Originally built in 1996 on an island in the Danube, the Cunovo Water Sports Centre in Bratislava, Slovakia hosted its first World Cup kayak event in 1997 and again in 2013. When Cunovo Water Sports Centre was selected to host the 2021 World Championships, they made the decision to redesign and rebuild the historic channel for the event. The Slovakian Federation tapped the S2o team to lead a major renovation of the iconic dual-channel venue. The team created a new channel configuration and incorporated the RapidBlocs™ Obstacle system to give Cunovo a better racing experience for top-level boaters and recreation-level users alike.
 
The work on the iconic venue included reconfiguring the channel layout and updating the obstacle structures. The unique parallel courses, which allow paddlers to change from one course to the other midway, had become outdated, and unfavorable conditions on the left channel made it largely unusable for recreational paddlers and not conducive for competitions.
 
The S2o team redesigned the channel to integrate their patented RapidBlocs™ system, highly customizable three-dimensional obstacles that form the course’s waves, holes, drops, and eddies. The flexibility of the new system allows the operators to customize the configuration with the desired amount, type, and shape of features for any level paddler. The new competition channel configuration included repositioning the starting gate, adding spectator-friendly features in front of the grandstand, and reconfiguring the bottom features on the racecourse.
 
Project Highlights
Removed and replaced more than 80% of the channel system.
Incorporated the RapidBlocs Obstacle System.
Designed the project in cooperation with the Slovakian coaching staff to ensure the best training and racing environment for local athletes.
Matched the natural rock aesthetic of the original design.
Completed on a short timeline to meet World Championship schedule despite the pandemic.