2015 ICF World Championships Slalom
 
1
2
3
K1M
CZ J. PRSKAVEC
PL M. POLACZYK
US M. SMOLEN
K1W
CZ K. KUDEJOVA
DE R. FUNK
DE M. PFEIFER
C1M
GB D. FLORENCE
SI B. SAVSEK
GB R. WESTLEY
C1W
AU J. FOX
CZ K. HOSKOVA
ES N. VILARRUBLA
C2
DE ANTON/BENZIEN
FR PICCO/BISO
FR KLAUSS/PECHE

Canoe Slalom

Al Ain - The new place on the white water world map

al ain canoe slalom wadi adventure uae emirates wildwater sportscene course training

Vit Prindis | Sportscene - A built up area in the middle of the Middle East desert with a modern centre for white water sports seems to be an idea from science fiction. Where else could  this idea be realized, other than in the United Arab Emirates. There are famous buildings such as the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, The World - artificial islands, indoor ski centre and many other futuristic attractions. Undoubtedly they have sufficient experience to build a project of this size. When choosing a suitable location for white water centre the fourth largest city of the United Arab Emirates, Al Ain won. In Arabic this is literally translated as The Spring. The city which is located 120 km from Dubai and 160 km from Abu Dhabi, has more than half a million inhabitants and is situated in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, near the border with Oman. The city consists of plenty of oases and is also known as Garden city.

The whole site is called WADI Adventure and includes three artificial courses for white water sports with a total length of 1,113 km. In addition it includes a swimming pool, an artificial wave for surfing, capable of generating a 3.3 metre wave every 90 seconds, as well as a climbing wall, zip line, climbing centre, restaurant, shops, cafes and other facilities. Water is supplied to the centre from the sea where the water is desalted and lightly chlorinated before use.

al ain canoe slalom wadi adventure uae emirates wildwater sportscene course trainingFor the second time most of the Czech national white water slalom team and members of USK Prague chose this place as a suitable destination for their winter training. There are several reasons for this choice. The first is certainly availability. Flights from the capital city of the Czech republic Prague to Dubai takes comfortable 6 hours. Another two hours should be added to the transfer by car from Dubai to Al Ain. Just three hours’ time difference facilitates rapid acclimatisation to the local environment and therefore paddlers can immediately start training. The proximity of suitable accommodation is another undeniable advantage. In the vicinity of the WADI Adventure are 80 cottages that can be rented. All are within 10 minutes walking distance from WADI. The average annual rainfall is 96mm, low humidity and average temperature at this time of year of 22 ° C are a suitable combination for all training needs.

Do you want to paddle in the desert? Prepare approximately 550 euros for the flight, which includes entry visa and boat transfer. Transport to the Al Ain can be arranged using two methods. The first is to rent a car at the airport or you can use the local taxi drivers who will take you 120 km for less than 70 euros. The Rental price for 4 person cottages, through the WADI Adventure is around 120 euros per day. However, they are large enough to comfortably accommodate 5-6 people. Paddling on the slalom course can be arranged in dedicated slalom hours or raft sessions. Prices vary but basically an hour of training costs around 10 euros.

Proofreader: Katie Ellis