Innholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2025 i Kayak Session Magazine

What happens to your used gear? Have you ever wondered what to do with wornout paddlesports equipment? What options are out there? And on a personal level, how do you usually handle old gear? Do you throw it away? Repurpose it? These questions became the core focus of a talk by Bob Timms, in collaboration with Kayak Session, at the Paddle Sports Show in 2023. During his presentation, Bob raised a pressing question: What do we, as paddlers, do with products at the end of their life cycle? This is a question every paddler should consider, and one the paddlesports industry as a whole must confront. As we began discussing the issue with others, we quickly realized that while the problem appears similar across the globe, the solutions vary widely…

The 25th anniversary of the Three-Rivers Rendezvous was nothing short of a celebration for the paddling community, drawing an impressive 300 paddlers from age 5 to over 80 from across Alberta and British Columbia. Under sunny and stormy skies, kayakers, canoeists, pack rafters, and paddleboarders explored the stunning waters of the Crowsnest, Castle, Oldman, Carbondale, and Elk rivers. The weekend was packed with fun, food, and camaraderie. A major highlight was the successful evaluation of five leadership candidates who earned their kayak instructor certifications after guiding students on new rivers, helping them hone their skills and sharing the joy of paddling. Saturday night was a hit with the kids, who played games like the save-your-parent throwbag toss, kayak piñata, and the wildly popular kayak Jenga. The adults got their turn…

After a few years of inactivity due to Covid-19, a small group of passionate kayakers in Spain has brought new energy to the Pyrenees with the introduction of a fresh extreme kayak championship. Aguas Bravas Río Gállego revived two older events with fresh names and renewed energy, creating the Río Ara Race and the Río Gállego Fest. In just four editions, they have already become true classics of Pyrenean whitewater. The Río Gállego Fest, which opened the season in the Pyrenees in April, featured a highly competitive field, especially with many slalom paddlers at the start line. Ekhi Diez claimed the win in the men's race, followed by Markel Imaz and Jan Larrue. In the women's category, Anita Fontana of Italy took the win on the challenging Imbudo rapid. The…

The Reef Royalty International Paddle Fest made a triumphant return to Nahoon Reef, South Africa's iconic right-hand point break, for its 2025 edition. As the only WWSA-accredited event in South Africa, the contest drew top waveski competitors from across the country, and as far as France, to earn valuable points toward qualification for the 2026 World Waveski Surfing Titles in Huanchaco, Peru. Clean 3- to 4-foot surf greeted riders on Day One, with local and international paddlers making the most of the long walls and light offshore winds. Multiple world champion Caroline Angibaud dominated the Women's Division, while Bruce Viaene edged out Andre Burger in a nail-biting Men's Final that went down to the wire. The event also highlighted rising talent from Buffalo City, with three novice juniors—Ethan Nicholas, Joshua…

Located in Voss, Western Norway, and held each June, Ekstremsportveko brings together the unbeatable energy of the global kayaking community. This year, the competitions weren't about world titles, but about connection, progression, and pure river joy. And this alongside hilarious rivalry banter with the skydiving community. The kayaking program launched with the junior clinic, where the next generation took to the Strandaelvi and got invaluable guidance from pro kayakers to style every rapid. They then brought their stoke to the old-school rodeo, where kayakers young and old threw down both retro and modern freestyle moves on Raundalselvi's Church Wave. The extreme downriver race was held this year at the put-in rapids of the lower Myrkdalen, which offered tricky, technical paddling to test even the best of the best. The competition…

Once again during the spring melt, the big wave stars aligned and the days were surfed to oblivion, nights were partied away, kickflips hit the stratosphere, and rough living remained the gold standard of Stakeout. The season kicked off in the Ottawa Valley with three weeks of stable Minibus. When the weather warmed up for good, it brought Big Bus, Sparticus, and sessions at Ruins. By early May, the Lac St. Jean began to thaw, and the Stakeout crew moved north to the promised land of big waves. In their first week up there, a crew of six ran Bridge Rapid, including one lap in a playboat. The next day, Wyatt Campbell-Brunke and Cashion Porter-Shirley ran Bridge in a Duo—one of the biggest rapids ever tackled in a two-person kayak.…

In the heart of Colorado's San Juan Mountains, Arthur Ros and Matteo Rinho identified a supposedly untouched stretch of the Rio Grande: the Headwaters section above the Rio Grande Reservoir. In May, armed with packrafts and minimal gear, they set out on a full-send alpine mission from source to reservoir, completely unsupported. They began their mission with a grueling 14-hour portage from the Rio Grande Reservoir, hiking an entire day to cover 30 miles and gain 6,000 feet of elevation, before finally reaching the headwaters still buried beneath a deep layer of spring snow. “It was endless,” Arthur recalls. “The last few miles in soft snow, hauling packs over 55 pounds, really pushed us to our limits.” This ascent into the alpine region was also a rare and intimate encounter…

Finland is famous for its thousands of lakes, but over 98 percent of its rapids were dammed or altered for industrial use in the 19th century. Today, as efforts to restore habitats for endangered trout and whitefish gain momentum, dam removals are becoming more common. One recent example is the Virtaankoski project in Sysmä, located on the River Tainionvirta, in the Salpausselkä UNESCO Global Geopark, and just two hours from Helsinki. In July 2024, kayakers were invited to help shape the restoration of Virtaankoski following the removal of an old dam. The aim was to restore fish passage while creating a semi-natural whitewater course for both training and recreation. After three and a half years of work—and eleven months of collaboration between volunteers, environmental experts, engineers, and paddlers—the new Virtaankoski…

Above the roaring rapids of the Indus River, Anwar, Musa, and Gulzar wait nervously for our group of paddlers to move downstream. It's taking too long. Musa has stopped singing.“They're having a meeting down there,” Anwar jokes, but his attempt to cover up the growing anxiety with humor is in vain. Unlike the river team, who calmly study each rapid in search of the best and safest line, the ground crew keeps their eyes on the scrambly mountain face above, scanning for rockfall. If Malupa is known as a monster rapid in the whitewater world, it is, first and foremost, a gigantic sketchy landslide. Like many creative projects, this one didn't begin with a plan to make a film. The crew had long dreamt of paddling the mighty Rondu Gorge…

Whether you're an avid freestyler or just getting into wave surfing, chances are the main trick you want to hit is the airscrew. It's such a unique feeling and by far one of my favorite tricks. I first started trying them when I was 12, but they never seemed to land straight. Then, when I was 13 on the Ottawa, Nick had them dialed and let me in on the secret. That summer, I was finally landing straight airscrews. If you feel like you're not quite making it all the way around, or landing sideways, here are a few tips that helped me out. The biggest key is not to overthink edging and then try to throw the backdeck roll once you're in the air. You want to already be…

Lower back pain is one of the most debilitating conditions a kayaker can encounter. It not only impacts your paddling but also affects your ability to get on with your daily activities. Lower back pain is the most common reason people visit a physical therapist or an orthopedic doctor. WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON AREA FOR BACK PAIN, AND WHY? Your lumbar spine is the most common area affected by pain and dysfunction. This region sits between your thoracic spine and your pelvis, attaching to the pelvis at the sacrum. It is much less flexible than your thoracic or cervical spine, but it is designed to bear weight, and it does this very well. It supports both your body weight and anything you carry. It can tolerate incorrect lifting for…

THE PADDLE SPORTS SHOW, STRASBOURG, FRANCE, SEPTEMBER 30TH – OCTOBER 2ND 2025 Only a few weeks before the Paddle Sports Show returns to Strasbourg! Located on the border between France and Germany, the show offers easy access for dealers, retailers, distributors, and paddlesports enthusiasts from across Europe. While the show is primarily a B2B gathering for industry professionals, a few public events, like the film festival, are open to the public. For more information, visit thepaddlesportshow.com ENTRIES ARE STILL OPEN FOR THE 2025 PADDLE SPORTS SHOW FILM FESTIVAL! Following the success of the inaugural edition this past fall, the Paddle Sports Show Film Festival is back for its second edition on September 29th. Held the evening before the show opens, it sets the tone for the days ahead and kicks…

In Trøndelag, the region in Norway known for moustaches, sodd (a traditional meat soup), and karsk (strong coffee mixed with moonshine), there also exists a yearly kayak festival where local and visiting paddlers come together to enjoy the “Trøndermank” rivers. This year, after a few years on pause, the Trøndelagsrunden kayak festival returned, hosted by the NTNU university kayak club. Held over a weekend in May, Trøndelagsrunden brings paddlers down all the classic rivers in central Norway—an often-overlooked region among the kayaking community. The rivers in Trøndelag are fast and continuous, with a standout being the Bua canyon section: 16 kilometers of pure joy in a deep, committing gorge. The program is simple—paddle as much as possible, race on Saturday, and enjoy cozy evenings around the campfire. Due to high…

From May 1st to 4th, the Austrian and international kayaking community gathered once again in the alpine village of Wildalpen for the fourth edition of the Salza Rodeo, hosted by Naturfreunde Kanu Club St. Pölten. Since its inception, the event has been supported by Hans Mayer, and this year he was joined by Thomas Hinkel, along with strong help from volunteers across several paddling clubs. The Salza Rodeo features three competitions—Fun Slalom, Freestyle, and Kayak Cross—and aims to create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels welcome, from pros to kids and beginners simply looking to have fun. The freestyle event is part of the Austrian Championships, and each discipline includes full category rankings, allowing for the crowning of overall winners at the end of the weekend. Despite challenging water levels…

Natural Games 2025 brought kayakers from across Europe, the United States, and Peru to the beautiful town of Millau in the south of France. Just a week after the ICF Freestyle World Championships in Plattling, Germany, paddlers reunited for an incredible event, bringing a wide range of creativity and styles to the table. The event featured two freestyle competitions, a European Cup and a new Jam-style format, along with a boater cross, a big air ramp, and two SUP races. Traditional Jam competitions last 15 minutes, with six paddlers sharing the wave and performing as many tricks as possible within that time. In this new version, the finals were 10 minutes long, with eight paddlers each showcasing their single best fluid combo, competing head-to-head within their classes. Big links were…

When HOA Rafting extended an invitation to their annual Extreme Whitewater Weekend, Adrian jumped on a flight to Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, with no real expectations. What he found was a paddling paradise hiding in plain sight. Pat, the passionate owner of HOA, welcomed him and spent the week showing him around his backyard. One of the first things that stood out was the sheer number of rivers—wherever you drive, it's not long before you cross a bridge and spot clean, beautiful water flowing beneath. While many of these rivers offer easy, scenic runs, the real gems lie deeper in the mountains, where steeper, park-and-huckstyle drops await, including a first descent that Pat had been saving. The tight, technical slide reminded Adrian of Norway's infamous Kittelbreaker, but with a distinctly…

Valsesia is considered one of the best creeking destinations in Europe, thanks to its high density of beautiful rivers and creeks packed into a small area. But beyond the classic runs, the region hides several gems that demand perfect water levels, a solid and motivated crew, and a good amount of effort. One of these is undoubtedly the Artogna, a side tributary that flows into the Sesia just before the village of Campertogno. Hikers and nature lovers regard it as one of the most beautiful, wild, and lush valleys in the area—a magical place where pristine waters have carved deep into the mountain and everything is cloaked in moss, like something out of a fairytale. In this stunning setting, Jacques Gilardone, Paul Aubertin, and Nouria Newman, followed by a team…

On June 20th, Québec paddler Emerick Blanchette received a rare call from a contact at the Bersimis-1 hydroelectric station: the dam was releasing water into the Betsiamites River. Normally dry due to hydro regulation, the river flows only once every four or five years, and usually no one hears about it in time. Without hesitation, Emerick alerted the whole Québec community. Plans were dropped, boats were loaded, and paddlers hit the long road toward the Côte-Nord, crossing the Tadoussac ferry to one of the most powerful rivers in the world. Almost no one had returned since the first descent by the Québec Connection crew in 2018. For those lucky enough to be there this time, it was a rare chance to experience this intense whitewater run in prime conditions. The…

Many paddlers are surprised to learn that there is no guaranteed legal right to float, fish, boat, portage, wade, or swim rivers and creeks that pass through private land in Colorado. Unlike in many other U.S. states, public access to waterways in Colorado is not clearly protected by law. This legal grey area has led to recurring tensions: each year, boaters report being confronted by landowners or law enforcement, facing threats or firearms, encountering barbed wire across streams, or being forced off the water. While local agreements and access easements have been beneficial in certain areas, such as Cheeseman Gorge or sections of the Upper Colorado, these remain site-specific solutions. As riverfront development and population growth increase across the state, long-term legal clarity is becoming more urgent. In response, a…

“The riverbanks along the slalom course were lined with caravans and canvas tents, grouped by region or country, forming a colorful, chaotic village that reflected the full spectrum of the European scene.” Held in the quiet cradle of the Tarentaise Valley of the French Alps, beneath the broad shoulders of Mont Blanc, through the town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice, and surrounded by some of Europe's most iconic ski resorts, including Les Arcs, Tignes, and Val d'Isère, flows one of the continent's most underrated whitewater rivers: the Haute Isère. The Haute Isère runs for more than 30 kilometers, offering whitewater to paddlers of all levels, from mellow Class II to technical Class V+. Between these lie a classic stretch of continuous Class III and IV, a slalom course regarded as one of the…

When I come out of the Andean mountains en route from Quito heading east, across the páramos and the altiplano, and start to descend, I pass the first wooden restaurants high in the drainage, selling fried fish, soup, coffee, and hot chocolate. The color shifts from dry to green, and the first views of jungle mountains dropping into the Amazon basin come into view. In each New Wave edition, I add to the glorification of our sport by highlighting young paddlers making a name for themselves and helping to “push” kayaking forward. I listen to their stories, drawn to the most extreme parts. But lately, I've started to ask myself, what is this all about? What is this all for? We don't want to kayak. We need to kayak. We…

As spring returns to the Alps and the snow begins to melt, Valsesia bursts into green, drawing paddlers from around the world to Piedmont's pristine creeks and world-class whitewater. On May 24th, around 40 paddlers met in Mollia, at the take-out of the “Alpin Sprint,” one of the best continuous Class IV home runs in the Alps, to participate in the team race event. Participants from Italy, France, Spain, South America, the U.S., the U.K., and beyond formed 12 teams and took on a 13-minute race to qualify for the finals. The top five teams earned the chance to race the “pre-Alpin” rapid, a solid Class IV+ with technical moves and sticky holes, to battle for the podium. In the mixed team category, Nouria Newman, Paul Aubertin, and Quirin Halsberger…

On the last weekend of April, more than 300 kayakers descended on the Dee Valley in North Wales for the annual Dee Fest, an inclusive weekend centered around fun, shenanigans, and celebrating the unique river that brings so much joy to the UK paddling scene. This year's theme was Pirates (or Pirates of the Carri-Dee-an, if you please), and the costumes did not disappoint. While the water levels were lower than in previous years, spirits were high as the sun shone down and pool inflatables rode the waves. One of the weekend highlights was the Ducky-cross, where paddlers dressed as pirates created a blockade that racers had to navigate, each round adding more pirates as eliminated racers joined the mayhem. Tunes played out across the river and pirates boogied between…

The 12th and final edition of the Level 6 Queen & King of the Alps took place this June on the Passer River in South Tyrol, Italy, marking the end of a legendary event in the whitewater calendar. Drawing elite paddlers from around the world, the race once again delivered good vibes, spectacular finals, and lasting memories. Saturday kicked off with the hugely popular mass-start qualification over five kilometers of Class IV whitewater, where the top 50 men, 10 women, and 10 junior men earned their spots in Sunday's finals. For those who didn't make the cut, Saturday night offered a second chance to shine at the HF Extreme Triathlon, where competitors faced off in planking, throwbag accuracy, and the ever-chaotic “skateyak” race. In Sunday's finals, local paddler Matthias Weger…

Boater cross, freestyle, ducky mass-start races, live music, and more—that's just a glimpse of what happens each year on the May public holiday in Cardiff. The kayaking community heads to South Wales for a day of joy at Cardiff International White Water Centre. Unlike most kayaking festivals, this is a one-day celebration of the joy kayaking brings to everyone and the community. The brilliant part about CIWW is its ability to change between water levels. From 4 cumecs up to 10, the change in flow makes a huge difference in difficulty; this allows beginner kayakers to paddle alongside experts and have a great time learning and playing together. Paddlefest brings together kayaking brands to support the community with expert advice and offers free demo kayaks and paddles all day, along…

On May 24th, Alex McClure, James Ibbotson, and Eoghan Kelly took on a 24-hour challenge on the River Dee in the U.K. The route took the team upstream on a moving canal, followed by a portage to the river where they paddled through rapids and dropped Town Falls, before climbing a steep hill back to the canal to begin the next lap. Over the 24 hours, the team named sections of the scrapy Dee, giving nicknames to its rockiest spots like “Don't Go Left.” As the laps went on, they got to know the lines at Town Falls, landing in nasty slots early on and later throwing tricks like Harry Potters and paddle spins. It was a huge physical challenge, but just as much a mental one. Each team member…

Many great kayaking trips begin with an impromptu message from a friend saying, “This is what we should do.” For Oli and Chips, that friend was Czech expedition legend David Sodomka. With water levels looking dry across much of mainland Europe in late May, David simply told them, “You should head straight to Norway.” Known for its consistent whitewater and breathtaking beauty, Norway attracts kayakers from around the world each spring and summer. Being Oli's first time out to Norway, he couldn't wait to jump on all the classics but also explore some lesser-known spots. Their goal was simple: have fun. David, having spent several seasons in Dagali, suggested meeting there to paddle and pick up the fourth team member, “Goldie,” the mobile caravan. It proved to be a game-changer…

One of the most classic runs in the Spanish Pyrenees, the Rio Ara, also hides an adventurous and rarely paddled mission on its upper reaches. This spring, a group of French and Catalan paddlers attempted a full descent of this forgotten classic. With a nine-kilometer hike in—first along a forest road, then up a steep mountain trail that climbs nearly as much as the river itself—you've got to be ready for a long day. But once on the water, oh boy, the Ara delivers. Starting high in the valley, the first four kilometers are a series of engaging, medium-sized rapids interspersed within a beautiful gorge; none are especially big, but all are worth running. The lower section ramps up with some stouter rapids, a clean drop, and an impressive box…

Exploratory kayakers from all over the world have periodically set their eyes on Madagascar since the turn of the century. With detailed topographic maps, satellite imagery, and a predictable rainy/dry season, it's easy to see why the vast landscape of Madagascar and the many rivers that carve through its ancient rock have drawn their attention. Rush Sturges and the Young Guns Productions crew were among the first to explore and document kayaking on the island in the early 2000s. Since then, crews have spent time running the rivers of the East Coast during the dry season and adding to the collective database of knowledge. Rush and the Young Guns crew, the Africa Revolutions Tour, Dylan Thompson, and others provided the inspiration and information that set the stage for our crew.…

It had been 84 days since my last big mission, and like Santiago in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, I was feeling very unlucky. I had torn my meniscus in knee-deep mud while carrying my fully loaded kayak out of Ecuador's Río Malo, and it had been only 42 days since the arthroscopy to remove the damaged tissue. Now, with 30 percent less portaging cushion in my right knee and about to turn 47, my days of river exploration felt numbered. Before logic could finish asking for more rest and rehab, my whitewater ego demanded a quick return to action. Idaho's Meadow Creek is not a first descent. It was paddled 33 years ago by steep creek forefathers like Amaral, Stoenner, and McLarran, and soon became Larry Lawley's…