2021 SUMMER CAMP WITH FAN VIT-AS BOHINJ SPORTS ASSOCIATION

THANK YOU, URBAN, FOR THE AMANZI AND AZULBOARDS SUP BOARDS:
WITHOUT THEM WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ORGANIZE OUR SUMMER CAMP FOR CHILDREN

Not quite true. Even without the AMANZI and AZULboards SUPs, we’d still be out and about enjoying the joys of summer. But it's true that stand-up paddle boarding did make our summer camp a lot more fun. How?

We practically slept and ate on the SUP boards boards under the blue sky. I'm just kidding. Although the Amanzi SUP boards are durable and could withstand such a feat without a doubt, we did not take up this challenge at the camp. With the SUP boards kindly offered by Urban, the designer of these inflatable SUP boards, we enriched our water activities programme. Sleeping and eating arrangements were done somewhat differently.

Who is writing this post?

My name is Prof. Dušan Tomc, President of the Fan Vit-As Sports Association.. Want to know more about how we enjoyed ourselves at the summer camp and what we really did on SUP boards? I'll tell you all about it below.

What sort of camp was this exactly?

The summer camp, organised by the Fan Vit-As Sports Association, is dedicated to children who are lively and eager to socialise. And also, to parents who want to give their children an active holiday. But above all, they want to enjoy 5 days of blissful peace.

Parents quickly become enthusiastic about our thoughtfully designed children's programme. At first, the children are more reserved. They are unsure whether they can tear themselves away from the safe shelter of home, especially the comfortable bed and smart devices.

But our Fantastic 4 team have devised a well-thought-out strategy. We get the kids so excited about summer camp that they ask us on the very first day when we're going to do it again. Not to blow our own horn, but we really have the magic touch.

This year we took the children to...

...Bohinj! From 11.7. until 16.7. 2021 we took over the Suha cabin in Ribčev Laz. We managed to squeeze all 22 children and 4 adults into the cabin. Our "All inclusive" camp offer included: - cooking and washing up on our own, - everyone cleaning up after themselves, - trying out all the activities that nature and the weather allowed us to do, and of course the AMANZI and AZULboards stand-up paddle boards, - social evenings and parties in the evenings that we organised on our own, - we used no special techniques for falling asleep, as we simply collapsed on our beds after a full day of sporting activities. Do you want to know how we motivated the children to do all this? Well, that's a secret. Unless your kids have already told you...

Cooking for 26 people is no small feat

But our chef Marijana wielded the kitchen knife perfectly and rose to the challenge whenever hunger struck. The overwhelming aroma that seeped from the cabin, thanks to Marijana, had one key task: it acted as a compass and helped children find their own way back to the cabin.

The children were most enthusiastic about Marijana's pancakes. More than the taste of the sweet pancakes, the children were amazed by the almost magical skills with which she wielded the frying pan. Watching the pancakes fly high into the sky and back into the pan was downright spectacular.

Marijana has put together a real gourmet menu for the summer camp. She made sure that the children ate delicious and tasty meals to recharge their batteries for sporting activities.

We took up sports activities to strengthen our bodies and clear our minds

We were actively lying on the beach by the lake, just lazing around. Quite the opposite. We were really active. We spent two days enjoying various water activities on Lake Bohinj. First, we warmed up our muscles by cycling to the lake. The bicycle was our primary means of transport, as much as the weather allowed. We also wanted to cycle straight across the lake, but we realised that this was not yet possible. Good thing we equipped ourselves with SUP boards and canoes.

Exploring the beauty of Lake Bohinj with Amanzi and AZULboards SUP boards

Thank you so much Urban for letting us use your boards. Riding them was a truly unique experience. While paddling on Lake Bohinj, we were able to see beautiful beaches and admire the estuary of the Savica river.

To appease our competitive spirit, we also competed in speed paddling on SUP boards and canoes. We got so excited that our arms almost fell off from paddling. Urban, I must say, you were right. Your SUP boards are real beasts. They handled the frisky youngsters well. And they all stayed afloat. Well, one or two would splash into the water from time to time. And how did the SUP adventure end? The kids were happy - the parents were happy; the SUP boards were whole - Urban was happy. Run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, as the saying goes.

We met an unusual creature

On the third day, the night rain brought us a fresh start of the day. Perfect for a full day’s hike to the lookout point at Vogar and to the Blato mountain. The hike was largely uneventful when suddenly... You’ll never guess, who crossed our path. A real forest elf! And no, this is not a joke. It really was a forest elf. Don't believe it? When you have time, take a hike along this trail, and go see for yourself. And don't worry, the forest elf is quite friendly. You'll be fine.

Did someone mention a hidden treasure? Let’s go look for it!

On the fourth day, we further strengthened our muscles by cycling tirelessly. All day long we pedalled, looking for the hidden treasure. And oh boy were we happy when we finally found it. We had found a mysterious chest. We were a little less happy when we saw the 3 locks that stopped us from getting to the treasure. It was only in the evening that we managed to solve the mystery of the 3 locks and open the chest. What was hiding inside? That I can't tell :). Well, all right, I'll tell you. The chest was full of marshmallows and sparkling wine for kids. First, we enjoyed a barbecue by the fire. Then... Well, then we had a real party with the treasure we found.

Thanks, Urban for the great SUP boards - are we still on for next year?

On the last day, we wanted to test our climbing skills. The rain dampened our plans, so we entertained ourselves with board games. And then it was time to say goodbye. The Fantastic 4 strategy worked like a charm. Attesting to this were the sad expressions on children’s faces along with the parents' rested faces. Have no fear. The children were not upset because they did not like our camp. On the contrary! They loved it so much that they said goodbye to us and to each other with a heavy heart.

Although I have thanked you Urban quite a few times in this post for your SUP boards, I'd like to thank you again for the end - THANK YOU.

Can we set a date to borrow them again for the next summer camp? I promise we will take good care of them.
President of the Fan Vit-As Sports Association: Prof. Dušan Tomc

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