four members of the team have to cross the finish line together for the race time to register. Each team will be responsible for their own safety.
To promote the adventure games in Karnataka the Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports in association with the General Thimayya National Academy of Adventure, various adventure events will be organised in 2017-18
Adventure Sports Events 2017-18 are:
Kali River Festival – 2nd – 4th June 2017.
Bangalore Bouldering Championship – 4th-5th Aug 2017.
Sailing Regatta at VVS – 26-27th Aug 2017.
Dasara Sahasothsava – 19-30th Sept 2017.
Badami Rock Festival {BAF}- 27-29th Oct 2017.
Nandi Adventure Festival – 11 Oct 2017.
Para Climbing Cup – 3rd-4th Dec 2017.
Udupi Adventure Festival -16-17th Dec 2017.
Yadgir Adventure Festival – 6th-7th Jan 2018.
Avathi Bouldering Festival- 20th-21st Jan 2018.
Asia Cup Sports Climbing Competition – 9th-10th Feb 2018.
Keerthi Pais, advisor to GETHNAA, Dr Roshan Kumar Shetty deputy director sports and youth empowerment department Udupi district were also present in the press meet.
