David Bain | Sportscene - I find slalom videos tend to bore me, no mountains, just artificial sites with blocks making features, sure there is a lot to be learnt from watching video but for pure interest and enjoyment its about white water, pushing the limits of paddling.

I then watched Shaun White's new video, someone who has inspired me since a kid, I mean he is a complete ledged who obviously loves riding more than anything, as we all know his competition record is not only in the X Games but also the Olympics is outstanding. Snowboarding is definitely one of the most extreme sports in the Olympics which is probably what makes me watch it in preference of most other Olympic events.

This video [see above] really struck home to me about how much time and effort it takes to overcome difficulties in sport, not only physically but more so mentally allowing yourself to try something over and over again, sometimes without gaining progression or success initially, with the looming thought of what if it never works?

What really inspired me about this video was the honesty of the whole thing. Many people are scared to say they are scared, for fear of being judged as a pussy or a wimp but this video showed another side. It showed that even one of the most accomplished snow sport athletes in the world not only feels fear but has to work hard to overcome it.

In slalom it is obviously a completely different ball game, with white water courses being rather tame compared to what can be found on real rivers there is not the element of fear of injury or not being able to complete the course but whilst walking the course prior to a race we still have to overcome the challenge of a move that we might not be certain on or have doubts if it is worth the risk in executing it in a particular way, the only difference is that this has to be overcome quickly and confidently prior to getting anywhere near the water so you reach the start line with a clear head.

We have this same sort of process in training especially on repeat sessions where a move can be repeated to find the excellence an athlete is looking for. This can be infuriating if it is not improving as you want, but as shown in this video the longer it takes to achieve the desired technique the more it means to us in the end, repeating this then becomes remarkably easier as we know the feeling and position we need for a positive outcome first hand.

White water paddling is certainly much more similar to this with much more time being spent analyzing the risk of injury in relation to the chance of success. I think this is why I love both slalom and white water paddling though, it’s the challenge to achieve a desired outcome, something that you know will feel great once it is completed.

Maybe one day Olympic white water paddling will become more extreme too. It would certainly turn canoe slalom in to even more of a show case event than it already is, something I would love to see!