"Extra hands are always needed," says kayaker Vít Přindiš as he prepares for Paddleride

For Vít Přindiš, this slalom season is his first in many years without a spot on the national team. But boredom is not an option. On Sunday, June 22, the traditional Pádlojízda (Paddleride) takes place – a warm-up event for the upcoming Canoe Slalom World Cup in Prague–Troja. What else is he currently involved in, and will we see him back on the start next year? He shares more in this interview.

The Paddleride has become a cult event ahead of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Prague. Will you be helping with the preparations again this year? What can participants look forward to?

I’m planning to paddle the Paddleride myself this year, after a long break. There’s a one-week gap between World Cup races before Troja this time, so we hope some international paddlers will join as well. In recent years, the organization has largely been taken over by Lukáš Přinda, and I’ve been helping him mainly with managing registrations. Most of the logistics are on him, but this year I’d like to help more on-site too.

What about your role in the World Cup preparations themselves?

I used to be more active in the organizing committee. In recent years, because I was still competing, I stepped back a bit. But I’m pretty sure Jiří Rohan will find me some tasks this year. Extra hands are always welcome. I might jump in with the technical crew and help with anything to make sure everything looks good.

Where do you see yourself in the sport in a few years?

One of my goals is to start looking at the organization more as a whole. Jiří Rohan, as the head of the organizing committee, often mentions he doesn’t want to keep doing it forever. I’m not saying I’ll immediately take over from him, but it’s definitely something I’ve thought about. The aim is to keep the World Cup tradition alive in Troja. It would be a huge loss if these races disappeared – they’re really important for the development of canoe slalom.

This year’s national team selection was very tight. How does it feel knowing you won’t be racing in Troja?

From a competitor’s perspective, of course it hurts. Racing at home in the World Cup is probably the highlight of the whole year. So yeah, it’s tough knowing I’ll be there as a spectator for the first time in about ten years. But I also think I’ll enjoy it in a different way – it’ll be a welcome break from all the stress. I’ll get to experience the event from a whole new angle.

Less stress, more fun

We’ll see. I’m looking forward to being there without nerves, without the emotional rollercoaster, just watching great performances. I’ll probably still be thinking about how I would’ve tackled this or that gate, though.

When will we see you back on the water?

Right now, I’m not super motivated to train on the water – mostly because of the bad weather. Plus, I’ve been spending time on other activities – I go to the gym, climb, cycle, run – just trying to stay in shape. Honestly, I don’t miss the water that much in this chilly weather. But I think that’ll change soon – I’ll start missing it again.

There have been rumors that this might be your final season. Is that true?

I haven’t made a final decision yet. I’m leaning toward continuing, but I want to give it some more thought. If I decide to keep going, I’d like to change things up a bit – maybe try a different training approach with Jiří Dostál. I’d love to get his advice on what to focus on. But for now, it’s all just ideas.