Sponsorship 2026
Chirripó Steep Creek Race
A world-ranking whitewater race on one of Costa Rica's steepest rivers, run by the people who grew up on it. Here's how you can be part of it.
Become a sponsor
Sponsorship 2026
A world-ranking whitewater race on one of Costa Rica's steepest rivers, run by the people who grew up on it. Here's how you can be part of it.
Become a sponsor
The Event
The Chirripó Steep Creek Race sends the world's best paddlers down the Chirripó Pacífico, a relentless class IV–V boulder garden beneath Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica's tallest peak. Upstream sits a Class V rapid called La Bestia (yes, "The Beast"), and that's where the podium gets decided. In 2026 it steps up to host the AWP Extreme Kayak Pan-American Championship, a world-ranking event on the Association of Whitewater Professionals circuit.
It all unfolds in Canaán de Rivas, a mountain town 1,200 metres up that spills onto the riverbanks for the weekend. Locals, travelling paddlers and spectators from around the world, all in one place for two days of adrenaline, culture and river.
The Film
The Opportunity
For the first time ever, the Extreme Kayak Pan-American Championship is coming to Costa Rica, and it's happening here, on the Chirripó Pacífico. It's a milestone for the country and for one of the world's fastest-growing adventure sports.
It draws a bigger, more international field, and it puts every athlete (and every sponsor) in front of the global extreme-kayak community. Past editions peaked at 39 athletes; for 2026 we're expecting at least 50, including Red Bull and Olympic paddlers alongside the region's best.
We can't make that leap without partners behind us. That's where you come in.
Audience & Reach
The whole town turns out, joined by athletes and spectators from across the world. Quite possibly the most internationally attended race in Costa Rica. Past editions have drawn paddlers from:
Online, the reach goes far beyond the start line. Between the people and partners behind the race (a 50k-strong social following, a 5k-subscriber newsletter, the event's own channels, and racers with six-figure audiences), plus everyone who shares it, we put sponsors in front of hundreds of thousands. Recent race edits alone have hit 18k–50k+ views.
More Than a Race
Between heats, the riverbank turns into something between a festival and a family reunion. Local kids test their lines in the practice pools while spectators from Chile to Slovenia trade cheers, and restaurants like Batsú and Kapi Kapi become race HQ.
At its heart, the race is about the river and its people: conserving the Chirripó Pacífico, backing a tight-knit mountain community, and giving young Costa Rican paddlers a shot on an international stage. As kayaking grows worldwide, bringing an event like this home means the world comes to Canaán, and a small mountain town rises to meet it.
Conservation
In partnership with MINAE, Costa Rica's environment ministry, we plant a tree for every participant and sponsor. It's how we give back to the Chirripó Pacífico, through reforestation and conservation across the area.
Partnership
Four ways to back the race, plus in-kind support. All amounts in USD.
from $2,500
from $1,000
from $300
from $100
In-kind welcome too: gear, food, lodging, transport, media and services. Tell us what you can offer and we'll build a fit.
Where Your Support Goes
Putting on a race like this safely, and to a world-ranking standard, costs money. It takes around US$5,000 to run, and every dollar has a job.
In Good Company
NRS · Immersion Research · 4CRS · Selva Whitewater · Walking Tree Travel · Association of Whitewater Professionals · UP Club
Who We Are
We're Travis Belville and Diego Solano, friends and paddling partners for close to two decades. We've run the best whitewater in the Americas together, and spent a lot of that time hunting down new rivers right here in Costa Rica. Diego grew up here; Amelia, Travis's wife, was born and raised in the area. This river is special to us.
So we built a race on it. We run it as a nonprofit, and the money goes back into three things: the race, the town, and the sport. We put on kayak programs for young local athletes, because paddling has given us everything, and we want the next generation to get the same shot.
We've grown every year, and we're only just getting going. Get in early, and you grow with us.
Pura Vida
Get Involved
Tell us what you're interested in and we'll shape something that fits. We'd love to have you with us in December.
chirriposteepcreek@gmail.comTravis Belville & Diego Solano · Canaán de Rivas, Costa Rica