VODÁK sport | speciálka na lodě a běžky

Elvis lives or Vavrinec creek was worthwhile of going again!!! As usually, this year’s Vavrinec creek was a success. What shall I write, you all have been there anyway, or haven’t you? Raise your arm, if you weren’t there :-) I was there and enjoyed myself... I’ll start with paddling, although the most important events usually take place off the stream :-) Saturday was a glorious day as cut out of a calendar page ‘gorgeous Indian summer’. The Sun shone nicely and pulled out many paddlers to water. There was more then enough water in the creek this year. That made the first footbridge in Vavrinec very attractive for the audience, while many paddlers passing under it cooled pleasantly themselves down in the water. Following rapids were also interesting and provided a lot of fun. Not only customers of some travel agencies, sent to a “slaughter” without necessary canoeing experience, were involuntarily swimming, but also some experienced matadors were just toys in waves. Anyway, the renowned cataract near Tousice was easy :-)) only for stuntmen... water ran through the more technical right part of the riverbed. Other brave paddlers finished their run in the first hole under an extremely high jump in the beginning of the cataract. Ideally, someone pulled them out, otherwise they bumped down the stoniest cataract in our country on their bottoms (I wouldn’t wish to see their bruises)... Those who survived or sensibly carried their boats along the bank could look forward to an unrepeatable (actually once a year repeated) gorgeous evening dance party. As usually, the party was the best one in a year. There were at least five hundred exhilarated paddlers squeezed in a hall for about a hundred people. The band played really well, so nothing could keep you from dancing except the few neighbours standing on your feet, of course :-) The evening pleasantly passed in excellent atmosphere. The first team competition – rolling the barrels - started at ten o’clock. Surprisingly, the barrels were great, plastic and competitors rolled in them. Difficulty of the competition was increased by a rum relay. (Actually, the paddlers’ drink Rum isn’t Rum any more, simply the drink we used to call Rum before we entered the EU :-)) The first prize was a bottle of... what?... of the fluid once called Rum :-) So the winners had the time of their lives.. The following dance series were really intensive and soaked everyone’s T-shirts with sweat :-) The traditional cancan took place at eleven o’clock. I would say it’s always the same but the opposite is true. The dancers are even more beautiful from year to year, although in the beginning they were the most beautiful dancers I had ever seen :-) They danced with brilliance so the hall roared. It wouldn’t surprise me if the hall collapsed. About a fifty kilogram’s light had fallen among us during a dance few years ago, but that was nothing in comparison to what is usually going on here :-)) Ha! I’ve nearly forgotten!!! The most important person of the evening was Elvis!!! Space people paid their visit to ordinary paddlers last year, this year Elvis rose from the dead!!! Really!!! The real divine Elvis is alive!!! He was there with us and enjoyed the whole evening!!! He even touched my wife!!!! I don’t exist for her any more :-( she thinks only of him, the cool, divine Elvis.... And what happened next? We were dancing, a bit drinking ;-) and the party continued... Interrupted by results of the inserted race for Iron pot, which I at last left to another poor one :-) and a terribly long tombola... Sponsors don’t be silly!! Don’t put so many things to it!! The tombola took one and a half hour...:-) On the other hand there was something nice (from Vodak sport for example – hidden advertising :-)) for almost everyone (except us :-)) I cannot comment what followed the tombola... but if I made up something, there wouldn’t be anyone to squeak. Those who went to sleep weren’t there; those who stayed till the morning don’t remember anything :-)) And it’s Sunday... A day as cut out of a calendar page ‘ugly raw autumn’ Changing into cold wet rugs and going down the unpleasantly splashing ugly cold creek... My goodness!!! That’s actually what we paddlers like most!!! That’s the essence of canoeing!!! Splendid!!! And the cascade in the end!!! The Vavrinec creek was the last dot in this year’s season; at least for me. There’s a White water second-hand market this weekend and then I’m looking forward to skiing; but I’ll write about that another time :-) A few links to conclude: You can see Marek’s photos here. And the results of the competitions hopefully here.