The Vail Recreation District partners with the Town of Vail, Eagle River Water & Sanitation District and Alpine Quest Sports to host the annual Vail Whitewater Race Series. The races will be divided between three categories, including kayak (under 9'6"), stand-up paddleboard (SUP) (under 11') and 2-person raft* (10'6" or smaller) teams with different course challenges every week. The course challenge for each event will be determined the day of the race based on river flows. 

Preregistration is highly recommended, online registration ends at 10:00 am on race day. Day-of registration will only be accepted on a space-available basis. Race day bib pickup and registration begins at 4:00 pm at the Vail Whitewater Park at International Bridge, there is a mandatory safety talk & course instructions at 5:20pm at the Covered Bridge Start Area, and all races begin at 5:30 pm.

Most races start at the Covered Bridge and end at International Bridge. The last race on June 4 will start at the Amphitheatre Bridge in Ford Park. Short-term gear drop is available at Checkpoint Charlie. Long-term parking is available in the Vail Village parking structure.

Who can participate?

The Vail Whitewater Race Series is open to all paddlers ages 16 and up and intermediate to expert abilities. The skills to run class III whitewater in your chosen craft are required. This is a fun way to track your individual performance, progress throughout the series and compete against others. All competitors are entering at their own risk.

For more information, call 970-479-2280 or email sports@vailrec.com

Register for individual races

It is highly recommended to register online. R2-Raft is limited to 24 boats per race, so sign up right away if you want to secure your spot! Online registration closes at 10:00a.m. on race day and in-person registration opens at International Bridge (except for race #5 and the Minturn Down RiverDash) at 4:00 p.m.

• Vail Whitewater Series: R2-Raft | Kayak & SUP
• May 6 - Vail Whitewater #1: R2-Raft | Kayak & SUP
• May 13 - Vail Whitewater #2: R2-Raft | Kayak & SUP
• May 20 - Vail Whitewater #3: R2-Raft | Kayak & SUP
• May 27 - Vail Whitewater #4: R2-Raft | Kayak & SUP
• June 3 - Vail Whitewater #5: R2-Raft | Kayak & SUP
• Minturn Down River Dash: R2-Raft | Kayak & SUP

If you cannot attend a race that you are registered for: Please let us know at sports@vailrec.com. This helps us open the spot up for other boaters to have a rad time and expedites making the starting order to get you on the water quicker!

Bib Pickup

Racers can pick up their bib at International Bridge (except for race #5 and the Minturn Down RiverDash) at 4:00 p.m.. R2-Rafters only need one paddler to wear the bib.

*Please note, thanks to hyside.com we have rafts for participant use in 2024. Raft registration will be limited to 24 boats.

Parking

Race #1-4: Please park at the Vail Parking Structure - parking is free! We ask that you carpool if possible, this is a great opportunity to find a Designated Driver to participate and give you their free Mountain Time Lager!

Race #5: Please park at the Ford Park Parking Lot - parking is free! We ask that you carpool if possible. The race will finish at International Bridge where we will have a shuttle to take racers back to Ford Park. You can plan your own shuttles as well if you don't want to wait for the VRD Van.

Drop-off Zones

Race #1-4: There is a drop-off zone at International Bridge to drop off your heavy boating gear and then park at the Vail Parking Structure. 

Race #5: Racers can drop off their gear at the Ford Park Parking Lot.

Check out Previous Race Results & Photos on the Race Results Webpage.