1/2 Hanne Geurts and Kiki Roeling (top two) in a Forward Motion team (photo: Patrick Spel).
The Netherlands is not exactly known as a country with rivers full of rapids, boulders and waterfalls. Nevertheless, rafting team Forward Motion from Tilburg will participate in the World Rafting World Cup in Argentina in early November. To be able to make meters on white water, they spend a lot of time in the car. “It takes eight hours for a competition or training abroad,” says Hanne Geurts (28) from Tilburg.
For Geurts it will be her first World Cup. She works full-time, but in her spare time she is passionate about rafting. “From April to approximately October, we attend a foreign competition or training every month. From France to Germany, we look for beautiful places. Yes, that’s a lot of kilometers.”
The team trains in the Tilburg canal a few times a week. Geurts does not see it as a disadvantage that training is mainly done on calm water without rapids. “To get ‘flat water’ moving, you need a lot of force. This makes us relatively strong at a start. That is a big advantage.”
For Geurts, one of the best things about rafting is that a lot of adrenaline is released when she gets into the boat with three teammates. “Anything can happen, which makes it super cool. We once participated in the Czech Republic, where they save the water in a dam. When the lock opens and you go sailing, there is enormous water pressure. We were stuck with our boat and fortunately we got free just in time, otherwise another boat would have crashed into us. You really don’t want to swim on that stretch.”
She hopes for tough conditions in Argentina. “That makes it more interesting. It is a period when a lot of snow is melting and coming down. It is nice that we can explore the course shortly before the World Cup. For example, where are large stones in the water and where do you really not want to go?”
“One mistake can determine your entire match.”
It is her fourth World Cup for fellow resident Kiki Roeling (26). She knows from experience that a rafting competition can be unpredictable. “Your boat can capsize, you can lose a paddle and you are dependent on the water and the weather. A mistake can determine your entire race. There are four of you and you have to have the same plan. If three go one way and the fourth makes a different choice, you can lose the necessary seconds.”
Participating in the World Cup is a great honor for the team, but it is a significant investment financially. “A trip to Argentina costs quite a bit of money. We don’t get paid anything and nothing is reimbursed for us, but we are happy to pay for it,” says Kevin Klomp (34). “Rafting is a great sport. We enjoy nature and visit all over the world, which is worth a lot.”
Events at the World Cup
Forward Motion will participate in the World Cup with two women’s teams and a mixed team between November 3 and 9. A total of nine athletes will participate. There are four parts: sprint (covering a short distance as quickly as possible), slalom (passing between gates), head to head (battle between two teams, where boats can touch each other) and down river (course during a descent). Ultimately, all scores add up.
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