an introduction to the course at Liptovsky ..

Early start today, away from our accommodation by 7.20 and headed to the course to begin training on the water at 8 am. First view of the course is certainly impressive with a beautiful new building housing the new boathouse, storage facilities, meeting rooms and offices, backed by a huge grandstand with a great view of the whole course .... only problem is it still isn't finished and has looked like this for almost the past 2 years although today we did spot cleaners inside the building wiping down windowsills and installing new furniture so here's hoping its up and going by this time next week. They have worked hard on bringing the course environment up to scratch with newly painted seats, lovely tidy storage rooms and the old boathouse has had a wee bit of a spruce up and maybe even a lick of paint. The grass is cut right down to the waters edge and we were pleased to see that O.H.S Slovakia have been on the job and had them replace the bridge which crosses the centre of the course with new metalwork and railings and the other two upstream have also been repaired. Just as well because today we heard a rumour that there were over 500 boats entered. 

new building and grandstand, kids first look at the course

Tommy heading from the warm up pool down the course through the forest of  poles

Most of the kids were back training today after the Krakow water woes and with the weather super hot  the toughest job was coaching as quite a lot of the course has no shade except in the new grandstand where it was cool for the whole day. Martin and Pavel are doing a fabulous job with the kids and their morning session was a joy with pretty much no other teams on the water.

Martin coaching during the afternoon session of quarters

sickies ..... sitting in the shade in the grandstand, talking on skype with Lisa  Dangen in New Zealand

getting organised outside the old boatshed

Home for some rest time and then lunch and back for the afternoon session at 2pm. Much busier on the course this time and the kids were pleased to meet up with old mates from USA and Canada . Everyone training hard with a highlight of a hand roll by the C2 boys after Dan lost his paddle in the rocks in the big eddy - it was a bit hard for some of the lads to concentrate this afternoon with the far side bank littered with sun bathers of varying ages and sizes and states of undress .... Patricks observation was that it seemed to him that elderly people in Slovakia had no modesty when it came to exposing their bodies and that perhaps they should. One van load of kids investigated the shopping mall after training today with the girls finding some bargains and the boys deciding that chips and chocolate were more to their taste. Boys out with the rugby ball playing on the road this evening - there is no grassy area nearby for them to toss the ball around and the number of times it disappeared over a fence or sailed close to the side of a 600 year old building doesnt bear thinking about. Another early start tomorrow with the same training times posted, this will be the last unofficial training day and from Thursday onwards we will only be allocated one whitewater session per day.