Uganda has been a top winter destination for kayakers around the world. Thought this we inter it was very obvious with the sheer number of paddlers and various different nationalities. I can think of two main factors for this, firstly being that people are looking for the best place to train for the upcoming worlds, and secondly and more importantly people are trying to flock to the banks of the White Nile to experience this amazing river being it will be turned to flat water forever with it’s current dam project.
For me seeing the influx of people was bitter sweet, I love the fact that I am able to paddle with all these amazing kayakers and friends, though it is a bitter reminder that the amazing whitewater and epic island living of the Hairy Lemon will be short lived with the dame project underway.
Though is the river is going to be flooded we might as well go out with a bang, and in that sense kayakers around the world are living it up on a little island, known as the Hairy Lemon, on the worlds longest river.
The island was a perfect training ground for the upcoming World Championships with the who’s who from top paddlers around the world like Mathieu Dumounlin, Dane Jackson, Kalob Grady, Stephen Wright, Bren Orton just to name a few. It made for a great atmosphere of on water and off water training and games. On water was filled with mock competitions, filming, photo sessions, big rapids and huge aerial maneuvers, while off water consisted of frisbee golf, water volleyball, bocce ball and ultimate frisbee.
It was a blast being back on the island and living the simple life, no running electricity, no internet, just afternoon games and lots of kayaking. After three weeks of some of the best wave surfing on the planet I am know super excited for the 2015 tour to start and even more excited for the 2015 World Championships at the end of the summer on the Garburator wave on the Ottawa River.
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