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A little rain wasn't going to get in the way of the Yukon Canoe and Kayak Club's annual Whitewater Rodeo on Wednesday night.

With a large crowd enduring the weather and watching on from the Rotary Centennial Bridge on the Yukon River, paddlers launched themselves into the eddy, performing a series of flips, spins and rolls in the surging water.

The annual event showcases the strengths of the local paddling community, with more than 30 participants competing across seven events.

It also brings local paddlers of all levels together.

"That wave is a major gathering point all summer,鈥� said John Quinsey, YCKC president.

"Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you watch each other and you learn. It's a very safe environment and it works well.鈥�

With another season under their belts, the local paddlers put on a show.

The night kicked off with the boogie board competition at 6 p.m., an event that has quickly grown since making its debut in the rodeo just two years ago.

The athletes dive into the water, without a paddle and use their strength to manipulate the board over the waves.

Leading the way was 11-year-old Mael Pronovost while the second place finisher was his original boogie board instructor, Isabelle, his mother.

"She got a good laugh out of that,鈥� said Quinsey. "He (Mael) was out there coaching her, saying 鈥榡ust go out and do your best.'鈥�

Putting the final stamp on their dominance of the local boogie boarding scene was Luanda Pronovost, who is no stranger to the water, competing regularly with the Whitehorse Glacier Bears swim team.

Mael was at the top once again in the next event, ditching his board for a kayak.

He lead the way in the beginner freestyle division while Kendra Williams placed second and Justin Munro came third overall.

The paddlers had the benefit of some extra powerful water in this year's event.

Usually the club asks Yukon Energy to open up the dam's spillway to increase water flow but the high water levels had the river roaring and even had organizers questioning whether or not they needed the spillway narrowed.

"The wave was awesome,鈥� said Quinsey. "It was really good this year. There's been so much water this year so there was lots of flow.鈥�

Just before 7 p.m. the intermediate kayak freestyle kicked off where the tricks were taken to the next level as flat spins and cartwheels became a common sight.

Kalin Pallet of Up North Adventures, was on the mic, encouraging the paddlers and naming the tricks for the crowed, which featured titles like the McNasty and back-scratcher.

The Pronovost family continued their strong effort with Marc Pronovost topping the intermediate division.

The canoe freestyle followed, where paddlers launched into the eddy with a single blade paddle and battled the waves, attempting to keep the bulky vessels in the wake.

Mike Terlesky led the way while Connor Oliver-Beebe placed second and Adam Robinson was third.

The freestyle events wrapped up with the advanced kayak competition.

Here, expert paddlers wowed the crowd with aerial tricks, showcasing their ability to dance the kayaks over the wake with precise control.

Kevin Daffe, who dominated the competition in the advanced freestyle for nearly half a decade before being knocked off by B.C.'s Jeremie Drouin in the 2010 and 2011 events, made his way back to the top.

Daffe was declared the co-champion along with Sam Penner, who has represented Canada on the freestyle kayaking world circuit.

In last year's event Daffe and Penner finished second and third behind Drouin.

Dave Pigott placed second behind Daffe and Penner and Lawrence Brennan was third overall.

The night concluded with two crowd favourites in the downriver race and the raft flip.

Any style of boat was free to enter the downriver race, which saw paddlers take off from below the dam in a mass start.

Penner and Daffe once again battled for the top spot in this event, with Penner eventually emerging as the winner. Coming in third overall was Oliver-Beebe.

At the end of the night the competitors joined forces, forming teams for the raft flip.

Launching into the water with massive whitewater rafts, teams raced to flip their boats before climbing on top of the capsized vessels and flipping them upright again before racing back to the intake.

Five teams, composed of six-members competed in the event.

The top team was lead by Daffe while teams lead by Penner and Tony Radford placed second and third.

Oliver-Beebe's and Williams' teams rounded out the pack.

Afterwards, participants were awarded gifts from the nights sponsors; Up North Adventures, Kanoe People and Earls Restaurant.

"It was a great night,鈥� said Quinsey. "This event is always a lot of fun and it didn't disappoint.鈥�