The countdown is on. In ten days, the best of the best in kayaking will meet in Austria’s Ötztal valley for the 2011 adidas Sickline Extreme Kayak World Championship to crown the world champion in extreme kayak sprint on the legendary Wellerbrücke rapids. Never before has the field been as competitive as this year, which will make the battle for the much sought-after World Champion’s belt even more thrilling. Several European TV stations will broadcast the final of the top 15 live.

For the fifth year in a row, the world’s best whitewater kayakers will meet in the small town of Oetz at the entrance of Tirol’s Ötztal to determine the fastest extreme kayaker. This year, around 140 athletes representing no less than 25 different countries participate in the adidas Sickline Extreme Kayak World Championship, including Argentina, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, Russia and all of Europe. The top class field also includes slalom and freestyle world champions.

When focusing on outdoor sports you can’t get around a sport that is as fascinating as kayaking 

says Axel Burkhardt, head of Olympic Sports, Cycling and Outdoor at adidas Global Sports Marketing. „That’s why we created the adidas Sickline Worlds in 2007, offering the best paddlers on the globe a new competitive platform. A top-class race on a challenging course that’s is called the „Eigher North Wall“ of whitewater sports for a good reason. Of course, we run an extensive safety operation to secure the athletes’ highest possible safety.“

World’s elite of kayaking at the start

There are no official federations and organisations within extreme kayaking. The best whitewater kayakers can be found more on expeditions and first descents than at races, but they are very athletic and very skilled, which is why there had been a strong desire amongst extreme kayakers to have a World Championship. The adidas Sickline tests the kayakers’ ability to not only get down one of the world’s most challenging rapids in one piece, but to do it fast as well. In addition to the world’s best whitewater kayakers the adidas Sickline attracts many of the best slalom and freestyle paddlers, because they can combine their technical skill and fitness with adrenaline. This is why the start list reads like the who’s who in kayaking.