Those who have negotiated the treacherous wild water Sava course and come out in one piece are among Slovenia’s most skilful kayakers. Twelve top athletes also rose to the challenge in Red Bull Upstream – not in kayaks but on wakeboards.
Up to now the natural habitat of wakeboarders has been limited to the coastlines of charming beaches and explored more favorably in hot temperatures and under sunny skies. Since September 20 that’s no longer the case. That day in the fall-like frosty town of Tacen near Ljubljana, Slovenia, Red Bull Upstream was held. The world’s first ever wakeboard contest on a kayak course was also the birth of a new sport: wild water wakeboarding.
In front of 1500 spectators 12 wakeboarders met the challenge of a course that, if described as ‘technically ambitious’, would have been an almost negligently euphemistic phrase. The Sava delivered the cabled boarders with rapids and eddies, slippery rocks and artificial obstacles.
After they had become familiar with the course, the wakeboarders were sent into a qualification round. The best six then competed in two final rounds. Alongside great style, tricks and performance, the jury was also looking for (the most courageous) choice of line.
The best show was delivered by German Nico Lerchenfeld, who took home the first ever Red Bull Upstream prize. In second place was the Hungarian Balász Bakró; Nico’s compatriot Dominik Gührs bagged third place.
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