Kayaking: Wild-water games break from slalom circuit for Meehan

Jared Meehan will be paddling in Bratislava this weekend in the Slovakian Open slalom race. Picture / Bay of Plenty Times

He's fast becoming the master of adventure-style paddling, but Jared Meehan is switching back to some serious slalom this weekend.

The Tauranga kayaker finished second in the Outdoor Games in Switzerland, nearly snatching another title on a productive European campaign.

He had already added the Teva Mountain Games title to his CV two months ago in Italy and his Swiss outing capped an unorthodox buildup to the world canoe slalom championships in Prague in a fortnight.

"The rapids were the biggest I have ever seen an extreme race on," Meehan said of the Weiss Leuchine section of river near the Swiss town of Interlaken.

"It was pretty exciting to be racing against some of the world's best kayakers on this sort of white water and it made for awesome spectating.

"It was good to spend some time relaxing off the slalom circuit for the weekend and I'll meet up with the Kiwi slalom team in Bratislava, Slovakia, tomorrow for the Slovakian Open slalom race this weekend."

The 24-year-old was among 20 of the globe's top paddlers invited to the Outdoor Games, which also featured climbing, downhill mountainbiking, base-jumping and paragliding.

The kayakers lined up four at a time, eliminating two paddlers in each race until the final four.

Meehan won each of his heats, quarter-final and semifinal races but was undone by Italian Michealla Ramazza, the man Meehan beat at the Mountain Games.

"I was pretty happy with the way things were going but I was hoping I hadn't used too much energy in the early rounds and not saved enough for the final.

"I had a good start to the [final] race and took the lead early until about 50m before the finish line, where I got slowed down with a bad line off a small waterfall.

"Michaella, who was on my tail, took the opportunity and passed me to take first place."

South African Craig Willment was third in a field that also included Dutch guru David Arnaud and another South African, Steve Fisher, regarded as one of the best adventure kayakers in the world.

Meehan will join Johann Roozenburg and Mike Dawson in Slovakia as they chase world championships and an Olympic qualifying spot.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES