What is kayak cross, and is contact allowed?

• Four together: "The four (4) boats in the race start at the same time."
• The start: where possible from a platform that drops into the main channel, with an automatic start mechanism. The command is "IN POSITION - READY - GO".
• The course: 4 to 6 downstream gates and, where possible, 2 pairs of upstream gates. A run should take 45 to 80 seconds.
• A choice of gate: a pair of gates lets the paddler choose the left or the right one.
• Touching gates: allowed with the body or equipment. A hand may touch a gate only if it is holding the paddle.
• Through a gate: the whole head and both shoulders must cross the gate line, with part of the boat.
• The roll: in the roll zone the boat must make "a complete 360-degree kayak roll". Where there is a roll barrier, the boat must be upside down under it at one point.
• Contact: "Kayak to kayak contact is permitted."
• Not allowed: deliberately reaching across to hold an opponent back, paddle strokes off another athlete's body, and dangerous contact with the head or body.
• The boats: mass-produced plastic kayaks, at most 2.75 metres long and at least 18 kilograms.
• Who goes through: the first and second in each race progress, and the others are eliminated.

The glossary has kayak cross, the kayak cross start, kayak cross contact and the roll zone and roll barrier.

Slalom is raced alone and judged by seconds, which is hard to follow for someone new to it. Kayak cross was added to give the same water a race that anyone can read: four boats, first across the line. Heavy plastic boats and the contact limits are what make racing shoulder to shoulder safe enough.