Each year, the King of the Alps Extreme Kayaking World Championship crowns a “king” (as you may have guessed). But, it also crowns a queen. This year, that kayaking queen was none other than GOAT kayaker Nouria Newman.
Located on the border of the Alps in Moss in Passeier, South Tyrol, Italy, the race event — one of the biggest world championships for whitewater kayaking — involves a qualifications round, quarterfinals, semifinals, and then finals.
OC1 (outrigger canoes) and packrafts also compete on the course. It was the 11th year of the event, and it ran June 1-3, 2023. The top 15 men and 10 women compete in the finals (132 men and 28 women competed this year).
The race provides an intense, 1-minute time-trial sprint course on technical class V river water, a race reserved for only the most pro kayakers in the world. After the final course, the top three men and women are then announced. But there can only be one #1 King and #1 Queen of the Alps.
This year, the champions were Zach Mutton of New Zealand and Nouria Newman of France. And the winning run is totally worth watching.
Runtime: 3 minutes
