While the stories of high water in the 2024 season are still being shared, the water has quickly begun to drop. This has been a sigh of relief for many highwater gorge guides taking commercial rafting trips and a shimmer of light for play boaters patiently waiting for the surf wave at River Station to finally catch us again. The late night hour long high water Gorge laps will be missed but the surfing community in Cañon City welcomes back the play waves that so far have been washed out. In particular, the return of the play waves brings the focus to the 2024 Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival (RGWF), being hosted at Centennial Park on July 26-July 27.
Every year, guides return to Cañon City to share what they love with people who have grown up in the whitewater community, people who have grown to love the river, or those people who found themselves in the right place at the right time. The sides of the Centennial Park play waves are lined with people, vendors, and live music. Scattered amongst the crowds are surfboards, rafts, and kayaks. Guides come from upstream, creeks, and all over Colorado to celebrate the Arkansas River itself and the community that gets to express themselves in the play waves and above. The RGWF is a place where people with all different types of experience levels can participate, or be entertained by a wide variety of different events. From the SUP Parade to the Gorge Race to the Build Your Own Boat event and finally to the Raft Rodeo, there is something for everybody.
History of RG RIO and the RGWF
Established in 2009, the Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival initially began as a fundraiser for the community of Cañon City as well as to benefit the Royal Gorge RIO organization. Not only did it benefit the causes that Royal Gorge RIO represents and the surrounding river community, it also helped to establish the formation of the Whitewater Park that is now a staple in the Cañon City community. Prior to 2010, there wasn’t a play wave in Centennial Park. Robin Beals, a local to the Cañon City community and an avid boater describes the growth of Centennial Park, “The riverbank used to be filled with metal and it wasn’t a great look for the town which added to people being notoriously afraid of the river. The establishment and fundraising of the RGWF created a safer, more accessible riverfront for people.” The creation of the play wave gave local Cañon City residents a safer place to learn and swim in the river, while also creating a place for raft guides and boaters to express themselves and play on a wave right in town. The RGWF was a place where these two groups of people could come together to celebrate the park, town, and river.
Not only is the RGWF a place for fun and competition, it is also a place to bring a wide range of educational opportunities for the Cañon City river community. Royal Gorge RIO stresses the importance of taking this community event as a place to promote river safety, “Through our participation in the RGWF, Royal Gorge RIO strives to enhance the overall festival experience for participants and spectators alike. By promoting water safety, providing educational resources, and advocating for river conservation, we’re committed to making the festival a memorable and meaningful event for everyone involved,” (Royal Gorge RIO). While Royal Gorge RIO began as a fundraiser for the play wave, it has grown to be an organization doing a lot to promote river safety and continued restoration and conservation of the river.
Raft Rodeo
While there are a multitude of events to choose from, there is one event that does tend to create more attention than others, this is the classic Raft Rodeo competition. In the weeks leading up to the RGWF, rodeo competitors can be found getting ready for one of the more competitive competitions of the season. The Raft Rodeo consists of intermediate to advanced boaters, all competing to stay in the surf for as long as they can, while also proving themselves to be entertaining to the crowd. This event creates excitement as the crowd reaction is one of the judges. As the years have gone by, competitors have noticed how much the Raft Rodeo has grown and how it continues to get bigger and bigger every year. John-O Crawford, a local and competitor in the Raft Rodeo describes what makes it the competition he always comes back to, “It’s gotta be the surfing, it’s really fun. And everyone is just sharing the moment, the crowd is great but it’s really just getting to be in the moment in the surf and share it with everyone around you.” This event is an opportunity for boaters to share the spark that boating gives them with the community. The Raft Rodeo is an event for the people! Judged by both the crowd and a few judges, it will take place on July 27th at 6:15 PM.
Events and Vendors
Not only can you enjoy events on the water, you can also enjoy a multitude of land events. Live music will be held in the park both Friday and Saturday night, as well as the Centennial Park Riverfront being lined with local vendors. Whether you’ve worked up an appetite from the day's events or are just looking forward to another opportunity to see the local artists booths, there is something for everybody.
Amongst the fun of the events, River Station Gear (RSG) is also adding to the excitement. This upcoming 2024 RGWF is also the marker of the RSG TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY! And to celebrate we have some very exciting things in store. Not only will we be having our own tent with all of our new and more well known merchandise, we will also be releasing some of our limited amount of new hoodies and dresses that have been redesigned to be made out of recycled materials. Ranging from throw bags to fleece wear, we will be both down by the water and at our new storefront location if you’re looking for more. Not only are we selling our gear, we will also be celebrating by giving away door prizes and even a duckie! And we would love for you to be a part of the celebration so make sure to stop by!
The Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival will take place on July 26-27 2024.
Sources:
Beals, Robin. Interview with Author. 18 July 2024
Crawford, John-O. Interview with Author. 18 July 2024
Royal Gorge RIO: Canon City’s River Based Non Profit. About Royal Gorge RIO. https://www.royalgorgerio.org/about. Accessed 12 July 2024.
The Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival. About RGWF. https://www.royalgorgewhitewaterfestival.com/. Accessed 12 July 2024.
Written by: Sam Mckiernan