Fans are at fever pitch as the best in the business are doing their final training runs before the first International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup begins in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain.
Only nine months after hosting the ICF World Cup Series Final, Olympic and world champions will take to the Spanish waters again, hoping to make a statement in the new season.
More than 200 athletes from over 40 nations will compete at the venue built for the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 from June 6 to 8.
Click here for live results from La Seu
Usual suspects and Olympic champions Jessica Fox and Noemie Fox will continue to lead the way for Australia, while New Zealand's Finn Butcher is in the mix in Spain.
The Fox sisters enjoyed a dream 2024, with Jessica winning the women's canoe and kayak double in France, and Noemie becoming the first women's kayak cross champion at the Games.
With a home World Championships in October, both will look to carry as much momentum as possible.
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Czechia will start its campaign with hopes pinned on Jiri Prskavec, who is in red-hot form, having won a historic seventh European title last month.
Multiple world champion Vit Prindis has not made the cut in the team, but youngsters Jakub Krejci, who also recently won a European gold medal in kayak cross, Gabriela Satkova, and Tereza Kneblova are among a stellar line-up.
Home hopes will rest on men's K1 Paris 2024 bronze medallist Pau Echaniz, European champion Miquel Trave, and the legendary three-time Olympic medallist Maialen Chourraut, who has made a habit of standing on the podium in La Seu.
Adam Burgess and Kimberley Woods will hope to fly the flag high for Great Britain, with both coming off strong performances at the European Championships.
Defending overall K1 World Cup champion Ricarda Funk and Noah Hegge are among the stars for Germany, while Slovenia's hopes will rest on Benjamin Savsek, Ziga Lin Hocevar, and Eva Alina Hocevar.
Italy will look to Xabier Ferrazzi and Giovanni De Gennaro for medals, with Andorra turning to Monica Doria, and Evy Leibfarth among the stars for the United States.
The ever-reliable Matej Benus will lead from the front for Slovakia as he begins his title defence.
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The World Cup begins with the men's and women's K1 heats and finals on June 6, followed by the men's and women's C1 heats and finals on June 7.
On June 8, the first stop of the five-part series concludes, with the men's and women's kayak cross heats and finals.
In the K1 and C1, the World Cups this year will have only one heat run, with the top 12 entering the finals.
Individual kayak cross, replacing the usual time trials, will serve as extra motivation as athletes will have an opportunity to advance to the elimination phase and win individual medals.
Full coverage of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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