The start is here!

Prague. The site of the first world cup of the season, a city steeped in history, charm and tradition.

 

We arrived here on Saturday to begin preparations for the competition and having spent a considerable amount of time here preparing for last years world championships I feel like I still have a good feel for the place. A couple of sessions in and the normal feelings of being lost on the course are few and far between and it has been fun to rev it up with Helmut Oblinger, a top ranked competitor and sometimes training partner from Austria. I say that it is easy to get lost on this course because unlike most of the artificial slalom stadiums being built these days, Prague is dead straight. The gradient is constant and the 75 gates hung for training make it a sea of poles that are hard to differentiate from one section to another. I have always had trouble the first few days figuring out where I am on the river. The race actually is easier because there are only 20 gates out there and the course becomes obvious. Still, this year has been easier and I am enjoying my time out there.

 

The weather has been hit and miss with either scorching heat or drizzly rain. At least the nights are cool for sleeping in either case so all is good.

 

I will update as the week goes on so tune in.

 

Watch for stories of lost boats in transit and missing athletes…hopefully the old saying, alls well that ends well will apply.