THE DEVIL’S EXTREME RACE

In 2007, three young Czech paddlers decided to organize a race on the Vltava River. Mira Kodada, Jakub Nemec, and Jirí Kopecný dreamed that one day, their small event would draw others to one of their favorite parts of the world. Today, you would be hard-pressed to find a European kayaker who hasn't heard of the Devil's Extreme Race. In the thirteen years since its inauguration, this "small race" has grown and evolved to become a preeminent event in the European Race scene. With its multiple races, a train shuttle, and live music drawing over 700 people to Vltava Valley each August, the Devil's Extreme Race bears little resemblance to its humble origins. Yet there is one thing that hasn't changed: the festival's spirit.

Words: Pavlína Kodadová

Every year, as the end of summer approaches, kayakers flood the Czech village of Loucovice. The region, located only a two-hour drive from Prague and Salzburg and three hours from Munich and Vienna, is a famous holiday destination popular for swimming, biking and summer parties. But this small town has gained renown for another reason. Here, in the southern part of the Czech Republic close to Ceský Krumlov, on the last weekend of August, the Lipno Reservoir opens its gates, releasing the Vltava River. As the grey-brown water tumbles from the reservoir and courses through the surrounding Bohemian Forest, it drops in elevation, spilling over and around boulders to form a torrent of whitewater ranging from grade II-V. It was, Mira Kodada, Jakub Nemec, and Jirí Kopecný thought in 2007,…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Winter 2019

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