Join us for two days of racing in the Columbia River Gorge
600 Paddlers
28th running of the Gorge Outrigger Canoe Race
2 Races
July 11: The Gorge Outrigger Canoe Race
July 12: The Westerly Relay
21 Miles
The most beautiful stretch of river you will ever surf.
2026 marks the 28th running of The Gorge Outrigger Race! This event aims to bring the paddling community together for an unforgettable event showcasing our paddle sports.
You've never seen one like this before!
Our aim is to create an exciting race that builds community and ignites your competitive spirit.
For the first time, there will be no age categories; we will use age handicaps instead!
Teams of 2 will have five race categories to choose from. Categories will mix OC1/Surfski and Men/Women.
Read below "Race Day Info - Relay Race" for details.
Value
Race entry includes camping fee for Friday and Saturday nights. ($50 value.)
Explore
Bring your family and friends. In the Gorge, there is something for everyone!
Race Day Information
Safety
- Mandatory OC6 safety meeting for coaches/paddlers at picnic shelter. 7pm Friday.
- Mandatory OC6 Steersperson Meeting 10am Saturday (day of race)
- Conditions can change quickly, please be prepared for heat, hydration and wind.
- Skirts are required for OC6
- PFDs are required for all
- OC6 Race: PNWORCA rules apply. http://pnworca.org
- Safety boats will patrol the courses but crews are responsible for themselves - please be efficient at righting your boats swiftly!
- On-land safety team will be on WASHINGTON SIDE ONLY
- Mandatory RELAY Race/Safety meeting Sunday July 12, 9am.
Camping
- Fairgrounds at Stevenson,Washington are free with registration. Please be respectful of the park and pick up your opala (rubbish) and keep the showers/bathrooms clean.
- Competitors are invited to camp and rig at the fairgrounds in Stevenson, just a short walk or paddle from the race site, with everything you may need nearby in terms of
restaurants, fuel, groceries, hardware, etc. Camping is included in registration fees for Friday and Saturday only, more services www.skamania.org to
meet your needs. - If you arrive earlier then Friday or want to stay Sunday night after the event is over you must pay at the fairgrounds office.
- Please see the Campsite Map below for traffic flow, parking, camping, rigging, trailer area, showers and awards locations.
Course
- See course maps below.
- Downwind runs require a shuttle which may seem like more work if you haven't done it before, but once you see how much fun it is to go downwind you will realize
that the little bit of extra time it takes to do the shuttle will be well worth the effort.
Each crew is required to have completed forms, all paddlers must have both The Gorge Race Liability Waiver
Mandatory Meetings and Important Times (both races)
- OC6 Friday 7pm Mandatory Safety Meeting for all participants
- OC6 Friday 5 - 8pm Goodie Bag Pickup and Regisration Check In
- OC6: Saturday 10:00am Mandatory Fairgrounds: Steersperson meeting
(Men,Women, Mixed.) - OC6: Saturday Start 11:00am
Women/Mixed - OC6 Men will start 1/2 hr. after the final women's/mixed canoe finishes at Drano Lake
- OC6 Saturday 6pm Awards at Fairgrounds picnic Shelter
- RELAY Sunday 9am Mandatory Safety Meeting and Course Explanation
- RELAY Sunday TBA Awards and Raffle at Backwoods Brewery, 1162 Wind River Hwy, Carson, WA 98610
- CAMPING: If you plan to stay Sunday night, please purchase the $25 camping fee from the Parks and Rec Office
OC6 Registration
- REGISTRATION FOR OC6 RACE
- Friday, July 10th, 5-8pm Race Packet Pick up
- There will be NO "day of" registration, your teams must be registered via Online Registration. Please register early to guarantee your place.
- Registration closes once full or Thursday July 9th
- Pickup: Boat Numbers
- Drop Off: Liability Waivers
- If you are sharing a canoe on Saturday, READ THIS: Women/Mix boat numbers are taped to left side of the gunwale toward the bow. The Men's number will be taped to the right of the Women's number, so both are visible at all times.
Relay Race Info - We've broken all the rules so read up!
- There will be no "Day of" Registration. Registration will close Thursday July 9th.
- Mandatory Race and Safety Meeting 9am, Sunday morning.
- This will be a two leg relay. Paddler 1 will start from outside the Fairgrounds in Stvenson, WA. There will be a beach transition at Home Valley. Paddler 2 will race from Home Valley to Drano Lake.
- The following 5 MIXED categories will be contested 1) W/M Surfski, 2) W/M OC1, 3) Men Surfski/OC1, 4) Women Surfski/OC1, 5) "The Big Mixer" W/M/Surfski/OC1.
- There will be no age groups. INSTEAD, there will be an age handicap.
- Age Handicaps are as follows: Under 40: no handicap. 40 to 49: 2.5%; 50-59: 5%; 60-69: 9%, 70+ 11%. We did quite a bit of research to get these numbers. If they are not quite right, we will make adjustments for next year. :)
- Awards will be an athlete only raffle! Each race entry gets one raffle ticket. Winners in each category will receive more raffle tickets. The most raffle tickets will be given to the winner of the Big Mixer category: Woman/Man/Surfski/OC1, which will be the star of the show.
- Awards/Raffle will be at Backwoods in Carson time TBA.
Course maps
