Name: Bartosz Czauderna
What country are you competing for?
Poland
Favorite place to train?
Uganda, White Nile
How many World Championships have you competed in before?
5! :O the time flies!
What are your previous placements at Worlds?
8th in K1M , 5th in K1SM Argentina 2017
26th in K1M, 13th in K1SM Ottawa 2015
21st in K1M, 6th in K1SM Nantahala 2013
29th in K1M, 9th in K1SM Plattling 2011
21st in K1JM, Thun 2009

How does the level of competition at World Championships compare to any other freestyle competition?
Level is always crazy ! People work really hard and it is very interesting for me how different regions tend to develop their skills in slightly different directions which makes whole competition very interesting and difficult to predict any results!

What’s your favorite part about World Championships? Or if you have never been to a Worlds before what are you most excited for? (Location, people, party, competing, training, etc.)
My favorite part is about meeting people from all around the world! We all travel there for a long time, some of us living there for months and you get to spend this time with people who share same passion, goal and ideas as you training hard and dedicating their life for what they life. They become your family and that family last for all your life. Cant wait to see family again!

What are you doing to prepare for the 2019 Freestyle World Championships?
Sort is known for being a huge and powerful but hard to predict hole. Luckily Jackson Kayak got 4.0 which is slightly bigger and helps a lot with control and reteinability in such features. I spent winter in Uganda paddling some big water features then i trained quite a bit on flatwater to get my technical tricks in. Now it is time for open water again and slowly start preparing the ride!

What are some things you think you can do to improve your placement in Sort?
Securing control and reteinability is key in Sort and I think new boat will help with that. The tricks are there – can not rush them but have to chain them into one long combo slowly executed
Do you have any pre-competition traditions?
Yoga, Warm-up, short paddle before ! I like playing games to relax too.
Favorite pump up song?
Meditation and silence for concetration.. and then anything that gets my head into ridim!
Do you normally make a routine that you practice and use in competition or do you just send it with no plan?
I always have a full routine and couple alternatives in case I get lost, feature denies something, time runs out, fellow competitors performance affects my run.. Im working on a lot of scenarios in my trainings! I like pairing tricks up into groups to be able to juggle them without thinking.
What is your goal at the 2019 World Championships?
Winning a WCH medal : )!
What tricks or combos do you think you will put into your rides?
I always want to finish with a cow flip! (Lunar,tricky,loop) but it will be tough one there as couple moves tricks are more likely to flush! For Sort plans are different then my usual ride plans.. Im focusing more on getting groups of them together and being month before competition starts I hope to be able to see what works best, especially after the hole is changed
What are your early predictions for who is going to do well in Sort?
mm. Definetly Quim and Dane are people to watch. But with any top15 from Men is currently paddling at such insane level that everything could happen in Sort! In Women it will be interesting to see if Claire’O makes a come back and her fight with Hitomi and my another favorite one is junior ladies, Ottilie vs Sage? Those girls are pushing it so hard! Junior Men are just unpredictable for me..
If you have been to a previous World Championships, what are some tips or secrets you want to share with first time Worlds Competitors?
Try to meet as many people as you can! Become a part of the family , everybody is friendly and welcoming!