Hometown Heroes Take on The ICF Kayaking Freestyle World Championship

Anticipation in the community is building as over 300 athletes from more than 26 different countries are making their way to the Chattahoochee River for the 2023 ICF Kayak Freestyle World Championships taking place October 9 – 14.

Mason Hargrove, local kayaker, Phenix City native, and 4x National Champion, along with his sister Makinley Kate, also 4x National Champion, sat down with me over coffee to share some of what is known in the kayaking community as “the stoke.”

For Mason, it started when his dad took up recreational whitewater kayaking when Mason was 12. After some time watching his dad practice, Mason joined him on the water, and the rest is history. Not long after Mason took up the sport, his sister Makinley Kate, his mom Melissa, and eventually the whole family joined in. “We quit our other recreational sports and just kayaked for fun. We wanted to spend more time together as a family,” Mason says.

A homeschool family, the Hargroves found that their lifestyle allowed them to spend a lot of time on the water and train on rivers around the world. When Mason unexpectedly won the 2017 US Nationals in the Cadet category, his potential as a freestyle kayaker was unveiled, and he was invited to take part in a month-and-a-half-long Colorado tour that same year. Makinley Kate also joined on the tour. “That’s really how we got our jump into competitive freestyle kayaking,” Makinley Kate explains. Mason went on to win the 2019 ICF World Championship in Spain, and Makinley Kate currently holds a world record for highest scoring ride for junior women.

Not to be confused with flatwater kayaking, whitewater kayaks are smaller, more lightweight, and the kayaker is sealed into the kayak with a water “skirt,” allowing them to perform flips and rolls and go under water.

The whitewater stretch of the Chattahoochee River is a well-loved spot for whitewater kayaking for many reasons. The water in our area stays warm enough to practice year-round. The features in our river are unique and expansive, allowing for the development of a diversity of skills, giving both the advanced and beginner paddler plenty of options for honing their techniques. Good Wave, a feature near The Island off of the Riverwalk, is a “world-class, powerful feature,” Mason says.

The fact that the Chattahoochee River whitewater stretch is dam-controlled means that the water level fluctuates throughout the day, causing certain features to change with the water level and become easier or harder to play in.

In short, the river offers a diverse, ever-changing experience for kayakers of all skill levels. And the fact that we have flowing water year round is also unique. These perks have made Columbus a hub of kayak activity, especially in the colder months when kayakers from all over the world come to train and stay on Whitewater Express’ “Wintering Grounds” campsite.

The kayaking community in Columbus is a large, close-knit group of people of all ages and backgrounds, many of whom travel the world year-round in search of water. A laid-back, almost surfer-like vibe surrounds this community of water nomads, who are committed to spending their lives doing what they love.

Kayakers from different home states and countries will run into each other on other rivers, and as they all convene in Columbus for the upcoming competition, they’re looking forward to enjoying the reunion. “We’re all looking out for each other on the river,” Mason says. “We tour with these guys nine months out of the year.” Makinley Kate adds, “It’s like a big family reunion when we all come together for the World Championships.”

As they got more involved in the kayaking community in other parts of the country, the Hargroves were able to bring back some of the connections they made to Columbus and help grow the already existing community locally. The local kayaking community helped bring the competition to the Chattahoochee River this year by spreading the word about the one-of-a-kind features on our river. “We’re always telling people how great this river is,” Mason says. “Without the kayaking community, Columbus wouldn’t have such a big spotlight.” Three world champions have come out of this town: Hunter Katich, Tom Dolle, and Mason himself. “It just goes to show how fruitful this place is,” Mason says.

Seasoned kayakers Emily Jackson, Nick Troutman, Dennis Newton, Stephen Wright, Tom Dolle, Clay Wright and more helped Mason and Makinley Kate hone their skills on the water. Mason’s drive helped him evolve as a competitive kayaker. “When you fall, you get back up,” he explains. “It’s the love of it, wanting to be out there always, spending countless hours in our boats.” Makinley Kate adds, “It takes commitment on and off the water.”

Freestyle kayaking is like performing gymnastics in a kayak on the water. Each participant has 45 seconds to do as many tricks as they can, and are awarded points for things like getting their boats out of the water and how much air they can get. Tricks have names such as the “roundhouse”, “donkey flip,” and the “mcnasty.”

The ICF Kayak Freestyle World Championships are a big deal worldwide, and the fact that they’re taking place in Columbus this year is especially exciting. The last time the competition took place in America was ten years ago, when it was held in North Carolina. “So, you don’t know when it will be here again,” Makinley Kate says. “It’s a special opportunity for us.”

Along with the Hargroves, other well-known kayakers will be participating in the competition. Eric Jackson (EJ) is the most awarded kayak athlete in history and founder of Jackson Kayaks, the biggest seller of kayaks in the country. Erik tells me that 70% of the kayaks in the competition will be Jackson brand.

Kayaking since 1993, EJ has won four World Championship titles in the Men’s Class, as has his son Dane, both holding the lead for the amount of World Championship titles won. EJ and his son will be competing against each other this year at the competition, and EJ’s daughter Emily, 3x world champion, will also be competing. Emily has won two women’s titles and is believed to have a good shot at winning this one. EJ invented many moves that are now on the freestyle kayaking score sheet, along with some other moves that are not.

As she gears up for the competition, Emily is looking forward to competing and paddling on the feature known as Good Wave. “I love the challenge of trying to be consistent on big features,” she says. “It’s really fun to see the progression and dedication the community has had.”

For Mason and Makinley Kate, nerves are high as they prepare to compete in their hometown, but they look forward to being supported by their own community, and to showing the world what they’ve worked so hard to accomplish.

“It took over 70 people and 4 years to put this together for Columbus and the community, says Dan Gilbert from White Water Express, “More than anything the committee wants folks to know the event is free. You can walk right up and watch the event from the grandstands, there will be concessions and vendors and you’ll be able to watch it first hand.”

Predictions about who will win this year’s World Championship abound, but only time will tell. Don’t miss the excitement taking place October 9 – 14. The competition can be viewed from the Columbus Chattahoochee Riverwalk.

By Natalie Downey