Proposal for the Future Structure of Slalom Competition

Update 7 Nov 2025 – New & Updated Documents Published 
An updated version of the Core Motion for this proposal has been published today along with Supplementary Motions that follow on from this around the calendar, entiries and practice requirements. Also published is Calendar showing how the 2025 calendar would have looked under the proposal for teired racing.

Additionally a folder of documents has been published to show various data to illustrate how  points calculations and rankings would look under the new points calculations – please start with the ‘Slalom Evolution – Points Calculations’ pdf.

We’d like to say a big thank you to the team of volunteers that have spent a lot of time pulling these documents and data illustrations together.

These and documents regarding the proposal can all be found in the following Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yRH1Ybm2rhsfLKOPNNawvw8wH-NfmF9A?usp=drive_link

Update 3 Nov 2025 – Junior Consultation Published
There have been requests for Feedback from the Junior Consultation, but volunteer time shortage has got in the way. However, a chat GPT analysis of the consultation has been generated based on the following:

  • It was asked it to summarise recommendations based on the consultation (without any context).
  • It was then asked to build on the recommendation with the knowledge that the sport is in decline.
  • Finally, a summary for paddlers and stakeholders was requested.

About the Proposal:

As you know proposals for the proposals for the future structure of canoe slalom racing in the UK were presented in April. Based on feedback received at the event and the subsequent consultation surveys, work has been ongoing to revise the proposal.
The key principles of the revised proposals are:

  • Retain Divisions for Ranking, Results, Prizes and Promotion (this is the key change from the original proposal).
  • Allow paddlers to have full choice of where they race; simplify the calendar; and describe courses and venues using the proposed Tier System.
  • Provide compatible performance points across all Tiers as originally proposed.

To be clear, these are proposals to be voted on at the Slalom Annual Consultative Meeting (ACM) on 29th November.  These changes will only happen if they are voted through at the ACM.
If the motion is successful the new structure will not come in until the 2027 slalom season. This is to allow sufficient time for the systems that support the running of the sport (entries website, ranking database etc) to be amended for the new structures by the volunteers that manage these systems, and for the race calendar to be planned to the new structure. If the motion is unsuccessful the existing system will be retained.

Slalom Committee governance only requires that the ACM Agenda is published at least 15 days before the date of the meeting  However, we want to put these propoals infront of the slalom community now to maximise engagement and opportunity for discussion about the proposed new structure, allowing club representatives to be fully informed of their members views ahead of a vote at the meeting.

Therefore we are now publishing:

  • The draft motion that will be on the ACM Agenda
  • Three short videos explaining the revised proposals including an Introduction & Overview, Ranking Divisions, and Tiers

These can all be found in the following Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yRH1Ybm2rhsfLKOPNNawvw8wH-NfmF9A?usp=drive_link

We are asking that everyone in the slalom community and lapsed slalom paddlers take time to look at and consider these proposals and make their views know to their club representatives.

The documents and presentations from the April event and subsequent feedback reports can all still be found here.