REGINA — The 2025 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships are underway in Regina.
The event has drawn over 800 athletes and roughly 40 canoe clubs to Wascana Park.
“Every province is represented, and there's a team from the Yukon, so it's super exciting for us to have those provinces and that territory here,” said Jan Hanson, communications lead with the host committee for the national championships.
The championships take place over five days, hosting numerous races.
“We have singles, doubles and fours. And then there's also a C15, which is a canoe that can accommodate 15 people, and they're quite powerful. There are also different distances, including 1,500 and 200 metres.”
Additionally, the event includes a para canoe race for athletes with an intellectual disability, and a masters event for those 25 and older who want to compete separately from their club.
One athlete competing is Emmett Patterson, part of the Wascana Racing Canoe Club based in Regina.
“It's pretty cool that we get to represent our city [and] show off what we can do,“ he said
Patterson’s family has a rich history in canoeing.
“My aunt and uncle did it because their parents put them in, and then we've just been doing it ever since then, including all my siblings.”
Several members of Patterson’s family are also competing on Wascana Racing Canoe Club, which won a silver medal in the C2000.
Competing at a high level for canoeing requires months of practice and training, said Patterson.
“In the off-season, we do a lot of weights, and we also cross-country ski because it helps a lot with the cardio.”
“We also do like weighted pull-ups and stuff. In the summer, we do 100 pull-ups a day to keep our back strength.”
The sport of canoeing and kayaking has seen a recent boom, said Janson.
“It was one of the few sports you could compete in during COVID-19 because of the distances each boat had.”
She also noted this year’s championship is on the larger side in terms of athlete turnout.
The 2025 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships continue until Saturday.
Anyone interested in checking out the event is recommended to stop at Pine Island, where spectators can witness the finish.
The championships will be hosted in Ottawa in 2026 before moving to Halifax in 2027.
