BMX gets wild down on the riverbed. Paul Thölen and Daniel Wedemeijer session a whitewater kayak track in Slovenia.
The natural playground for BMX Park riders Paul Thölen and Daniel Wedemeijer usually involves the smooth transitions and flat bottoms of skateparks, but for their latest project the two were taken out of their comfort zone to ride a wild whitewater kayak and canoe slalom course in Tacen, Slovenia that had been drained of its water.
Whitewater courses are mostly artificially constructed. When drained of water the riverbed canals reveal interesting concrete shapes and transitions that make them perfect for BMX riding. Ramps were built inside the 180m Tacen course to allow Thölen, Wedemeijer and the other riders to gain some more airtime.
Thölen, who is only 16 years old, came up with the idea of riding a riverbed trail after coming across a photo of a kayak course without any water last year. His dream came into reality after he got in touch with fellow Red Bull athlete, Slovenian Peter Kauzer, a multiple World and European canoe-slalom champion. Kauzer trains throughout the year on the whitewater course in Tacen, near Ljubljana.
"I simply liked the exciting idea and because I know the course manager really well, I could convince him to leave the place to the boys for three days," said Kauzer.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.