Probably most popular water sport in our neighbourhood is kayaking. Not taking care of the pollution of Vistula river it can be a really great activity. Starting at 2 towers (shown on the picture on the right) we can swim over 18 kilometres to get to Zegrze. It should take about 4 hours. One of the biggest attractions of this trip is Tadeusz Tillinger's sluice which, for a long time was a second biggest sluice, after the one on Nile river in Egypt.
At two towers there are also other possibilities, that most of us never tried like jumping from big heights, huge swing and climbing section. In winter, we can even try ice climbing - it is the only place in Poland where we can try in on fake wall.
Talking about water sports we cannot skip all the possibilities connected with Zegrze reservoir. During summer it is filled with yachts and windsurfers. If we have a little luck, we can see a hovercraft passing over 160km/h, training for competitions that take place few times a year. Last year we even had European Championship organized there.There are also some smaller rivers or canals that can be used in an interesting way. Most impressive is wakeboaring. Sport is similar to windsurfing, but you need one person to assist you in car or a motorboat. Idea is simple, you hold one end of a rope and the other one is attached to the vehicle. Besides achieving high speeds you can performs many tricks in air.
For me, the biggest problem is of course pollution - it is supposed, that even sitting near water from Vitula has negative effects on our health. WWF claims that 56% of the river cannot be located in any class describing its purity. Here are some interesting numbers (unfortunately from 2006) - during this year, following amounts of metals has been transported into sea: 106 tons of zinc, 73 tons of copper, 102 tons of nickel and 8,5 tons of mercury (!). Happy swimming :)In addition to water sports I would like to add Frisbee, which can be done anywhere as one of my favourite sports. Unfortunately it was already mentioned in comments so I will just give some basic information. Throwing frisbee is an activity most of us already did as a kid. The point is to throw round thing to the other person, to the target or just as far as we can. During many years this discipline evolved into serious sport, although I still have a feeling that people think it is used mostly to play with a dog.
There are two main games connected with it. First, Ultimate Frisbee is similar to rugby or basketball. The aim of a 7-person team is to get with frisbee to the opponents side of field. You cannot move holding disc and if it falls on ground it is given to the other team. There is also Freestyle Frisbee, which can be done solo. The only rule is that all you do, have to look impressive, here is a movie showing it
From all the sports you described I mostly prefer canoeing.Me and my friends like being dropped down from a helicopter into deep, dark forest and there we’re canoeing for several days. Then we come back home very dirty, sweaty like John Rambo and our women wait for us with a great, huge, fancy dinner.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of canoeing in Warsavian Vistula. Mainly because of water pollution but also because of visual surroundings. Paddling with the accompaniment of car horns and engines, train passing the bridge doesn't relax at all. Instead I suggest a little bit longer trip to Mazury.
ReplyDeleteThese sports are interesting but not for me I think.
ReplyDeleteLittering the environment is reprehensible and should be severely punished. But it's all about awareness of a whole society, for example what do you think about dogs mines – you know I like dogs but I do not understand the people – I can’t go for a walk with my little daughter where she could play on the grass. Sometimes when I drink coffee or smoke cigarette I can see that people come from the adjacent fenced apartment near my balcony were the dogs is doing its. That is the whole urban culture in Warsaw. Widok street (centre of Warsaw) as example – normally you can not go through the walkway anywhere because the dogs mines are everywhere.
I’m not into sports but I’m afraid you have to realize that pollution is a natural consequence of civilization and it will be increased unless you will kill every single man because people have to work, maintain their families which require using more and more resources.
ReplyDeleteMaybe with time technology will solve this problem but it’s not going to be near future.
Ride on hovercraft could be fun : ). Moreover on the hovercraft you do not have to worry about pollution in water : )
ReplyDeletePiotr Bucior:
Dog owners are obliged by law to clean up. You should call for municipal police ; )
You haven't mentioned fishing in Vistula ;) I'm not much into sports, especially those which involve city rivers. About most popular water sport in our neighborhood ... kayaki? I've always though its swimming in swimming pools :) Water is warm, clear (unless someone pee into it) and you don't have to mind a weather outside ;)
ReplyDeleteFrisbee... That's a great thing to do in this part of the year. Thank you for reminding me that I want to do this frequently this year :)
ReplyDeleteI think Urban Exploring is such a nice sport/hobby, which can you draw forward to Poland in past. Abandoned buildings contains plenty of interesting and forgotten things and exploring it, is a great adventure.
ReplyDeleteSports that you are writing about are also very popular in our city.
ReplyDeleteI have not tried neither of them but you get me interested especially about mechanic pontoons.