Water Sports on Kiev's Dnieper River

There are not many cities in the world that have such a vast and accessible expanse of water as the Dnipro (Dnieper) River running through Kiev's city centre, and on these steaming-hot summer days there is no better way to cool off than to spend some time on, in or around the river.

Waterskiing and Jetskiing On Kiev Waters

If you like going fast and don’t mind getting wet, waterskiing and wakeboarding are the sports for you. After that initial wobble, and maybe a spill or two, you will soon be up on your feet and flying across the surface of the water. And once you’ve mastered a turn or two across the wake we guarantee you will be thinking of popping your first jump or easing yourself into a mono-binding. There is a special waterskiing cable run (at the ‘X-Traction’ club’) which is ideal for beginners wanting to try out the sport for the first time, and there are clubs with boats, modern equipment and very helpful instructors for those who want to take to the river. If you are an experienced water-skier, get down to the river and amaze everyone on the beaches with your skills and backflips.

This high-thrills, high-spills sport is a real adrenalin rush that will have you thinking you could well take off when you’re approaching the maximum speed of about 70km/h. There are two types of jet-ski, stand-ups and sit-downs, but only the sit-downs are available here in Kyiv at present. This is a good thing for the absolute beginner because an experienced instructor can sit behind you while you learn, but this isn’t rocket science and after learning the basics you will be off on your own throwing turns and stunts and impressing all the beautiful young ladies on the beach!

waterskiing on the rivers and lakes around Kiev

Windsurfing

Windsurfing has been around for several years now in Ukraine, and although it is still in its infancy here, it has recently experienced a massive increase in the numbers of enthusiastic participants. Don’t worry that you will be falling off every two seconds or that you’ll sail off into the distance never to be seen again, because the world of windsurfing has moved on and there are always friendly instructors available who will have you up on your feet and sailing in minutes

Rowing

The currents of the Dnipro can be fairly treacherous, so there aren’t many places where you can rent a little rowboat for an afternoon’s pottering about on the river, but for those looking for some good exercise there are a number of sports rowing groups you could get involved with. If you decide to do so, you will be participating in what is widely considered the oldest sport in the world. The first reference to competitive rowing dates back to the 25 Century BC when the Egyptians raced each other down the Nile. However, the sport didn’t reach this part of the world until 1718 when Tsar Peter I signed a document instructing the creation of a fleet of rowing boats so that, “all people will learn to love the sea and never be afraid of it.” In those days all the boats had a purpose such as carrying passengers or cargo and therefore were not ideal for racing. Work started on making faster and lighter boats for this purpose. In 1892 the International Rowing Federation appeared which created a list of rules and organised international competitions resulting in the sports inclusion in the 1900 Olympic Games, but at that time only men could compete. In today’s Ukraine, however, everyone can participate and there are competitions held annually on the Dnipro. Don’t worry if you have never tried it before, there are plenty of schools and clubs which will be more than willing to help

Sailing

The economic miracle that has turned Kyiv into Eastern Europe’s leading boom town has also made quite an impact on the Dnipro, with more and more quality yachts appearing on the water as each summer swings by. Kiev has always been a sailor’s dream, with Ukrainian yachtmen regularly taking top spot at Olympic events throughout the Soviet era, and as such the Ukrainian capital is dotted with yacht clubs where keen amateurs can learn the ropes or hire a captain to take the strain for them. The word ‘yacht’ comes from the Dutch meaning ‘to catch up’ which if you have ever watched a yachting race you would probably see it is a perfect description. The first regatta took place in 1661, and some of the yachts taking part had been presented to the English authorities by Russian Tsar Peter I. That’s right, as it was with rowing it was with yachting, and Peter I was the man who initiated Russian yacht building. Since then it has turned into something of a phenomenon, and is a much-loved pastime for many Ukrainians. The country has some very good yachtsmen as was demonstrated in the Olympics of the 70 and 80s where the Ukrainian team always did very well. Now there are a few Yacht clubs on the Dnipro, all of which offer sailing lessons and have boats for rent.

Contact : tony@ukraineconnections.co.uk : Phone : 01256 882339

Travel, Tourism and Holidays Specialists to Kiev, Around Ukraine and Crimea

Water Sports on Kiev's Dnieper River

Waterskiing and Jetskiing On Kiev Waters