WATTS, Okla. Some of North America’s most promising young paddlers will converge on the Arkansas and Oklahoma border this week as WOKA Whitewater Park, operated by the Grand River Dam Authority, hosts a national training camp that organizers hope is just the beginning of the park’s emergence as a premier whitewater destination.
From July 13 through July 19, Friends of WOKA and the American Canoe Association (ACA) will host the ACA Junior Development Paddling Camp at WOKA Whitewater Park. The weeklong camp will bring together 31 athletes ages 10 to 18 from across the United States and Canada, with skill levels ranging from first-time whitewater paddlers to Olympic hopefuls.
The event represents more than a youth camp. Organizers see it as another step toward establishing WOKA as one of the country’s premier venues for paddlesports development and international training.
Training the Next Generation
The camp will be led by ACA staff and coaches and will feature daily on-water instruction, classroom education, and cross-training opportunities.
Each morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., participants will work on whitewater techniques, slalom skills, and river reading. Those sessions are open to spectators, giving visitors an opportunity to watch some of the sport’s rising young talent.
The week concludes with a Junior Olympic Slalom Fun Race on Sunday, July 19, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., another spectator-friendly event showcasing the skills developed during the camp.
Off the water, athletes will review video of their runs and attend seminars covering sports psychology and sports nutrition. The curriculum also includes an afternoon of mountain biking on WOKA’s 19 miles of soft-surface trails, highlighting the area’s diverse outdoor recreation opportunities.
John Brown University is providing housing, meals, and classroom facilities for athletes and their families throughout the week.
A Park Unlike Most Others
The American Canoe Association’s interest in WOKA began after ACA representatives and officials from Riversport OKC toured the facility in December 2025.
According to Friends of WOKA, those visitors were impressed by both the quality of the engineered whitewater course and one feature that makes WOKA especially attractive for year-round training.
Unlike many whitewater parks that rely on scheduled dam releases or expensive pump systems, WOKA diverts water directly from the Illinois River through a 1,200-foot engineered side channel featuring eight whitewater drops. Because of that natural flow, the course can operate throughout the year without depending on release schedules.
That continuous flow gives paddlers consistent access to whitewater, something few facilities in North America can offer.
A Role in the Road to the 2028 Olympics
WOKA’s growing reputation comes at a pivotal time for American paddlesports.
While the 2028 Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles, the canoe slalom and kayak cross competitions will take place at the Riversport Whitewater Center in Oklahoma City, which was selected because it already meets international competition standards. The venue is expected to host the world’s top whitewater athletes in the months leading up to the Games.
Friends of WOKA believes its location, approximately three hours from Oklahoma City, creates a unique opportunity.
Elite athletes often spend weeks or even months training near Olympic venues. Organizers envision competitors from around the world using WOKA’s naturally flowing course for supplemental training while preparing for competition in Oklahoma City.
Unlike a pump-operated course that runs on scheduled sessions, WOKA offers athletes the flexibility to train whenever river conditions allow, making it an attractive complement to Olympic venue training.
Building a National Paddlesports Destination
The youth camp is part of a broader strategy to raise WOKA’s profile within the paddlesports community.
Since opening in 2023, the park has attracted recreational paddlers, surfers, kayakers, and tubers while also hosting instructional programs and competitive events. Organizers hope bringing national governing bodies like the ACA to WOKA will introduce more athletes, coaches, and families to what the facility offers.
Their vision extends beyond elite competition.
Friends of WOKA hopes the park will become both a recreational destination and a training center where beginners, families, competitive paddlers, and Olympic hopefuls can all develop their skills on the same stretch of whitewater.
As international attention shifts toward Oklahoma City in advance of the 2028 Olympic whitewater events, WOKA is positioning itself as a complementary training venue and a gateway for paddlesports development in the central United States. With a nationally recognized coaching staff, athletes from across North America, and a year-round whitewater course, next week’s camp represents another milestone in that effort.
If You Go
ACA Junior Development Paddling Camp
- Dates: July 13 through July 19, 2026
- Location: WOKA Whitewater Park, Watts, Oklahoma, adjacent to Siloam Springs, Arkansas
- Daily Training Sessions: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- Junior Olympic Slalom Fun Race: Sunday, July 19, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- Admission: Spectators are welcome during all on-water sessions.
Read more about WOKA Whitewater Park.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
