The opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics is now just hours away. Among the hundreds of athletes on the U.S. Olympic team is canoeist Devin McEwan, a native of Salisbury, Connecticut.

On Monday, McEwan will compete in his first-ever Olympic event — men’s doubles canoe slalom.

It’s not exactly the most well-known sport, so New England Public Radio’s Henry Epp asked McEwan to explain how it works. Click the audio player above to hear their conversation.