Source: Die Welt | Translation: Franz Anton | Co Edit: Lou Lockhart - Robert Sommer is well-known in the freestyle and wildwater community: organiser of the 2011 World Championships in Germany and owner of Robson Megasports. What not a lot of people know is that Robert Sommer (German word for summer) is also the Mayor of the city Regen (German word for rain).

Yesterday SPORTSCENE already reported about the floods in the Czech Republic and the slalom course in Troja, Prague. Newspaper Die Welt (The World) asked Robert Sommer a few questions about the rain in Regen that doesn't seem to stop! 

You are Mayor of the city, Regen in Bavaria, how often do you hear jokes about your name and the city’s name?
Normally not very often but at the moment with increasing regularity!

How often does someone comment on your surname because of its comparison with the city’s name.
If you have the surname Sommer like me, its normal that a lot of people ask you “Where is our summer?”.

How do you handle the non-existent spring as Mr. Sommer from Regen.
For me it’s not a problem, I can't change the weather, I try to do the best I can and I use the excellent water levels to paddle.

Does the bad weather attract many tourists to Regen?
I don’t believe a lot of people come to Regen because of the rain. The people come to Regen because of many other good things. Normally in Regen we don’t have many foggy days but outstanding sunny days and that’s not what you expect from a city which is called Regen. Our environment is pristine and our drinking water is top class. It's just beautiful in the Bayerischen Wald (Area in Bavaria "Bavarian Forrest").

Does it rain more in Regen than somewhere else?
Usually we don’t have many rainy days, but this year it’s raining everywhere in Europe. I think it will all end in a few days.

Where did the City get its curious name from.
The City was named after the identically named River Regen, it starts in Böhmerwald in the Czech republic and comes together with the River Donau in Regensburg.