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Rodeo was the term used to describe small, local competitions prior to the mid 90's when Wave Sport, Riot and those companies formed competative freestyle teams to go on the competition circuit and beat all the locals. The idea of playboating as a competition grew.. someone tried to rename it "freestyle" because the images of ten-gallon hats and horses didn't jive with anyone's marketing department and then it pretty much fizzled out, probably because the gross over-commercialization was inherently against the grain of local grass-roots get-togethers.
Freestyle as a marketing plan is largely gone. Only one new whitewater kayak made it to the Outdoor Retailer floor this year - the Biscuit. That's a reflection of a lot of trends, not the least of which is that the only whitewater companies that made it to the show *at all* this year are all attached to larger corporate bodies - all the independents are gone. Poof, kaput - couldn't afford the cost of travel or booth space or whatever.
On the other hand, "Rodeos" are beginning to take root again as local get-togethers where the competition takes a back-seat to the social element. So, someone hit the cosmic "reset" button and here we are again in the early 90's.
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Rodeo is alive, Competative Freestyle is dead. New 
BoaterTalk 
