Gore Canyon Race 2022 on the Upper Colorado River (CO) Canceled
Dear Gore Fest Community,
It is with great regret that American Whitewater must announce that the Class V Gore Race for 2022 will be canceled. After purchasing race insurance in May, on Friday, August 19, we were informed that our policyholder can no longer provide insurance for Class IV and Class V whitewater events. American Whitewater as an organization, and myself personally, are committed to and care deeply about the Gore Race which is why we prepare months in advance, including making sure racers and volunteers are properly covered for liability. Unfortunately, though we've tried incredibly hard, the information about the lack of coverage was shared too late for American Whitewater to vet and find alternative coverage for the race this weekend. The downriver SUP race and freestyle events are covered by our current policy and will take place on Saturday the 27th.
The Gore Canyon Festival is not only a chance to gather with boaters from across Colorado and neighboring states, but also to celebrate a river core to the stewardship work of the Southern Rockies program. The festival and events American Whitewater hosts fulfill a central part of our mission, safely enjoying the places we fight to protect and restore. Enjoying those places together is key. The community we've built around this event is something I look forward to being with every year.
Myself and the American Whitewater team will still be at Pumphouse this weekend. We will still host the SUP race on Saturday and the freestyle event at the whitewater park on Sunday. All the public lands are open for your use. The BLM has provided a really helpful welcome guide to help everyone find camping and cover required fees. If you choose to enter Gore Canyon, please note that there will not be a safety team in place and you are doing so at your own risk.
If you have already signed up for the Gore Race, we will refund you. A standard American Whitewater membership is included as a part of your race registration. If you would like to join or renew we can refund you all but $25 of your registration fee. You will receive an email about that refund today. Gore Fest is one of our biggest fundraisers and membership drives for Colorado and we deeply appreciate your support.
The silent auction is still live online and provides another opportunity to continue to help us fill the funding gap that this cancellation will leave. Items purchased through the auction will be available for pick up at Pumphouse this weekend. We deeply appreciate your understanding of these unfortunate circumstances and hope that we will still see you on the river this weekend.
All of my river love,
Hattie