The best freestyle paddlers in the world will flock to the Chattahoochee Valley to compete in the ICF Kayak Freestyle World Championships, the pinnacle of the ICF freestyle events, during October 9 - 14, 2023, at RushSouth Whitewater Park in Uptown Columbus. We look forward to welcoming 300+ of the world’s best freestylers from more than 20 countries to compete in various freestyle kayaking events.

Sanctioned by the International Canoe Federation (ICF), these prestigious competitions are returning to North America after almost a decade.  The local Host Committee encourages everyone to come to enjoy our outdoor recreation mecca before, during, and after the competitions.

We have an amazing story to tell….

The famous Chattahoochee River is a magnificent waterway with headwaters located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.  The river flows 430 miles (690 km), eventually emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. In the 1850s, civic leaders installed dams in the river to generate hydroelectric power for the surrounding textile mills.  As these industries waned over the next century, community leaders faced a crossroads in the early 2000s.

After considerable thought and planning, we made a bold and audacious decision to remove two dams to restore natural water flows to a 2.5-mile section of the river adjacent to our urban core and make enhancements for a world-class rafting and whitewater waterway.  The river re-opened to rafters, kayakers, SUP, and other water sports in 2013.

The removal of dams also increased oxygenation levels, greatly improving the health of the river and the return of birds, fish, and natural flora.  The restoration project has been hailed for bringing the Chattahoochee River back to good health and introducing more recreational options for residents and visitors.

We then added more.  A zipline that spans over the river from Georgia to Alabama and back again.  A splash pad.  A playground. A disc golf course.  A hammock park.  A connection from the Riverwalk to the Dragonfly Trail for hiking and biking. 

These combined assets are today known as RushSouth Whitewater Park.  What sets Columbus and Phenix City apart is that all of these outdoor features are literally part of our thriving Uptown business district.  You can step out of a kayak or raft and be steps away from restaurants, pubs, hotels offices, shops, and even a home. 

Come see for yourself.  The population in Columbus is over 200,000 people and the city is located 75 miles south of Atlanta, Georgia, and its International Airport.  The area is also an easy drive from cities in Alabama, Florida, and the Carolinas.  

Area residents, who once shunned the river, now gather along the riverbanks for recreation and enjoyment. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people travel to the RushSouth Whitewater Park to participate in whitewater rafting, enjoy whitewater kayaking, go ziplining over the river or play with our other amenities - all within a walkable urban setting. Become part of this outdoor urban scene.