Photos

Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river (according to wikipedia).

I attended today, as a spectator, an event which took place in Metz where many teenagers competed in a form of kayaking called Playboating (Freestyle). While the other types of kayaking consist in going from a point to another, in playboating the contestants stay in one spot (or at least they try to) and perform different artistic moves making use of the water’s force.

The contest and all the other training sessions occur in a small river connecting the lake in the central park and the Moselle River. The water surrounds an island where the University is located (Saulcy Island). This small river is very calm most of the times because the water flow is controlled by a dam. This dam is opened during these events creating rapids which are suited for the practice of sports such as kayaking.

This place is situated very close to the town’s centre and it attracts all the passers-by because of the unusual activity it provides. The city of Metz even accommodated the Canoe/kayak World Championship for universities in 1998.