In the Whirl Adventures Ater Is an Amazing Element
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16 | Sport BRIDGE | May–June | 2010 goin’ DOWN THE RIVER of Wet In the Whirl Adventures ater is an amazing element. When Wild Water W we are kids, we are fascinated by the Really wild water flows way it whirls1 as it goes down the plughole2. especially on mountain Sometimes we let little wooden ships flow on slopes4. Only a few kilometres 5 rivers. Later, some of us turn to wild‑water from the source , the river gets big enough to kayak on it. sports. However, it is not for everybody. “In the Czech Republic, 100,000 people try You must expect wild rapids6, water tourism every year,” according to a report by rocky gorges7 and waterfalls. CzechTourism, a government agency supporting It is often necessary to get tourism in the Czech Republic. However, out of the boat and explore thousands of people try more adventurous sports the situation from the river than just paddling down a river on a canoe. On bank8. It is a very dangerous the same river, huge rafts can be ridden, young activity – one mistake can mean ‘game over’. Many people have people have fun in the waves below a weir3, and drowned9 this way. slalomers race between the gates. Jakub Turek (CR) www.horydoly.cz Photo: Horydoly.cz, Bridge Touring In Germany and the Czech Republic DOWN people prefer riding in open canoes, Rafting but in other countries it is popular to Fans of rafting need a wider river go on slow rivers, lakes and along the with a bigger flow10 of water. Six sea shore in so‑called sea kayaks. They people sit on a huge inflatable11 boat are narrow, quick boats that can carry and compete with others. Three or supplies13 for a week‑long camping more boats (depending on the width trip. The Polish enjoy sailing on their of the river) can ride at the same large lakes, Americans set out to the time, overtaking12 other boats, and sea and so do Brits, who need to take also hitting them and pushing them warm clothing and safety equipment aside. It is an adrenaline sport for the because their sea is cold and wild. competitors and attractive to watch. www.bridge-online.cz | 17 Freestyle Free and cool – these are the key Slalom words to describe the youngest Do you like precise rules, hard training discipline called freestyle or and zigzaging14 between gates? Then wild water rodeo. It resembles try water slalom. Nowadays it is usually gymnastics and figure skating, and competitions are usually not practiced in natural conditions. won by very young racers. The Sometimes there is too much water, racers move in one spot (just sometimes too little; the rain can raise several square metres), on one the water level15 quickly. That’s why wave or roller16, performing as the races take place in artificial canals many difficult tricks as possible. built for this purpose. Artificial canals The referees judge various kinds 17 18 offer fair conditions to all racers and of rolls and somersaults . are safer than rivers. The best canals are totally independent of rivers, and water is pumped into them by giant pumps. The best‑known canal in the Czech Wild Water Glossary Adventures Republic is in Troja in Prague. The water‑slalom world championship and the final race of the European cup in The Czech hopeful wild water – wild, flowing rivers freestyle took place there, as well as flat water – calm water (pond, Eighteen-year-old Jiří Dupal was the Czech lake, swimming pool...) many other races. The most difficult junior champion in water slalom for two years. Czech canal is Trnávka in Želiv, where This year he enters adult competitions. He will raftboat – inflatable boat for even professional competitors are compete with waves and gates in the men’s 4–12 people afraid to paddle. kayak category. He has become a top kayaker, canoe – boat for 1–5 people, who although he lives in Olomouc, where only kneel inside and use a paddle with the lazy Morava river flows and there are no a blade on one end artificial canals with wild water nearby. kayak – boat for 1–2 people, who sit inside and use a paddle with blades on both ends; such boats are used on the most difficult rivers Eskimo roll – when the boat Canoepolo turns over but the person manages How about a ball game on boats? Canoepolo to turn it back and remain sitting or has similar rules to water polo but is played in kneeling in it kayaks. Players throw a ball, hide it under water and strike19 it with a paddle. There are only playspot – a place where various a few teams in the Czech Republic, not even tricks can be performed (a wave, a league. Germans, however, love canoepolo a roller, a place where flow and and it is a common sport in other parts of counterflow meet...) northern and western Europe. creeking – an extreme ride on wild narrow rivers with rocky rapids and waterfalls fall – waterfall or weir from which VOCABULARY 7 gorge [gO;dZ] – soutěska 13 supplies [s@"plaIz] – zásoby one can jump with the boat to the 8 bank [b&Nk] – břeh 14 to zigzag ["zIgz&g] – kličkovat foamy water below 9 to drown [draUn] – utopit se 15 level ["lEv(@)l] – hladina 1 to whirl [w@;l] – vířit head to head – a race in which ["plVgh@Ul] 10 flow [fl@U] – průtok 16 roller ["r@Ul@] – vodní válec 2 plughole – odtok two boats compete simultaneously 3 weir [wI@] – jez 11 inflatable [In"fleIt@bl] – 17 roll [r@Ul] – obrat 4 slope [sl@Up] – úbočí nafukovací 18 somersault ["sVm@sQlt, -sO;lt] – against each other on one river 5 source – pramen 12 to overtake [@Uv@"teIk] – salto (e.g. in rafting or in freestyle) 6 rapids ["r&pIdz] – peřeje předjet 19 to strike [straIk] – odpálit.