What to Expect: Six Days of Free Live Music

Need another reason to attend the biggest whitewater paddling event in years? How about free live music from some of the Asheville area's best bands? Come for the competition, do your own outdoor activities and stick around to celebrate the day alongside 200 paddling athletes from all over the planet.

See the official live music schedule below to find out who we've got lined up for your visit.

Live Music Schedule. All Shows on Main Event Stage at NOC Competition Venue:

Tuesday, September 3rd
5 PM - 8 PM The Broadcast - Rock/Neo-soul/Classic

Wednesday, September 4th
5 PM - 8 PM Chalwa - Reggae

Thursday, September 5th
5 PM - 8 PM The Fritz - Electronic Funk Rock

Friday, September 6th
4 PM - 7 PM Playing on the Planet - Contemporary Bluegrass
8 PM - 11 PM The Freight Hoppers - Bluegrass/Strings 

Saturday, September 7th
4 PM - 7 PM Buncombe Turnpike - Traditional/Contemporary Bluegrass/Gospel 
8 PM - 11 PM The Mad Tea - Rock

Sunday, Septebmer 8th
4 PM - 7 PM Unspoken Tradition - Bluegrass
8 PM - 11 PM Dirty Bourbon River Show - Folk/Rock/Blues/Jazz/Latin/Gypsy/Traditional New Orleans Styles

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Please note this is a tentative Music Schedule.  These bands will play on specified days of the week, but times may vary. Check here for a final Music Schedule for the week of the event.

2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships: Parking and Lodging Information

With thousands of spectators anticipated for the 2013 Freestyle Worlds, it's a good idea to know your parking and lodging plans before you arrive. So here's the official scoop on what to expect:

Parking
Event spectators have three options:

1) Park in the Gorge and ride a very short shuttle into the event. There are approximately 500 parking spaces with two miles of the event site. All these spaces are East (downstream) of NOC. Drive to NOC and follow directions to the nearest open spaces. Shuttles start at 9am every day and run until the end of the day's official festivities.

During the weekend and at peak times NOC will open 250 more parking space on the West (upstream) side of the Gorge. These lots are approximately five miles from NOC. When open these lots will have a flagger waving event traffic into the open lots.

There is a $5 per-vehicle per-day fee for all parking in the Nantahala Gorge. Click here for the Gorge shuttle schedule.

2) Enjoy free parking in Bryson City and take advantage of hourly shuttles to the event. Take Exit 67 off US 19/74 and head downhill into Bryson City. Follow signs to the free shuttle parking lot at the Ingles supermarket.

If the Ingles supermarket lot fills, signs and flaggers will lead you a short distance to additional parking areas.Click here for the Bryson City shuttle schedule. 

3) The coolest option: the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is offering one-way shuttle tickets to the Gorge for only $10. Guests riding the scenic railroad will park at GSMR's Bryson City parking lot, and ride the hourly NOC shuttle bus back to town when they're ready to go home.

Click here for the Bryson City shuttle schedule.

Lodging:

The World Championships has a host of official lodging sponsors offering a variety of accommodations at a full range of price points.  Click here to view your lodging options and reserve the best spots before you arrive for the event. 

2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships: Schedule of Events

Athletes from Japan, Slovakia and Britain are already in the Nantahala Gorge training for the 2013 ICF Freestyle Canoe World Championships.  This event is gearing up to be the biggest paddling event in the US since the 1996 Olympic; you definitely don't want to miss the action!

For a preview of what's to come in the competition, watch the official 2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championship Trailer here:

Competition week will be filled with live music, spectator games and mini-events. The official craft marketplace will be packed with local vendors selling authentic, handmade mountain crafts and distributing information about their products. And the Adidas Outdoor Gear Zone will feature representative from the hottest brands in paddlesports and outdoor industries like Adidas, Confluence, North Face, Columbia and more!

Below is a tentative schedule for the week of competition; go ahead and choose the dates for your visit! An official list of 2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championship Lodging Partners is available here if you're looking for a place to crash.

Event Schedule - Subject to change at Organizer's discretion

Monday, September 2

6 pm: Athlete Parade & Opening Ceremonies in Bryson City

6:45 pm: Warriors of AniKituhwa, presented by Duke Energy

7:30 - 10 pm: Live Music in Bryson City

8 pm: Big Air Show - Everett Street Bridge, Bryson City

Tuesday, September 3

11 am - 12:30 pm: Competition: Heats (K1 Men Junior)

12:30 pm: NOC Mini-Me Rodeo

2:30 - 4:30 pm: Competition: Heats (K1 Men Junior, OC1 Men)

5 - 8 pm: Live Music with The Broadcast

Wednesday, September 4

11 am - 1 pm: Competition: Heats (Squirt Women & Men)

1 pm: Wave Sport Wesser Falls Extreme Race

3 - 4:30 pm: Competition: Heats (Squirt Men, K1 Women Junior)

5 - 8 pm: Live Music with Chalwa

Thursday, September 5

11 am - 1 pm: Competition: Heats (K1 Men)

1 pm: Bomber Gear SUP Head-to-Head Race

3 - 5 pm: Competition: Heats (K1 Men)

5 pm: Dagger Dash Attainment Race

5 - 8 pm: Live Music with The Fritz

Friday, September 6

11 am - 12 pm: US Wildwater Nationals Classic Race

12 - 2 pm: Competition: Heats (C1 Men, K1 Women)

2 pm: Bomber Gear Dress for Success Challenge

3 - 4 pm: Competition: Heats (K1 Women)

4 - 7 pm: Live Music with Playing on the Planet

5 pm: Rubber Duckie Race to benefit Swain & Robbinsville High School athletic programs

6 - 7 pm: Competition: Quarterfinals (K1 Men)

7 pm: Dagger presents 8-Ball Competition thru 2013 Wave

8 - 11 pm: Live Music with The Freight Hoppers

9 - 10 pm: Competition: Quarterfinals (K1 Men)

Saturday, September 7

11 am - 12 pm: US Wildwater Nationals Sprint Race

11 am- 2 pm: Wilderness Systems Lake Demos

12 - 3:20 pm: Competition: Semifinals (Squirt Men & Women, K1 Men Junior, C1 Men)

2 pm: Wilderness Systems Challenge

3:45 pm: VIP Raft Race

5 pm: Rubber Duckie Race to benefit PAWS No-Kill Animal Shelter

4 - 7 pm: Live Music with Buncombe Turnpike

7:20 - 8 pm: Competition: Semifinals (K1 Women)

8 pm: AT Canoe Ball

8 - 11 pm: Live Music with The Mad Tea

9 - 10 pm: Competition: Semifinals (K1 Men)

Sunday, September 8

11 am - 1 pm: Competition: Finals (Squirt Women & Men, OC1 Men, K1 Women Junior)

11 am - 3 pm: Wilderness Systems Lake Demos

1 pm: Awards Ceremony

1:30 pm: Dagger presents: The RPM Stern Squirt Session

2:30 pm: Rubber Duckie Race to Benefit the Nantahala Racing Club

3 - 5 pm: Competition: Finals (K1 Men Junior, C1 Men, K1 Women, K1 Men)

4-7 pm: Live Music with Unspoken Tradition

5 pm: Awards Ceremony

5:15 pm: Closing Ceremonies

8 pm - Live Music with Dirty Bourbon River Show

For full event descriptions and event information click here. 
We hope to see you in the Nantahala Gorge for the 2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships from September 2 - 8. 

2013 Freestyle World Championships Spectator Update

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In less than two months, the biggest whitewater event in the Southeast since the 1996 Olympics comes to the Nantahala Gorge, the 2013 ICF Freestyle World Championships.  The world's top whitewater freestyle athletes will be competing from September 2nd to September 8th on the Nantahala River for thousands of spectators.  Even if you're not an athlete, get ready to enjoy a week packed full of events, entertainment and a cultural experiences.

NOC Raft Guides put on their own Mini-Me
Rodeo every Monday night at the 2013 Wave. 

Here is a sneak peek at the planned spectator events. Keep in mind that the winners of these events all get very cool prizes from event sponsors like boats, paddling gear and other outdoor equipment.

• NOC Mini-Me Rodeo - Grab a crew up to four people and hop in a small raft, also known as a mini-me. The goal of this game is to surf in the 2013 Wave as long as possible!  Scoring will be based of the length of your ride, what moves you can pull off while staying in your boat and, of course, the best carnage.
• Dagger Presents: 8-Ball through the 2013 Wave - Paddle a course from the Founders Bridge to the Driving Bridge. Watch out for tricky obstacles and black-clad kayakers deliberating getting in your way and trying to make you swim.
  
• Wilderness Systems Lake Demos and Challenge- Prefer to paddle flatwater? Head to the lake below Wesser Falls on NOC's Campus to demo a lake kayak with Wilderness Systems! After demoing a lake kayak, participate in the Wilderness Systems Challenge relay race.  Maneuver around obstacles as fast as you can to beat the other paddlers to the finish.
• Bomber Gear Dress for Success Challenge - Grab a partner and gear up for success.  This relay race will have you dress up in paddling gear, paddle across the river and back, gear back down and pass it off to your friend to do the same.  First team to finish wins!
  
• AT Canoe Ball - Adventure Technology is hosting a ball - a canoe ball of course. Grab a team and play a splashy, fun version of basketball from your boats!
• Dagger Presents: The RPM Stern Squirt Session - Test out your rodeo skills in this old-school classic: The Stern Squirt Competition!

Stern Squirt Preview

There's also going to be plenty of entertainment on shore.  From art vendors and beer gardens to shopping and live music, the World Championships will be busy with things to do and see for all ages and adventure levels!

For more event information, a full schedule and list of activities, click here.