Even though the official history of canoeing in Merano in South Tyrol did not start until 1951, when the Section Canoe was founded as part of the Sportclub Merano, the river Passirio had seen canoes cross its waters long before.
The river Passirio hosted World Championships in 1953, 1971 and 1983.
The city of Merano has witnessed many canoeing highlights, from Italian Championships to the European Cup, the national premiere of the World-Cup Sprint in 1994 and the ICF-World Cup Slalom event 2001 and 2004.
