Indholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2024 i Kayak Session Magazine

EDITO Though we call this issue our spring issue, it is, in many ways, a teaser for the season to come. The time when the warming of temperatures brings water down from glaciers and mountain peaks, filling rivers with both snowmelt and rain. While spring brings a special magic, it seems more people than ever are paddling through the entirety of the year, embracing the northern hemisphere winter as a time to train and prep, or a time to travel south, to Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico. To the Zambezi, the White Nile, China. Of course, we can’t ignore the increasing number of cold water warriors, either training hard in the flats and pools or those where winter, not summer or spring, is the primary paddling season. England,…

SENDING GABON'S WHITEWATER Walking in Olaf Obsommer’s footsteps from an original scouting mission in Gabon about ten years ago, the SEND crew, led by Adrian Mattern and featuring Dane Jackson, Bren Orton, and Kalob Grady, decided to travel to Western Africa this past January to hunt for virgin whitewater. While Olaf mostly scouted on his original mission, the SEND boys didn’t travel that far to stay on land, but to run big water and waterfalls. Having David Sodomaka, Olaf Obsommer, and David Arnaud to document the trip meant they came back with good stories, successful descents, amazing photos and footage. A film about the mission is planned for release in the next months. Words: Adrian Mattern | Photograhy: David Sodomka WINTER WONDERLAND IN GALICIA El Niño has been big on…

FREESTYLE, UNLOCKED No whitewater around? I hope you spend your winter training hard in the pool! However, even after the best winter pool workouts, I'm gassed when I get on moving water! It is simply a different environment. Over the years, I’ve learned to prepare more effectively for paddling season. With this column, I want to share a one-hour, ready-to-go training unit focused on the double pump and cartwheel. For more information on the double pump or cartwheel, revisit KS73. If you need more visuals for the exercises, scan the QR code! THE WORKOUT The overall goal is to increase your kayaking power. One key element to progressing in your kayak is building strength by doing specific technical moves. LOCATION This workout assumes you have access to a classic 25…

NEWS AND HAPPENINGS PADDLE SPORTS SHOW, STRASBOURG, FRANCE, SEPTEMBER 24-26TH 2024 This September 2024, The Paddle Sports Show returns to Strasbourg, on the border between France and Germany. This central location in Europe allows dealers, retailers, distributors, and paddle enthusiasts across Europe to attend more easily. While the show is a B2B reserved for industry professionals, a few side events, including a film festival, are open to the public. For more info, visit thepaddlesportshow.com 2024 PADDLE SPORTS SHOW BUYER'S GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE The annual Paddler's Guide, which highlights over 700+ new and classic paddlesports products, is now available free of charge. A collaboration between the Paddle Sports Show and Kayak Session Publishing, the Paddler's Guide also discusses industry trends and features major and upcoming players in the paddle sports industry.…

DANE’S WORLD My dad first got me in my own kayak running my first river when I was two years old, and I never really wanted to be out of the water after that point. Today, although it’s also my job, it’s where I find my fun and enjoyment. My friends kayak. My family kayaks. People often ask if I will ever slow down or want to stop kayaking, and the answer is always absolutely not. Through my family and being surrounded by the right people, I have learned how to enjoy every aspect of kayaking, from the simplest things to the biggest moments. That allows me to not only simply love the continued drive to keep kayaking always but also helps me make the best decisions possible. With kayaking,…

FRIEND OF THE FEARLESS Dear Regional Forester Leanne Marten, I write out of deep concern for Idaho’s Clearwater River and its tributaries contained in the four million-acre Nez Perce - Clearwater National Forest (NPCW). In the Forest’s revised Management Plan (the Plan), 86% of river miles deemed eligible for Wild and Scenic Act (WSA) designation, including 321 river miles that had enjoyed Wild and Scenic protection since 1987, were eliminated by an arbitrary “suitability study” that values restriction-free resource management and extraction over the protection of the Clearwater River as a connected watershed. The nearly 700 river miles deemed “unsuitable” for WSA protection include most of the tributaries to the Lochsa and Selway and existing protections for North and South Forks of the Clearwater, raising serious concerns about the future…

PADDLERS PROTECT LOWER BIG SANDY WITH PURCHASE OF RIVER LEFT CORRIDOR! American Whitewater is thrilled to announce that Friday, January 26, marked the completion of the purchase of a large portion of the classic Lower Big Sandy (WV) landscape. The land includes 4.25 miles of riverfrontage spanning almost the entire river left side of the gorge, the remainder of which is already under conservation ownership. This purchase safeguards the river left Rockville Access and portage routes at Wonder Falls and Big Splat. This purchase effort was led by longtime American Whitewater board member Charlie Walbridge and retired Cheat River outfitter Dave Hough. It was made possible by major gifts from over two dozen paddlers. American Whitewater has worked closely in partnership with the Waterfront Development Group, who owned the land,…

Mato Grosso—Little John In Mato Grosso, it is summer all year round. Like its rainforest counterpart, the vast, tropical savannah of the Brazillian Cerrado is one of the most bio-diverse places in the world. The wooded grassland is rich in low vegetation, trees with thick and tortuous trunks, red soil, plants, and animals. Despite the challenges it faces, deforestation and naturally occurring wildfires, it is a remarkably resilient jungle: Every year, the rainy season arrives, and the biome is renewed. With the arrival of the rains, the north of Mato Grosso becomes a true paradise for those looking to see large, high-volume waterfalls. Though not every waterfall in Mato Grosso is runnable, many are. I had a list made long ago, imagining the day I could visit them. But because…

DOCTOR RIVER WHAT'S UP DOC? Lower back pain is the most common reason people visit a physical therapist and an orthopedic surgeon. Most kayakers will face lower back pain— if they haven’t already—and if not dealt with correctly, it can extremely limit a paddling career. The good news is that back pain has specific causes that can be addressed, and prevention can go a long way to keeping your back healthy and pain-free. WHAT IS OUR SPINE COMPOSED OF? WHY IS IT SO UNIQUE? Our spine, by definition, is a flexible rod. It is thinner at the top and thickens as you move from your head to your pelvis. The design of our spine is what allows us to walk upright. Vertebral bodies stack on top of one another with…

Location: Karnali River, Nepal Photographer: Anup Gurung Paddler: Matthias Deutsch Location: Rio Claro, Chile Photographer: David Sodomka Paddler: Ian Salvat Location: Salto Tomatita, Rio Captrén, Chile Photographer: Urko Cot Paddler: Bartosz Czauderna Location: Skookumchuck Narrows, BC, Canada Photographer: Tyler Toohey Paddler: Honza Havelka Location: Ausbygdi, Telemark, Norway Photographer: David Sodomka Location: Sun Koshi River, Nepal Photographer: Anup Gurung Paddler: Aniol Serrasolses Location: East Meets West, South Yuba River, CA, USA Photographer: Gonzalo Roberts Paddler: Ian Rott Location: Fitz Roy River, Patagonia, Argentina Photographer: David Sodomka FOCUS Paddler: Heidi Walsh Location: Celestial Falls, Deschutes River, OR, USA Photographer: Sage Donnelly Imagery…