Event Info

This year’s event will be held on Saturday, August 14th  at the Outpost in Thomson, MN. Located next to the Thomson Dam on the St. Louis River, off of highway 210.

Saturday, August 14th 2021

12:30pm to 1pm Racer Check In. Kayakers Must register to race.

1pm Race Safety Staff Meeting

1:15pm Racer Meeting

1:30pm Boaters head to Start

1:45 pm Kayak Races Start! First Kayaker launches for Phase 1. Phase 2 immediately follows the end of Phase 1, after safety team has shifted to next positions.

4:20pm Slot Machine Showcase Showdown

7:00pm Grill Out and Awards

Phase 1: Watch expert kayakers navigate class III to IV+ rapids as they race down the lower St. Louis River through the Octopus Rapid, technical class IV rapid. Winner will be crowned Octi Champion!

Phase 2 Kayakers start above Left slot rapids through Fin Falls. This technical class IV/IV+ section will challenge the expert kayaker. Only the best will be crowned the Fin Falls Fanatic Champ!

Slot Machine Showcase Showdown: A narrow falls that can be tricky to negotiate without getting stuck in the bottom. Watch as expert paddlers take a gamble by either beating the odds and clearing the base of the falls or letting the house win by getting stuck.

Everyone must register to race. Entry Fee is $15 for ACA members and $20 for nonmembers.

This race is for Experts only. If you can’t confidently run the ‘Octopus Rapid’ then this is not the race for you. ‘Expert’ status will determined by our Safety Team. Paddlers must be competent class IV-V boaters and have a minimum of 2 years experience paddling rivers of the class IV-V range in difficulty.

Swiftwater Adventures will be supplying the rafts and equipment and some of the guides for the Team rafting, the other guides will come from a pool of experienced paddlers appointed by the event committee. Some experienced paddlers will be bringing their own raft and teams.

Everyone must register to race.