European Wild Water Racing Championships 2003 - Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic - Richmond paddlers; Richard Hendron, Sean Martin.
Photo Diary - When we arrived we saw a tiny, unpaddleable river about 6 inches deep with weirs about a foot high - and this was supposed to be a major wild water championship! - there was hope however - in the form of a giant dam at the top of the valley with lots of lovely water waiting behind it. With the river only being switched on one hour before the races we found a proper river to train on. Race day and the fashionable main shopping street had its tranquil stream transformed into a really challenging wild water racing course. This part of canoe sport normally involves miserable cold mountainsides in winter - the River Tepla was extraordinary experience - racing through steam filled tunnels under the city and bouncing down rapids surrounded by shopping centres and tousist attractions. S.
