2017 Event Round Up
Intro
Rafting Race
See more Raft Race Images by Cassidy Berg.
Griningsdal Rapid Race
With an early spring melting a lot of the snow and a dry summer, we had little flows on Ula last summer. So we looked for a new venue during the low water summer. Martin Vollen, a Sjoa local recommended we checked out the Griningsdal Rapid high up on the Sjoa River close to Gjendesheim. This is a series of slides and drops contained and compressed within a low canyon walls, stacked up on each other. As a new race venue the line of competitors was a little thin at the start eddy. After several had ran good lines down the rapids, a steady stream of racers descended the Griningsdal Rapids. Special mentions go to Viktor Legat from Zet Kayaks, managing to pull off an unintentional barrel roll of the main drop, which please the crowd. After a tight race, Julian Stocker from Voss and Capucine Thomas-Lépine from Trondheim took away the honours.
Sweet BoaterX Rumble
Louise Capel was the Race Director for the annual Sweet Rumble. She managed to pull the hoard together once again in the Åmot Canyon on the Sjoa River. The rounds come thick and fast in the Rumble, with tight racing in the entry rapid and through the corridor. Positions often change and change again. The final rapid provides a tight finish eddy and is occasionally missed, proving a regular upset to leading paddlers. The crowd loves this late Saturday afternoon race, watching from above along the canyon walls.
Surprising herself and delighting the crowd Anne-marthe Kommedahl won her first Sweet Rumble, and Viktor Legat made up for his Griningsdal Rapid Race action, sweeping the win for another Czech winner.
Palm Throwbag Olympics
As we wind up for the party on Saturday night, we have a final challenge after the grill flames die down. The Palm Throwbag Olympics is a series of elements to overcome whilst competing against others in a rush to finish first. Needless to say that for the local raft guides, this competition is a little more competitive, and prior practise has certainly been undertaken by those keenest to win. Still if you watch the whole show, it’s a sublime combination of skills with precision, and haphazard throwing attempts. Check out the video below.
All in all another summer in Norway past by, with the Sjoa River Festival another grant highlight. We go again 10/15 July 2018. Hope to see you there.