Livestream of the Slalom World Championships Junior & U23

Livestream of the Slalom World Championships Junior & U23 which are being held at Foz do Iguazu (Brasil)

2015, a new start

We are officially back on the blog with the start of the new season 2015. Starting today, you'll have the latest news from the world of competition, especially in Flatwater and Surfski in this blog, aiming to approach to our readers major events and news all around the world.

We will also try as most as possible to cover the White Water events, as this is a pre-Olympic year, where the selection of quota spots for the next Games Rio2016...

David Florence and Maialen Chourraut, encouraging golds at Cardiff Slalom World Cup

Last weekend it was hel at Cardiff (Wales, the first Slalom World Cup of 2012, where British David Florence emerged as the event star with two golds in C1 and C2, together with his teammate Richard Hounslow. In the women competition, the Spanish olympic hope Maialen Chourraut took a well deserved gold that puts her in the top bets for a medal in August at London Games.

Copyright: Albert Edmonds - AEPhotos

Not only paddlers, but organizers has also to give their best to go on with the World Cup after cancellation of Day 1 on Friday, due to poor weather conditions, with very strong wind and rain, so timing was really tight on Saturday to race in one day both heats and semifinals in all disciplines.

Spanish Maialen Chourraut didn’t go through Saturday with her best feelings in the venue, but still managed to quailify tenth in the heats and then set a 7 seconds quicker time in the semifinals, despite a 2 seconds penalty which left her third. 

15-year-old Brazilian Ana Sátila, qualified for the Slalom at London Games

Ana Sátila (Foto: Iran Schleder)

The young Brazilian paddler Ana Sátila has become this last weekend the main star at the Panamerican Slalom Championships after winning two golds and getting the olympic berth for London 2012 at the age of 15.

At these championships, held at the slalom course of Itaipu (Foz do Iguaçu, BRA) the last four olympic berths for America were at play for the K1, C1 and C2 Men and for the K1 Women. Paddlers from Canada, Brazil, USA, Argentina, Venezuela and Costa Rica were fighting for them on those disciplines were they hadn't got one at the World Champs last year.

Frontier

Some weeks ago we showed you an spectacular video trailer about the Five2Nine adventurers, extreme kayak lovers with an impressive webpage. Today it fell in my hands another high quality trailer of a film shot by River-Roots about a bunch of guys looking around the world for the best river waves and kayak spots. "Frontier", which is its title, is the second part of another movie called "Dream Result". Let's start writing Santa's letter...

African slalom olympic passports go to Nigeria and Morocco

Last weekend, the African Slalom Championships were held at Bethlehem (RSA) and both winners of the K1 men and ladies, got direct place for next summer Olympic Games in London.

In the Men K1, the main favourite, Beijing medalist Benjamin Boukpeti (TOG) was in clear position to go for his second olympic appearance, but one unlucky touch at the final course made him add 2 precious seconds to the final time, enough to let the nigerian, living in England, Johnathan Akinyemi overpass him by just 1.36 seconds thanks to a quick and fully clean slalom.

Fresh air: Five 2 Nine

Canoeing is a very very important part of my life. It's one of those things that maybe doesn't look so important as long as you're able to go down on the river and paddle. But once you cannot choose doing it... then you really miss it. I've being now for a few days in a rush due to my absolutely boring alien office job. I was feeling like inmerse in a Dilbert comic strip, but with no final joke.

But I just got back to myself later this evening when, thanks to Rob from Sportscene, I discovered an amazing web called Five 2 Nine, based in Canada. It has a powerful design, simple and effective. But the most important thing: extreme canoeing simply slaps your face from the very start and tells you "hey, man, breathe this feeling". I was drowning and they brought me the oxygen bottle.

Maybe all this s**t I've written sounds weird (and probably it is...), but you will realize what I mean when you check this impressive video teaser. Check their webpage, it's worth the click.

reIMAGINED from Five2Nine on Vimeo.

Road to London 2012 (I): The Lee Valley White Water Centre

Slowly 2011 is coming to an end and we face an exciting 2012, year that will reach its peak in August at the Summer Olympics London 2012. From Elite Kayak we will approach this great venue through a report series where we will touch all the facts surrounding the event everybody waits for every four years, both in White Water Slalom and Flatwater Sprint.

Today, we start introducing you the Lee Valley White Water Centre, 30km. North of the Olympic City, which started its building at July 2009 and was...