1998 and 1999 - Newsletter

The last few months have been very productive for the IRF. An office has been set up with Sue Liell-Cock as Administrator. This has hugely assisted communications and we request that all contact be done through this office. All membership applications, queries and up dates will be handled through here as well as communications on competitions, other organisations and all aspects of the IRF, including those detailed below. We have been working on various criteria and as details are finalised we will be putting them on our website for everyone’s easy access. If they are not on the website yet, please contact this office for your copy.

IRF Race Rules
These have been drawn up and finalised and are available on the website. These rules will be used for World Champs, Continental Champs and any other official IRF events and are a guideline for countries to use for their national events.

Bid Documents
Bid Documents for a host country to hold the IRF World Rafting Champs or Continental Champs have been finalised and are also now available. The Continental Champs bid is open to flexibility. The World Champs are still heavily dependent on sponsorship, so please keep in contact if you have any possible options here.

IRF Standard Guide Requirements
The initial stage laying out guide requirements has been completed and the next stage of guide training is being worked on. It is hoped that these standards are accepted by all rafting organisations around the world.

Competitions
We are drawing up a rafting competition calendar, which will be kept on the website. Please let us know of all competitions being held in your country.

Camel White Water Challenge 1999 and 2000
A communication has been sent out already detailing what is happening and who has been invited to compete. The CWWC is an IRF approved event and gives it its full support, just as the CWWC has given the IRF its support. It will be run according to the IRF Race Rules with some special exceptions being made. The Kayak race is for points and the Time Trial is not; and the point structure is slightly different. The invitations to this event are dependent on the country being a member of the IRF by April 1999. Other teams have a chance to get to the 1999 CWWC by competing at the European Champs. The top team not already invited will be included for 1999.

In February 2000 the event is going to the Futalefu in Chile. Selection for the countries / teams for this event will be based SOLELY on Continental Selections. The 1999 Continental Selections must be held, according to the IRF rules, by 15 December 1999. Please contact this office to ensure your Continental Selections will be approved by the IRF. All participating countries must be members of the IRF prior to competing. The number of teams qualifying per region is as follows:

North America - 2, Latin America (South and Central) - 2, Africa - 2, Europe - 6, Asia – 2, Oceania – 1 and Host – 1. This totals 16 men’s teams. Women’s teams will be N. America - 1, Europe - 1, Oceania - 1 and the 4th will be a wild card (determined by the CWWC on merit).

Members and membership applications
The following countries had joined the IRF by the time of this letter: Czech Rep, South Africa, Belgium, Slovakia, Russia and Japan.

To join the IRF:
1. Form a National Rafting Organisation in your country that is representative of all rafters. 
2. Send us a summary, in English, of the following sections of your constitution:- Aims / Objectives of the organisation, Membership Criteria, ie. who can join, voting and decision making, ie who votes your committee in.
3. Send us the list of the committee members, their positions and contact details for the organisation.
4. Pay the US$500 membership fee. 
5. Fax the declaration through to this office.

We hope to hear from you all soon and that you all had a very Festive Season, whether it was in the snow or the sun!

[return to top of page]