Just got back from the chezch republic Euopean Seniors Slalom Comp.
Have to say it was great fun and made better by free beer for competitors (and possibly judges)!
Thursday we had the water to ourselves for a coupe of hours for training on their course.
Friday we competed in Giant Slalom. This was a course of 9 gates of which 2 were easy ups. Basically a sprint slalom. Needless to say those who know me well will know I did better at this than normal slalom. Says a lot!
Saturday we had a standard slalom. 18 gates as I remember. Didn't do so well as I couldn't quite handle the big standing wave in the middle of the course. More practice required next year.
Sunday was team runs. We organised ourselves in to a Scottish team and two other teams based on results from Saturday. The team run was difficult as there was a difficult break out just before the standing wave that no one was managing to nail and I was struggling to even get into (as were many of the locals). Anyway we all completed the course and came 5th, 6th, and 7th out of 9 teams. There was nearly as many C2 teams as the Chezch's seem to compete in every discipline and to a ripe old age too.
Other differences, simple electronic start and finish (one gadget on the bank, one on a pole in the water at each end).
No individual timings on the start list, simply a time when the event started. Work the rest out yourself based on interval. No prestart or even any communication from start (apart from the odd hand wave to tell you to get closer to the start line) just watch the start board, listen to the bleeps an go. Still it made life easy as none us would have understood anyway! Didn't seem to be any hassle if you ran late (not many did) you just got in the queue and got on with it.
Runs were back to back, K1M, C2, K1M, C2, K1L, C1, K1L, C1 certainly made the arms burn!
Judges wrote touches on short slips which were collected periodically by a runner. They also indicated their dicisions to the crowd from what I could see there was no other reason for this as I could not see a sector judge or anyone else recording their signals. It did make it more entertaining as you knew what had been given.
Reruns didn't seem to happen, you certainly didn't get whistled off, it was more down to the competitor to get out of the way and then they rejoined (literally) behind. At times there were up to 3 paddlers doing this!
Results took a while, 1st results didn't usually appear until at least 2nd runs had started although this didn't really matter as all competition was on combined results.
No cards just a simple start list and a results list. No indication of where touches had been given from what I could see but perhaps suprisingly it seemed to make the event more relaxed.
Very efficient rescue undertaken by a couple of chaps tied on to throw lines who jumped in when assistance was required. Boat and paddler out in double quick time.
Some very young (and not so young) paddlers competing. Age did not seem to be a factor at either end of the scale.
Only one delay I was aware of when the electronic timing stopped for a short while.
Rather loud music on the PA which seemed to add some atmosphere, I thought I'd notice it as I came down the first part of the course where the PA was situated but I wasn't aware of it at all.
Guess its simple to do when its based on a short man made course with good access and clear line of site from top to bottom. Bit different on river banks like in the UK.
They certainly know how to pack as many features and gates as possible into the smallest amount of water. Nice sprint at the start and end.
As with all events in the UK a dedicated gang of local club members invested a lot of time and effort building the course and running the event.
All in all a fabulous event at a good location with FREE beer, very welcoming hosts, well organised and very relaxed. Pity the weather wasn't a bit better.
Plenty of people fishing too!
Already planning to go next year and perhaps do some paddling elsewhere afterwards.
Thanks to everyone involved in organising the event both in the UK and in the Chezch republic.
I think I can say we all really enjoyed ourselves and for those like me who were having a first taste of paddling abroad (let alone competing) it was one I would like to repeat.
Duncan