The Centre for Advanced Laser Applications (CALA) made a vibrant splash at this year's "Master of the Olympic Lake" dragon boat race, paddling their way to an impressive second-place finish in the finals. Held on June 28th at Munich's Olympic Lake, the annual event saw teams from Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) and Technical University of Munich (TUM) compete in a thrilling aquatic challenge.
Building on their creative success from last year, where the team's CALAmari theme won second prize for most creative costumes, this year's team embraced the 'CALA-ful' (pronounced 'colorful') theme. Just before their first race, team members engaged in a playful color-throwing session, decorating their crisp white overalls with vibrant splashes of color. This spirited pre-race ritual not only energized the team but also aligned perfectly with the event's festive atmosphere and tradition of post-race color fireworks.
The CALA team’s performance proved even more impressive than their appearance. In their debut qualification race, the team set a blistering pace of 1:21.2, recording the third-fastest time across all qualifiers. This strong start propelled them through the semi-finals and into the final race, where their dedication and teamwork truly shone. The final was a nail-biter, with CALA-ful securing second place in a photo finish, just 0.1 seconds behind the victorious ESN (Erasmus Student Network) team.
The excitement wasn't limited to the main competition. CALA's Stefan Karsch participated in the professors' race between LMU and TUM, adding another layer of friendly rivalry to the day. In a thrilling turn of events, the LMU boat, initially lagging behind, made an impressive comeback in the final stretch, resulting in a dead heat finish.
As the CALA team returns to their cutting-edge research on laser-driven particle acceleration, they carry with them not just the excitement of their racing success, but also a renewed appreciation for the power of teamwork and creativity. While they may have missed the top spot by a fraction of a second, CALA-ful has certainly left a lasting, colorful impression on the Munich dragon boat racing scene.
The team expresses heartfelt gratitude to Trumpf Scientific Lasers for their continued financial and athletic support.
Pictures: Elisabeth Aicher
