The fascination of white water: SUP on the river
How did you get started with SUP on white water? I live about 20 kilometres from Munich, and the Isar flows relatively close by. I thought to myself that you can certainly paddle there too. I then got to know Klaus Cosmo Frieser and he told me that white water paddling is possible. I went white water paddling for the first time in the winter of 2014 and asked a few other people if they wanted to join me. A small community formed and we've been on rivers regularly ever since.
What is the attraction for you? I find stand-up paddling incredibly beautiful and exciting, but I find that SUP on flat water is a little lacking in action - unless it's a race. In white water, the water levels are different every time, it's something new every time, there's more adrenaline, more action. The sport is simply faster and there are completely different forces. I really like that.
What do you find particularly difficult? These are places where water flows from different directions, or water pushes upwards from below. You usually don't recognise these places or only with a trained eye - and I don't have a trained eye yet! You often fall in there and are then swept swimming into the next rapid, which is a bit of a bummer. It's less painful, let's say, if you stay on the board. And small waterfalls or drops often have a backwash that forms a roller. I still find it difficult to judge whether it's a roller that's holding you in place or whether you're going to pop right back up again.
Are you scared? Not that directly, but I have a lot of respect. But I don't think fear in white water is good, because you can't think so clearly when you're afraid.
What is the most important tip you have received? Klaus Cosmo once said, "With white water, you should never think you know your way around, because rivers are always different. You shouldn't say to yourself 'I can do that'. You should never think you're good." I think it's good that whitewater SUP is being done more and more by people like Klaus, who have been kayaking all their lives and have a lot of river experience. They can pass on all their knowledge to us and tell us roughly where the limits are.
What do your parents say? I wouldn't say that my parents are thrilled. They keep telling me to be careful. But I tell them that I'm with people who have experience and who take good care of me.
Do you have a specific goal? I think it would be good if there were more events on the river. And that's also a bit of my goal - to bring new people along and simply make the sport better known.
