The 2024 Panamerican Rafting Championships are set to make waves in Pucón, Chile, with an impressive lineup of competitors. This year, 70 teams will compete, including 27 men's teams, 16 women's teams,...
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Time Trial is the largest manufacturer of inflatable products for sports and outdoor activities in Russia for over 18 years and from 2019 this Russian affirmed brand becomes the Official Partner of World Rafting Federation: it will provide the main WRF competitions with the official rafts. Only the shipping cost shall be borne by the local organising committee.
During the World Champs 2018 in Ivrea (Italy) athletes from all over the world paddled on R4 Time Trial rafts and straight after the race WRF board started thinking about a long-term collaboration: at the end of March 2019 an agreement has been signed in Villeneuve between the Russian entrepreneur Ilya Gubarev and the WRF President Danilo Barmaz.
The TimeTrial factory was founded on 7th July 2000 by the captain of the Neva Tour Rafting team Sergei Petrov and since its inception, the priority direction for the company has been the production of inflatable rafts for rafting and competitions. Experienced specialists and representatives of the industries take part in the production of these equipments that are tested by professional athletes, coaches, Sports Federations, rescuers of the Emergencies Ministry and the military. Thanks to the modern technology offered by the production area of 2000 m² and 90 professional employees the rafts produced by the TimeTrial factory are present in 22 countries worldwide and have already earned the trust of many teams and Federations.
Mr. Ilya Gubarev declares "We are profoundly honored to collaborate with WRF, being part of the movement that is changing the Rafting World, making it grow, helping every single nation".
After successfully hosting the last Olympic Games in 2016, Rio de Janeiro will host Pan-American Master Games in September 2020 and rafting (R4) has been included in the programme thanks to the collaboration between Brazilian Rafting Association, Brazilian Canoe Federation, ICF, WRF and IMGA.
United under the spirit of sport for all and promoting an active society, the IOC and IMGA signed an agreement in November 2016 (https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-steps-up-its-support-for-mature-athletes- and-signs-mou-with-imga) to strengthen their cooperation in the field of masters sports and continue to explore means to promote and encourage mature athletes from all over the world to practise sport regularly.
Official website https://www.pmg2020.rio/?lang=en (https://www.pmg2020.rio/?lang=en)
For the first time in ten years the Bulgarian Rafting Federation has a new chairman. His name is Tsvetan Petrov, chief international rafting judge, civil aviation pilot and Airbus 320 crew commander. His experience in rafting began about twenty years ago when he went on a student brigade in Alaska. There, in the world’s Mecca of Rafting - the Nenana River in Denali National Park, he received his professional rafting training. Coming back to Bulgaria he made the first pontoon dowriveron the Strumain the famous Kresna gorge and later trained most of the rafters that now work on the river.
- Mr. Petrov, BRF has become one of the founding members of the WRFa year ago, and you are the Chairman of theBulgarian Rafting Federation already for a month. What are the plans of the new leadership?
- There are large scale and difficult tasks ahead of us, but we are very optimistic, even more so that we have been waiting for a year the old leadership to withdraw and give us the authority to function. We feel very encouraged by our international partner (WRF), whose leadership is also new and young .I would say that during the last 10 years, much more could have been done for the Bulgarian rafting, but I'm sure we will catch up now.
- What are your most important tasks?
- First and foremost, we have to renew the federation's license, as required by the new law on youth and sport. Secondly, with the help of the WRF, Bulgarian instructors will be able to train and license Bulgarian river guides and coaches, which has not been done so far. Thirdly, the profession of river guide has not yet been recognized by the Ministry of Laborand social policy, because nobody has been working on this issue. That is what should be donetoo. But meanwhile, we need to make a federal logo, a new website, to work out and accept new rules, regulations and ordinances, and to do everything necessary in order to be in line with our senior leader, namely the World Rafting Federation.
- What about the development of the paralympic rafting?
- The problem is that nobody in our country has ever worked in this direction as well as in many others. We should start participating in international projects, you know there are so many projects financed by the European Union. The Bulgarian Ministry of youth and sport offers also numerous opportunities for international and local activities. Further and very important task is to develop the work with children and young people. At the moment, 3 clubs have been engaged in working with adolescents. Rafting, for example, can be made an extracurricular form in schools that are close to whitewater rivers. This means that we have to sign agreements for cooperation with the local municipalities on the win-win principle, so that the whole local community become involved and children get on and start practicing rafting.
- How do you plan to work with the rafting clubs?
- In our country, clubs have been struggling to survivesince their birthday. There are still clubs that do not compete - those who have not seen any benefit from being a member of the federation. Or have not been invited for members. My goal as a chairman is to pull them together and to make a strong and cohesive federation.We now have 13 clubs, our desire is to be 20 very soon.
- Is there a competition between the clubs when we talk about commercial rafting?
- Each club offers a different experience, whether the river is Struma, Danube, Arda or Chaya. Competition exists when the level of each club is standardized, that is, they are all very good. And this can be achieved by participating in international competitions.Therefore I would like all our clubs to take part at the competitions, organized by WRF and step by step to find their place among the best in the world.
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2019 Senior Worlds is set to be another amazing event.
Please be aware the schedule may still change slightly, depending on TV requirements, and also the number of entries received for the event.
Read Bulletin 2 (https://www.worldraftingfederation.com/component/edocman/tunceli-senior- world-championships-bulletin-2/viewdocument?Itemid=)
Turkish Rafting Federation and World Rafting Federation are glad to announce that Turkish Airlines has been appointed as official partner of WRF Senior World Championship 2019 that will be held in Tunceli from 8th to 13th June.
The event is a great opportunity to show the results of the first year of WRF: an
important meeting for the Federations Board, the first international experience for new members and a big race that will see estabilished teams from all over
the world compete to conquer the title of World Champs in this historical period for Rafting.
The accomodation is free: room and board will be offered by Turkish Federation and discounts on Turkish Airlines flights for National Teams are now available.
How to get the discounts? (https://www.worldraftingfederation.com/docs- 2/turkish-airlines/viewdocument)