Last weekend, Rafting Asocijacija Srbije (Rafting Association Serbia – RAS) held the 4th memorial race for Aleksa Kojadinović on the river Lim, Priboj, Serbia. It was also the 2nd event in the IRF’s 2021 Euro Cup Series, the Dracula Race having been the first.

Despite a smaller number of teams competing due to the pandemic, the event went smoothly with the sun coming out to welcome teams on the first day. Seven teams competed with two of those making their way from Banja Luka (Dajak Klub and SRK Bosna Zenica).

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What is accessible tourism?

Accessible tourism is also known as Inclusive tourism, but what ever you call it, or however you define it, the meaning and aim is the same.

“Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavor to ensure tourist destinations, products, and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical or intellectual limitations, disabilities or age. It encompasses publicly and privately owned and operated tourist locations.” Wikipedia.

“Inclusive Tourism is about reducing uncertainty around what to expect from a destination or service.

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IRF Attends SportAccord’s IF Forum

IRF President Joseph Jones, Secretary General Sue Liell-Cock and International Relations Chair Peter Micheler recently had the extreme honor and pleasure of joining with 383 other participants to attend the 15th edition of the International Federation (IF) Forum hosted by SportAccord. This exclusive ‘by invitation only’ event is held every year for global sports leaders who represent recognised international sport federations and the Olympics.

We were welcomed by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, and treated to an Opening Address from SportAccord & GAISF President Dr.

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IRF GTE Instructor Conference 2021 welcomed over 80 participants

The IRF’s 2020 Instructor Conference was scheduled to be held in France in May last year but due to the pandemic, was postponed to May this year. As the time approached it became obvious that the pandemic still had its grip on the world. And so the decision was made to run the GTE Instructor Conference online.

Usually the conference organisation needs involve dealing with hosts, potential speakers, subjects and trade partners.

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Chuya Rally 2021

From the 07 to 10 May the world-famous Chuya River, in the Altai Republic of the Russian Federation, saw the traditional rafting competitions of the All-Russian Rafting Competition, the Altai Republic Championships, but most importantly of all, the infamous Chuya Rally. Let us remind you that the first World Rafting Championship was held here – the Chuya Rally of 1989!

The almost summer water level of the Chuya offered more opportunities, but for safety reasons the section from the Begemot threshold was excluded.

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Don’t Panic: Take an IRF GTE Workshop

Since the release of my first article with the IRF, “5 Steps to Becoming a Rafting Wild Whitewater Woman”, I have been afforded the unique privileges of connecting with a diverse range of people & organisations operating within the outdoor industry; publishing a second article in which I share advice on how to treat the whitewater off-season, and, most recently, to boat in astonishingly beautiful places.

Other than actually earning my place as a whitewater raft guide, nothing has filled me with more pride, and private panic, than my most recent experience facilitated by the IRF!

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Benvenuto nella River Family!

By Mark Hirst, IRF GTE Secretary

The 29th of March was a memorable day for me. I was downhearted and depressed about the fact that I could not run any IRF workshops due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But I was healthy, and that’s all that really matters during this current period of time.

By 15:00 this had all changed. During the time inbetween, I had been contacted by three individual parties from three different countries requesting that I run workshops.

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