Barry's Blog: Four Days to go

With four days to go until the official start of the 2011 World Championships, Plattling has exploded with kayakers from all over the world. With the line in the eddy getting longer every day out here as everyone tries to get to grips with the feature it is getting harder and harder to get a decent session in. I was able to put my ride together before it got too busy here, which is standing to me as i am just fine tuning it at the moment. Depending on what level it will be on the day I will either drop or add certain tricks and mix up the order of it to best suit the way I am paddling.

Mens prelims begin on Wednesday the 22nd, with Squirt and C1 starting things off on Tuesday after the opening ceremony on Monday. Juniors Men and Women are the last of the prelims on Thursday with the second rounds taking place after that. The competition site is really starting to take shape out here with the grand stand now in place. In typical German efficiency it only took a couple of hours for it to go up with a team working around clock to have everything ready in time for the start.

With the line in the eddy being so long during the day we have been getting early morning sessions in at six am when its quiet, and relaxing during the day until it quietens off again in the evening. We are taking a few night sessions as well under the lights of Orky's car which have been great criac and a good way to beat the crowds. During the day we have been chilling out at the campsite and swimming pool with the latter proving to be the source of a bit of bad luck with the team taking some injuries on the water slide over the last two days. I think we will try avoid them for a few days at least.

That's about it for now. Ill throw up a link of streaming of the heats if they are doing that again this year. Here are a few more photos from Plattling.