Explaining Olympic kayak cross and why it'll be your new favorite event at the Paris Games

Kayak cross is one of the new events making an Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games, and it’s one you’ll want to see for yourself because it is absolutely chaotic.

Part of the canoe slalom family of events, which was previously just four games at the Olympics — two each for the women and men — the respective kayak cross events will expand it to six games.

So what is kayak cross?

It’s race between four people, who start on an elevated ramp above the water, drop down into it at the start of the race and proceed to paddle through the tight quarters of a waterway with downstream patterns at some points and upstream patterns at others. The athletes do this all while having to work around obstacles in the way and each other.

The winner is the first person to reach the finishing point, and watching this thing is equal parts exhausting and exhilarating.

Time trials for the kayak cross are August 2, followed by four rounds of the event through August 5 when a champion is crowned in the final race.

Team USA is comprised of Evy Leibfarth on the women’s side and Casey Eichfeld for the men.