Name: Nick Troutman

What country are you competing for? Canada

Favorite place to train? the river

How many World Championships have you competed in before? this will be my 7th worlds

What are your previous placements at Worlds? 3rd, 1st, 5th, 13th, 3rd, 11th

How does the level of competition at World Championships compare to any other freestyle competition? Well, simply put it is the best freestyle athletes and competitors from around the world. So, its pretty much the hardest event to win.

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.) To me, the World Championships is a bit of a homecoming, I get to hangout and paddle with many amaZing athletes and friedns from around the world. It is an event that brings everyone together from all corners of the globe.

What are you doing to prepare for the 2019 Freestyle World Championships? I am training in my kayak, trying to learn as amny different combos, paddling different types of features, and working on my phyical and mental strength.

What are some things you think you can do to improve your placement in Sort? I am learning to hone my mental abilities, to stay relaxed and focused, and to remember to have fun.

Do you have any pre-competition traditions? I like to always try and calm myself, this usually involves some sort of meditation or inner thought.

Favorite pump up song? hmmmm….. this always varies. Though I have been listening to ‘Get Loud for Me’ as it is my son’s pump up song, and listening to it with him puts a smile on my face, and pumps me up too.

Do you normally make a routine that you practice and use in competition or do you just send it with no plan? Yes. I try to make a routine and stick to it. I find I to my best when I am reacting instead on thinking and processing.

What is your goal at the 2019 World Championships? Honestly, it’s to have fun, excel in my training before hand, to do my best, and ultimatley to win.

What tricks or combos do you think you will put into your rides? Hard to say still, I haven’t seen the final version of the recently build hole in Sort.

What are your early predictions for who is going to do well in Sort? That is always so hard to say, there are so many factors.

If you have been to a previous World Championships, what are some tips or secrets you want to share with first time Worlds Competitors? Make sure to enjoy yourself, take it all in. The whole experince, the culture, the competiton, the local food and the people. You will leave, and the memories are usually that one epic meal, or the people you met, and the experience of a new country. The final placing and result is just a part of it, it is the whole experince that makes the memories.