Valentin Grollemund - Pro kayaker: June 2009

I was talking about it in a last post, and it didn't fail it was a good weekend !!!!!
Great show, good atmosphere, big sun... all was there to have good moments!!

This weekend was also the opportunity to meet all the Adrenagliss team riders and celebrate the first anniversary of Adrenagliss!!

The program was simple, water jump, fashion show, drinks, restaurant, concert ... nice isn't it?
I've to advised you to come next year!!

back flip

Val on the top of the kayak ramp

Val does a "lazy" trick

Gautier trying a swith Backflip

Rico in the air

Front flip and back flip

Jerem

Front loop doesn't work...

Simon in back flip no hand

Samuel

Val

Max, Adrenagliss boss, in a kickflip with his bodyboard

Eric

Sébastien

Yoan

The models... alala...

It's not often I have a model in my arms in front of crowd, believe me it's fun! ;-)

Many thanks to Max and Alban, the Adrenagliss boss for this good weekend!!
Get together next year!!

www.adrenagliss.com

On June 7th to 14th I was in Italy for the Teva Extreme Outdoor Games in Val Chuisella and Ivrea.

The program of the week... kayak!! ;-)

For several years the Teva Extreme Outdoor Games were organized in Val Sesia and this year was a big change with two destinations.
Furthermore, this edition was in the same time the first Extrem Kayak World Championship by team of nations.

This year we did 6 races:
- individual long race, Chuisella
- team long race, Chuisella
- induvidual slalom race, Ivrea
- sprint individual, Ivrea
- team slalom race, Ivrea
- boater cross, Ivrea
+ Top 20 super sprint (Chuisella)

Wake up at the Chuisella campsite

Tuesday:
After a wet night in the tent, we make our french camp at the campsite in Chuisella.
And it is with joy that we discover the races sections on the sumptuous Chuisella. It's beautiful, steep and there're many lines.

Wednesday:
We go again on the river, and we enjoy the hard section of the Top 20 super sprint.
On this section, it's super steep and fast, and the correction is never far away ...
Well, the evening we've to be in Chuisella for the registration and an aperitif with all the kayakers and the organizers.

Thursday:
The morning, hostilities begin with the individual long race. This race determines the first 20 that will run the Top 20 super sprint on the hardest section of Chuisella.

Results:
http://www.tevaextremeoutdoorgames.it/result/long.pdf

Eric, Max and I win our spot for the Top 20 super sprint.
Unfortunately Max, who was wounded at his left shoulder can't compet...
Indeed several selected paddlers leave their spot for this race!!

We've to say this race was rather hard, thresholds, a 10 meters drop, slides and a big hole to finish!

Val in the 10 meters drop

I decide to make my race and finish it alive if i can... and it works, I'm 7th!!
Few, maybe no paddler has achieved the perfect race, now you know how this race was so hard!!

Dejan Krajl in the drop

The 10 meters drop

Mike Dawson

Of course, our national Eric Deguil was 4th after a race nearly perfect, too bad...

All the kayakers of the Top 20

The results:
http://www.tevaextremeoutdoorgames.it/result/top20.pdf

Friday:
This morning it's team race, France is represented by Fabrice Poueyto, Eric Deguil and Max Mitaut for the first team, the second with Stefun Pion, Devigne Laurent and me.

We start well and on the first big drop Laurent who was in 3rd position breaks and opens the nose of his boat on 40cm.
So Stefun and I finish the race together without Laurent... At the end of the race section we enjoy some freewheels.
We are good last...

Soon after, our frenchies coming fast and finish 2nd behind New Zealand and ahead of Slovenia.

Val freewheeling

Just after the race, we did a photo shooting with all the sandiline paddlers.
Raph Thiebaut made it and join in the same time the sandiline team, welcome Raph!! ;-)

Femke, Eric, Mike, Enrico, Stefun, Val and Dejan

Let's drive to Ivrea.

Eric opens a new huge waterfall!!

When we arrived in Ivrea, Eric and I open a new section... the children garden..
Next we organised our french camp and enjoy the evening with all the kayakers.

Saturday:
Let's paddle the slalom race on the hard and strong slalom course of Ivrea, the slalom race of Enrico is dificult and it's easy to miss a gate.

Val

Again, I decide to do my race and it works again, I'm 8th!!

Fabrice Poueyto

With some bad ribs problems, Fafa does his best all the week!!

Eric Deguil

Eric does again a super race and fail 5th...

A big bravo to Dejan who wins the slalom race, waouw it was a great race!!

The results:
http://www.tevaextremeoutdoorgames.it/result/slalom.pdf

Now, let's paddle the sprint race!!

I do 2 good runs and I finish 17th

The results:
http://www.tevaextremeoutdoorgames.it/result/sprint.pdf

Thilo brunner and David Arnaud in the helicoptere to make some photos and videos.

End of the afternoon, here we go for the slalom team race.

And again, Laurent wounded can't compet the slalom team race.
Stefun and I decide to take the start of the slalom team race... so we do it funny!!

Chek in the middle of the race.

We have to cheer our frenchies, they do a good run and finish again 2nd just behind the New Zealanders.
They're VICE WORLD CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The results:
http://www.tevaextremeoutdoorgames.it/result/team.pdf

We finish this good day with this beautiful medal and the party starts!!

The party is always awesome like every years, the DJs are so good, all my friends are here... But tonight, we compet for the now famous "Trophy Party"!!

Eric and I win easily the Trophy Party before a captivated crowd !! ;-)

Val, on the way to win the Trophy Party!!

Sunday:
The following morning, the first 34th at the Teva Cup ranking do the boater cross.
The war starts!!

Val and Sam at the war!!

The afternoon, for the semi-final and finals we've to touch sime pipes with the hand in the eddys, a good way to make a more dificult race!!

The results:
http://www.tevaextremeoutdoorgames.it/result/Boater%20X.pdf

The podium of the World Chmapionship by team
1 New Zealand, 2 France, 3 Slovenia

Carla, the organizer

Femke and Val

The results of the Teva Cup:
http://www.tevaextremeoutdoorgames.it/result/TEVA%20CUP%20.pdf

AT the end I'm 12th and 2nd french after Eric Deguil.
My goal was to be in the Top 20, I did it!!
I'm not happy of the Team races... :-(

A big bravo to all the Frenchies, all the sandiline team, the organisation and all my friends!!

See you next year!!

Photos:
Fabrice Poueyto
Raph Thiebaut
Thilo Brunner
Peter Linter
Christine Grollemund
Valentin Grollemund

The videos of the event made by the organisation, David Arnaud, Gautier Grollemund and Olaf Obsommer.