The first whitewater slalom race took place on the Aar River in Switzerland in 1933.[1] The early slalom courses were all set in natural rivers, but when whitewater slalom became an Olympic sport for the first time, at the 1972 Munich Games, the venue was the world's first concrete-channel artificial whitewater course, the Eiskanal in Augsburg. All Olympic whitewater slalom competitions have taken place in artificial courses, which now exist in 16 countries on five continents.
Streambed slalom courses still outnumber concrete channels, but most international competition takes place in the more controlled environment of an artificial course. The standard parameters for such a course, patterned on the Olympic model, are a length of about, a slope of 2%, and a flow rate of 17m3/s. Within those parameters, designs vary. Water diversion features can be natural rocks, shaped concrete boulders and wing dams, plastic bollards, wooden dams, or truck tires. Channel walls can be straight or slanted, and smooth or cobbled. The floor of the channel may have raised turbulence generators to slow the water speed. The course may be a single straight channel, parallel channels, one or more loops, or a figure-8.
Water can be supplied by diversion from a nearby river, tidal current, electric pumps, or a combination. The expense of operation is largely dependent on the water source. A single channel on the Olympic model — a 6m (20feet) drop at 17 m³/s — represents one megawatt of energy, either supplied by pumps or sacrificed in the case of diversion around a hydroelectric generator. Ironically, diversion is often more expensive than pumping if the diverted water would have made a bigger drop inside the hydroelectric facility. The extreme example of this is the Ocoee Whitewater Center where water must bypass a 96m (315feet) drop in a dam, tunnel, and penstock, in order to water the 9-meter drop of the whitewater course.
Most artificial whitewater courses cover their operating costs by charging passengers for guided raft rides. Canoe and kayak slalom training and competition do not generate enough revenue.
The four riverbed courses on this list are all extensively engineered and used for major competitions. Ocoee is no longer used for slalom, but it was the 1996 Olympic venue. The other courses on the list have concrete channels, often built in former industrial canals or mill races. Every city that hosts a summer Olympics is now expected to build a spectacular new whitewater stadium, usually powered by electric pumps. The Lee Valley White Water Centre, constructed for the London 2012 Summer Olympics, cost £31million.[2]
In the table below, the location of each facility for which there is no Wikipedia article is noted in the Comment column. If the facility is more than two years old, there is often a good satellite or aerial (bird's eye) picture available via the link.
| Slope | Streamflow | |||||||
| Date | Course name | Location | Water source | Power source | Shape | ft/mi (m/km) | cu ft/s (m³/s) | Comment |
| Australia | ||||||||
| 2000 | Penrith Whitewater Stadium | Penrith | Penrith Lakes | Pumped | Loop | 91 (17) | 494 (14) | 2000 Olympics Sydney |
| 1974 | Brady's Lake Slalom Course | Bradys Lake, Tasmania | Bronte Lagoon | Dam release, Natural modified | Riverbed | 106 (20)[3] | 918 (26) | -42.2286°N 146.4945°W |
| Austria | ||||||||
| 2013 | Vienna Watersports Arena | Vienna | New Danube | Pumped | Loop | 79 (15) | 424 (12) | 48.1934°N 16.4619°W |
| Brazil | ||||||||
| 2006 | Itaipu Slalom Course | Foz do Iguaçu | Itaipu Lake, Paraná River | Flow diversion & Pumped | Loop | 115 (22) | 441 (13) | -25.432°N -54.581°W |
| 2015 | Deodoro Olympic Whitewater Stadium | Rio de Janeiro | city water | Pumped | 2 Loops | 95 (18) | 420 (12) | -22.8486°N -43.4026°W 2016 Olympics Rio de Janeiro |
| Canada | ||||||||
| – | Canoe Meadows Race Course | Kananaskis | Kananaskis River | Dam release, Natural modified | Linear | – | (27–31) Normal | 51.055°N -115.0188°W |
| – | Minden Wild Water Preserve[4] | Minden, Ontario | Gull River | Dam release, Natural modified | Riverbed, Maintained | – | 825–1650 (25–50) | 44.9671°N -78.684°W 2015 Pan-Am Games |
| – | Pumphouse Tailrace | Ottawa | Ottawa River | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 45.417°N -75.711°W |
| – | Rutherford Whitewater Park | Whistler | Rutherford Creek | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 50.274°N -122.867°W |
| China | ||||||||
| 2004 | Whitewater Stadium of Nanjing | Nanjing | Xuanwu Lake | Pumped | Loop | 79 (15) | 565 (16) | 32.065°N 118.81°W |
| 2007 | Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park | Shunyi | Chaobai River | Pumped | Loop | 110 (21) | – | 2008 Olympics Beijing |
| 2007 | Xiasi Canoe Slalom Course | Xiasi | Qingshui River | Flow diversion | Linear | 102 (19) | 424 (12) | 26.527°N 107.804°W |
| 2007 | Rizhao Canoe Slalom Course | Rizhao | Rizhao Harbor | Pumped | Loop | – | – | 35.418°N 119.561°W |
| Miyi Canoe Slalom Training Base | Miyi | Peace River | Flow diversion | Linear | 119 (23) | 494 (14) | 26.906°N 102.117°W | |
| Czech Republic | ||||||||
| 1983 | Prague-Troja Canoeing Centre | Prague-Troja | Vltava | Flow diversion | Linear | 63 (12) | 565 (16) | 50.113°N 14.425°W |
| – | České Vrbné Slalom Course | České Budějovice | Vltava | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 49.013°N 14.452°W |
| 1984 | Veltrusy Slalom Course | Veltrusy | Vltava | Flow diversion | Linear | 53.50 (10) | 353 (10) | 50.277°N 14.315°W |
| – | Trnávka Slalom Course | Želiv | Trnava | Flow diversion | Linear | 86(16) | 424(12) | 49.524°N 15.219°W |
| – | Roudnice nad Labem | Roudnice nad Labem | Elbe | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 50.429°N 14.26°W |
| – | USD Opava | Opava | Opava (river) | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 49.9577°N 17.8856°W |
| Proposed | Zdiměřice Whitewater Park | Zdiměřice | Pumped | Loop | – | – | 49.988°N 14.528°W | |
| France | ||||||||
| 1988 | Épinal Slalom Course | Épinal | Moselle River | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 48.173°N 6.446°W |
| 1992 | Lannion Whitewater Stadium | Lannion | Leguer River | Flow diversion, Tidal | Linear | 47 (9) | 530 (15) | 48.729°N -3.459°W |
| 1992 | Parc des Eaux Vives | Huningue | Rhine River | Flow diversion | Loop | 75 (14) | 353 (10) | 47.59°N 7.582°W |
| 1993 | L'Argentière-la-Bessée | L'Argentière-la-Bessée | Durance River | Natural flow | Riverbed | 47 (9) | 2470 (70) | 44.78°N 6.56°W |
| 1996 | St Laurent Whitewater Stadium | St Laurent | Scarpe River | Gravity, Pumped | Linear | 86 (16) | 424 (12) | 50.298°N 2.804°W |
| 1997 | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Isère River | Dam release | Riverbed | 184 (35) | 883 (25) | 45.603°N 6.766°W |
| 1997 | Nancy Whitewater Stadium | Nancy | Meurthe River | Flow diversion | Linear | 72 (14) | 706 (20) | 48.694°N 6.201°W |
| 1999 | Cesson-Sévigné Whitewater Stadium | Cesson-Sévigné | Vilaine River | Gravity, Pumped | V-shape | 39 (7) | 424 (12) | 48.115°N -1.607°W |
| 2000 | Cergy Whitewater Stadium | Cergy | Oise River | Pumped | Loop | 103 (20) | 565 (16) | 49.029°N 2.052°W |
| 2000 | Millau Whitewater Course | Millau | Tarn River | Flow diversion | Linear | 31.5 (6) | 565 (16) | 44.0934°N 3.079°W |
| – | Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf-Paradise | Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf | Rhône River | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 45.379°N 4.7554°W |
| – | Isle de la Serre | Sault-Brénaz | Rhône River | Flow diversion | S-shape | – | – | 45.849°N 5.414°W |
| – | Slalom Ardèche | Vallon-Pont-d'Arc | Ardèche River | Flow diversion | Linear | – | – | 44.399°N 4.385°W |
| 2008 | Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium | Pau | Gave de Pau | Flow diversion | Loop | 94 (18) | 494 (14) | 43.286°N -0.358°W |
| 2008 | Châteauneuf Whitewater Sports | Châteauneuf-sur-Cher | Cher River | Diversion, Pumped | 110 meter Loop | 58 (11) | 459 (13) | 46.856°N 2.32°W |
| 2013 | Sainte Suzanne Whitewater Stadium | Sainte Suzanne, Réunion Island | Sainte Suzanne River | Pumped | 250 meter loop | 63 (12) | 420 (12) | -20.913°N 55.615°W |
| 2019 | Vaires-sur-Marne | Marne River | Pumped | 300 meter Loop | Olympics 2024 Paris 48.8623°N 2.6395°W | |||
| 2022 | Base Nautique: Natur'O Vive | Épinal | Moselle River | Pumped | S-shape | 79 (15) | 420 (12) | 48.186°N 6.443°W |
| Germany | ||||||||
| 1971 | Augsburg Eiskanal | Augsburg | Lech River | Flow diversion | Linear | 79 (15) | 353 (10) | 1972 Olympics Munich |
| 2006 | Kanupark Markkleeberg | Leipzig | Markkleeberger See | Pumped | 2 Loops | 111 (21) | 494 (14) | |
| Greece | ||||||||
| 2004 | Heleniko Whitewater Stadium | Athens | Gulf of Athens | Pumped | Figure-8 | – | 618 (18) | 2004 Olympics Athens |
| 2008 | Evinos River Slalom Course | Nafpaktos | Evinos River | Diversion | 520 meter Linear | 53 (10) | 530 (15) | 38.454°N 21.708°W |
| Italy | ||||||||
| 2007 | Ivrea Whitewater Stadium | Ivrea | Dora Baltea River | Flow diversion | Linear | 168 (32) | 706 (20) | 45.464°N 7.875°W |
| Japan | ||||||||
| 2019 | Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre | Tokyo | Pumped | Linear/Lift | 103 (20) | 424 (12) | 35.6435°N 139.853°W | |
| Macedonia | ||||||||
| Skopje Slalom Canoeing Center | Skopje | Treska | In stream, Dam release | Linear | 41.958°N 21.296°W | |||
| Mexico | ||||||||
| Union de Tula | Union de Tula | Rio Ayuquila | Dam Release | Altered stream | 19.96°N -104.371°W | |||
| New Zealand | ||||||||
| 27 April 2016[5] | Vector Wero Whitewater Park[6] | Wiri, Auckland, New Zealand | Pumped | 79 (15) | -36.998°N 174.888°W | |||
| Poland | ||||||||
| 2003 | Krakow-Kolna Canoe Slalom Course | Kraków | Vistula River | Diversion | Linear | – | – | 50.032°N 19.825°W |
| Russia | ||||||||
| 2008 | Okulovka Whitewater Canal | Okulovka, Novgorod Oblast | Peretna River | Dam release, Natural modified | S-shape | 100 (10) | 309 (30) | 58.411°N 33.2965°W |
| Slovakia | ||||||||
| 1978 | Ondrej Cibak Whitewater Slalom Course | Liptovský Mikuláš | Vah River | Diversion | Parallel Linear | 113 (21) | 530 (15) | 49.074°N 19.619°W |
| 1996 | Cunovo Water Sports Centre | Bratislava | Danube River | Diversion | 2 Loops | 98 (19) | 777 (22) | |
| Slovenia | ||||||||
| 1990 | Tacen Whitewater Course | Ljubljana | Sava River | Dam Spillway, Tailrace | Linear | – | 989 (28) | |
| Spain | ||||||||
| 1991 | Segre Olympic Park | La Seu d'Urgell | Segre River | Flow diversion, Pumped | 2 Loops | 114 (22) | 618 (17.5) | 1992 Olympics Barcelona |
| 2008 | El Canal de Aguas Bravas | Zaragoza | Ebro River | Pumped | Loop | 101 (19) | 424 (12) | Expo 2008 |
| 2012 | Parc del Mig Segre | Ponts | Segre River | Dam release, Natural flow | Linear | 13 (4) | 1272 (36) | 41.9228°N 1.1829°W 300-meter course |
| Sweden | ||||||||
| 2019 | Falu Vildvattenpark | Falun | Pumped | 60.5917°N 15.6468°W | ||||
| United Arab Emirates | ||||||||
| 2012 | Wadi Adventure | Al Ain | Pumped | 3 loops | 24.096°N 55.74°W | |||
| United Kingdom | ||||||||
| 1981[7] | Canolfan Tryweryn | Bala, Gwynedd | Llyn Celyn / Afon Tryweryn | Dam release | Riverbed | – | 350 (10) | 52.9471°N -3.6514°W 1000-meter course |
| 1982 | Cardington Slalom Course | Bedford | River Great Ouse | Flow diversion | Linear | 60 (11) | 530 (15) | 52.1271°N -0.4289°W 150-meter course |
| 1986 | Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre | Nottingham | River Trent | Flow diversion | Linear | 30 (5.7) | 883 (25) | 52.9457°N -1.0907°W 500-meter course |
| 1999 | Nene Whitewater Centre | Northampton | River Nene | Flow diversion, Pumped | Loop | – | – | 52.2285°N -0.8684°W 300-meter course |
| 1995 | Tees Barrage International White Water Course | Stockton-on-Tees | River Tees | Flow diversion, Pumped | Loop | 53 (10) | 353 (10) | 54.5655°N -1.2857°W 250-meter course |
| 2010 | Cardiff International White Water | Cardiff | fully enclosed | Pumped | 1½ Loops | 565 (16) | 51.4486°N -3.1819°W 250-meter course | |
| 2010 | Lee Valley White Water Centre | London | Groundwater | Pumped | 2 Loops | 88 (17) | 460 (13) | 51.688°N -0.0168°W 2012 Olympics London |
| 2014 | Pinkston Watersports | Glasgow | Forth and Clyde Canal | Pumped | 2 Loops | 79 (15) | 247 (7) | 55.873°N -4.249°W 100-meter course |
| United States | ||||||||
| 1984 | East Race Waterway | South Bend IN | St. Joseph River | Flow diversion | Linear | 33 (6) | 500 (14) | 41.676°N -86.245°W |
| 1991 | Dickerson Whitewater Course | Dickerson MD | Potomac River | Pumped | Linear | 91 (17) | 600 (17) | Heated water |
| 1996 | Ocoee Whitewater Center | Ducktown TN | Ocoee River | Dam release | Riverbed | 99 (19) | 1560 (44) | 1996 Olympics Atlanta |
| 2006 | U.S. National Whitewater Center | Charlotte NC | city tap water | Pumped | 2 Loops | 113 (21) | 550 (16) | |
| 2007 | Adventure Sports Center International | McHenry MD | Deep Creek Lake | Pumped | Loop | 91 (17) | 550 (16) | |
| 2010 | Marge Cline Whitewater Course[8] | Yorkville, IL | Fox River | Flow Diversion | Linear | 41°38'33.8"N 88°26'35.1"W | ||
| 2016 | Riversport Rapids | Oklahoma City OK | city tap water | Pumped | 2 Loops | – | 35.4594°N -97.4972°W | |
| 1974 | Wausau Whitewater Park | Wausau WI | Wisconsin River | Dam Release | River Bed | – | 650 | 44.9575°N -89.6331°W |
| 2023 | Montgomery Whitewater | Montgomery, AL | Man made reservoir | Pumped | Dual Channel Whitewater Course and Flat Water | |||
| Note: Slope and Streamflow numbers refer only to the 300-meter section used for Olympic-style slalom training and competition. | ||||||||