The Machu Picchu Kayak Fest is the first kayak competition held in one of the seven wonders of the world and this year has been the Second Edition. It was held from the 3rd to the 5th of November on the Urubamba river (Peru), where I had the opportunity to return to compete and have fun with kayakers from different countries including Chile, Ecuador, Catalunya, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Peru and many more … the festival was attended by over fifty participants in different categories such as professional, expert and novice as well as in three different modes; slalom, boater-X and down river.
We enjoyed a competition that was very accessible to everyone. The championship was a difficult three days: the first day became the recognition of the competition section, inscriptions were opened and we made the briefing. The second day started in the morning with the down river pro in a section class III/IV which lasted about twenty minutes where I got a good result and got second place.
That same afternoon I took part in boater-X in front of the baths of Santa Teresa. The on-ramp to the river made from bamboo made it one of the most spectacular competitions to see. Eliminatory rounds two until you reach the last two rounds where the first, second and third place is determined. Finally, during my last round I did not do as well as I had previously and got second place. It was a great evening of laughter and the atmosphere was great!
The last day I took part in the slalom competition which, after the rain from the night before made the river rise, which increased the difficulty. In the slalom competition, the fastest slopes out of the two were counted. The top three were very disputed, but finally, I got first place. In short, it was another great year at Machu Picchu Kayak Fest sharing with all kayakers and having a very good time. I hope to return for the festival next year.
