{"id":26343,"date":"2022-01-15T11:00:59","date_gmt":"2022-01-15T19:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=26343"},"modified":"2022-01-18T12:10:16","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T20:10:16","slug":"home-waters-rok-rozman-and-the-soca-and-sava-rivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2022\/01\/15\/home-waters-rok-rozman-and-the-soca-and-sava-rivers\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Waters: Rok Rozman and the So\u010da and Sava Rivers"},"content":{"rendered":"

To truly know your home river, you need to spend time in, on or beside the water, in all types of weather, through different sports and activities and through each season. To know one river so intimately is uncommon. And to know two<\/em> rivers and to call them both \u2018home,\u2019 is quite unique.<\/p>\n

Rok Rozman grew up within walking distance to the Sava River in Gorenjska, a mountainous northwestern region of Slovenia. On the Sava River,<\/a> he learned to catch frogs, to fish and eventually to whitewater kayak. Through these activities, he got to know the river closely and from multiple perspectives. Twenty years later, he moved to another special river in Slovenia, one known by whitewater kayakers around the world\u2013the So\u010da River<\/a>, which winds from Triglav National Park and into Italy where it joins the Adriatic Sea. \u201cNow, I can call both Sava and So\u010da as my home waters,\u201d he says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t get much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo: Katja Jemec<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Slovenia is neighbored by Italy and Hungary to the west and east, and Austria and Croatia to the north and south, and the variety of landscapes reflects this unique geographical position. For such a small country, (Slovenia could fit into Italy 15 times), Slovenia has wild forests, mountain landscapes and an incredible number of healthy rivers. \u201cWhen I\u2019m on the Sava, I\u2019m paddling deep green pools interwoven with mellow whitewater, surrounded by thick, dark forests, rich with smells of fir trees and mushrooms. If I\u2019m early and careful enough, I can spot an enormous Danube Salmon at the tailout of a pool and sometimes a deer crossing the river.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m on the So\u010da, I have less time to look around since the rapids of the great gorge demand quite a bit of focus. But in the pools between rapids, even after all these years kayaking this section, it\u2019s almost impossible not to be amazed by the snow-white boulders pointing out from the emerald water and steep mountains in the backdrop.\u201d<\/p>\n