The Lee Valley Park White Water Centre

What is the White Water Canoe Slalom?
The White Water Canoe Slalom is a timed

run down a white water course with up to 25 gates to negotiate. Touching a gate adds a two-second time penalty to the run and missing a gate incurs a 50 second penalty. As a timed trial, the next racer starts when the previous one has finished. Can we expect a gold medal from David Florence, Campbell Walsh, or Lizzie Neave from Team GB?

What is the Lee Valley White Water Centre?

The White Water Centre is a state-of-the-art facility that generates white water rapids artificially. It was purpose-built to host the White Water Canoe Slalom competition for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Having been completed within budget, and 18 months before the London 2012 Games commence, facilities of the centre are already available to members of the public for canoeing and white water rafting. The centre will be returned to the control of LOCOG for the duration of the London 2012 Games, and again made available for public use when they come to an end.

When was The White Water Centre opened to the public?
The Lee Valley Park White Water Centre was formally opened on 9 December 2010 by Anne, Princess Royal, and Lord Coe. Members of the British canoeing team were also in attendance and trialled the rapids. The White Water Centre was opened to the public on Friday 22 April 2011. Bookings can be made via the White Water Centre website.

What does the White Water Centre offer?

The centre, officially recognised as the best such facility in the world, provides two white water courses. The first is a 160 metre long warm up/training course that has grade 3 rapids. Rapids are graded 1, easy, to 5, extremely difficult. The second course is 300 metres long with grade 4 rapids. The courses are floodlit so can be used in the evening. The centre also boasts a purpose-built landmark building designed by Faulkner Browns architects, which has a stylish café bar and terrace.

From 2013 onwards, The White Water Centre will be owned and run by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, with anticipated visitor numbers of up to 70,000 per year. In addition to providing white water rafting thrills to the general public, the centre will provide training opportunities for elite canoeing athletes, and championship events. The British Canoe Union has recently won a bid to host the 2015 White Water Canoe Slalom World Championships at the Lee Valley Park White Water Centre.