Indholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2025 i Kayak Session Magazine

“A place that somebody only has to think about to feel happy and relaxed.” We all have our happy river. It could be the river we first paddled on. The river that shaped the kayaker we are today. The river where we unlocked new skills, met special people, maybe even fell in love. For many, the Karnali is that kind of place. Is it the spirituality of the region, the quiet mornings, the big waves, the five-star sandy beach camps, the people, the hike in, or the length of the trip? Most likely all of it. It is without a doubt a special place. Over the past 25 years, we have covered hundreds of rivers at Kayak Session, but the Karnali stands out. It is close to the top spots…

The 2025 edition of Samaná Fest was a celebration of Colombia’s last free-flowing river in Antioquia, held over two weekends in March. It was a gathering of paddlers, artists, and communities brought together by their shared love for the river. One of the core elements of the festival was getting people on the water; more than 200 paddlers joined rafting descents on the Calderas and Verde Rivers during the first weekend. This year also marked the first-ever Enduro Kayak World Championships, and the first international kayak race held in Latin America. Seventy competitors from more than twelve countries, including a strong representation from Colombia, participated in the event, motivated by its dual purpose: to compete and to protect the river. Qualifiers ran on the Cocorná River, itself under threat from…

It’s often said that the greatest dreams begin with a simple conversation. That’s exactly how the Futa King’s Race came to life. A project long brewing in Valentín Concha’s mind finally sparked into motion during a chat with his lifelong friend, Camila Flores Vallejos. Valentín had held onto the idea for years: to create a race that only the true kings and queens of the river could dominate. And the Futaleufú was the perfect place for it. On February 6th, after much reflection, Valentín took the leap. He messaged Camila and asked if this was the year to get started. Her immediate “yes” was all the encouragement he needed. What started as a race quickly grew into something much bigger. The local community of Río El Azul rallied behind them.…

On a beautiful Sunday in March, top Irish kayak surfing contenders gathered in Bunmahon, on the stunning Copper Coast in Waterford. The competition made a welcome return to this part of the coast for the first time in over twenty years. Bunmahon offers half a mile of sandy beach, bookended by dramatic cliffs to the east and west. It proved to be an ideal venue as the wild Atlantic swell rolled in, providing exciting conditions for paddlers of all levels. Competitors were treated to a five-foot swell, light breeze, and glorious sunshine. The crunchy shorebreak made launching and landing challenging, but competitors were catching some nice, big, clean waves at the back, then trying not to get caught on the inside. Spectators enjoyed all the action from the beach and…

Paddlers gathered in Tena, Ecuador, for the 11th annual Jondachi Fest, held in two parts: January 17th –19th (Upper Basin) and February 21st – 23rd (Lower Basin). The event celebrates the legendary Jondachi River and promotes the protection of the free-flowing Jondachi–Hollín–Misahuallí–Napo watershed corridor, which is strategic for the preservation of freshwater biodiversity and paddlesports tourism from the Andes to the Amazon. In the Upper Basin, paddlers from Ecuador, the USA, Canada, and Norway competed in the Class V Upper Jondachi Race. Ecuador’s Oliver Aguinda took first place and Hailey Thompson (USA) headlined the women’s division. Twelve-year-old Tupac Andi, representing the Yaku Churis local youth program, also held his own on this difficult section. Nearly a hundred people joined the following day’s group kayak and raft descent on the Class…

As the opening freestyle event of the year, the 2025 Columbus Cup delivered classic springtime vibes: sunshine, warm weather, and world-class freestyle kayaking. With strong flows on the Chattahoochee River, Good Wave was prime for throwing big tricks, and the paddlers delivered. In the Pro classes, power couple Nick Troutman and Emily Jackson took home matching golds after putting on a show for the enthusiastic crowd lining the riverwalk. Emily had secured her win before throwing an airscrew for her victory lap, while Nick, just back in competition after a recent health scare, looked strong and confident as he pieced together a series of explosive runs to secure the top spot and the big check. The event brought together a great mix of seasoned pros and emerging talent, all pushing…

The Ikopa flows from humble beginnings atop the central Madagascan plateau, past the capital city of Antananarivo, and into the only reservoir on the river before coming alive 50 kilometers west of the city. Here, at the first major set of rapids, David Sodomka, Dane Jackson, Adrian Mattern, and Kalob Grady began their six-day, 240-kilometer journey into the relative unknown, attempting to connect the pieces of the Ikopa River. Few crews have explored Madagascar’s rivers during the rainy season, but the boys were inspired by stories from Rush Sturges and the YGP crew back in 2008, who hinted at the island’s potential when cyclone rains arrive. The rainy season on the Ikopa delivered on its unspoken promise; nightly rains kept the river red and rising as it swelled with every…

The Chattooga River starts in Cashiers, North Carolina, and travels over 50 miles before ending its journey at Lake Tugaloo, dividing South Carolina and Georgia. It drops almost half a mile as it weaves through the Nantahala National Forest. Though most of the river downstream has been accessible to paddlers for decades, the headwater sections are partially restricted, only allowing paddling on days when flows reach 350 cfs or higher, from December 1st through April 30th. This year, Nathan Bond, Kenny Hank, and Dayton Pedrick chased some late-season rain within the river’s legal window. Following Nathan Bond's beta and local guidebook knowledge, the group found the recommended trailhead and began their journey. The river begins with plenty of flatwater before hitting a house-sized log jam that acts as the gates…

Every kayaker’s trip to Chile is different, but they all have something in common: a journey south through stunning landscapes in search of crystal-clear rivers for every level. Among them, the Rio Puelo could well be the next classic to add to your bucket list when exploring Patagonia. Flowing through deep canyon walls and thick forest, the Rio Puelo hides world-class whitewater in a tight valley that only occasionally opens to reveal glimpses of its beauty and serenity. Though still little-known, it never fails to leave kayakers in awe of the quality of its rapids. Imagine the Futaleufú, but more than thirty years ago, when unfinished roads meant the only traffic was kayakers, and nascent tourism kept influencers none the wiser to what they were missing. The valley The Rio…

For a lot of people, seal launching seems like something to avoid whenever possible, or dread when there’s a mandatory one. For me, it’s always been one of my favorite things to do. It probably helps that my dad got me started at our home spot when I was nine. If there’s the option of putting in at water level or doing a seal launch, I’ll always go for the seal launch these days. Sometimes it’s just a fun way to start the day. Other times, there’s just no other way to get to the river, so having at least a basic understanding of how to do it is essential. In some places, if you mess it up, you might just not enjoy yourself, but in others, it can actually…

From 500 feet above, we trace lines with index-finger precision, holding riverwide turmoil in the palm of a hand. But once I’m in there, a simple-looking tongue around a hole becomes a flaring off-ramp, shifting unpredictably between a clean escape and a recirculating trap, a half-acre of turbulence surging back upstream. I hedge my bet with full-body paddle strokes and clear the gravitational pull of the massive hydraulic, just in time to catch my first glimpse of the maelstrom dominating the next horizon. This is where one of my kayaking mentors, Tor Andersen, was separated from his kayak and barely exited the river with his life ten years earlier. The name “Mule Kick” seems to do this rapid justice, as long as the mule is three stories tall and angry.…

THE PADDLE SPORTS SHOW, STRASBOURG, FRANCE, SEPTEMBER 30TH - OCTOBER 2ND 2025 This September, 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 ENTRIES ARE NOW 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 returning this year on September 29th. Organized the night before the opening, it marks the unofficial kickoff event for the show. Once again, submissions are welcome for…

The 13th annual Galway Fest attracted more than 300 kayakers to the west of Ireland this spring for three days of good paddling and good vibes. This year, the organizers made a firm effort to boost female participation. “Let us drive the change we want to see,” they said. “Over the years, female athletes have made up just 21-27% of participants, and it’s time to change that.” Aiming for closer to 50:50 representation, they released a pre-sale of a hundred tickets exclusively for female athletes five days ahead of the general sale (last year, all tickets sold out in just 34 seconds). The festival kicked off with the freestyle event in Tuam. Water levels on the day were just on the low side of prime, forcing paddlers to keep it…

The 2025 Irish Kayaking Intervarsities, one of the biggest events on the Irish paddling calendar, was hosted by the University of Limerick Kayak Club (ULKC) over three exciting days. With 350 paddlers from 13 college clubs competing across five disciplines, the stage was set for a close competition. The weekend kicked off in Castleconnell, ULKC’s home waters, with a 6 a.m. whitewater race. Sleepy paddlers rallied for the team time trial, where squads of four (two men, two women) from each college battled it out. The energy ramped up for the afternoon boater cross, featuring three upstream gates and a custom-built ramp, with six paddlers from each college competing head-to-head. Saturday’s long-distance race, the most chaotic event of the weekend, saw over 300 participants compete while safety teams ensured smooth…

Paddlers gathered in the heart of Washington, D.C., on a warm Saturday morning for the highly anticipated annual race hosted by the Great Falls Foundation. Held on the first day of March, the event drew racers from the region’s extensive paddling community, eager to shake off winter rust and gear up for the spring racing season. Rooted in decades of grassroots tradition, the mass start race challenged competitors with a grueling 1.6-mile upstream paddle before returning to the starting line. The upstream section proved particularly demanding, featuring several tricky features that tested both endurance and technique. Most racers took around 30 minutes to complete the course. Local paddling legend Eric Brooks secured the overall victory while rising talent Patrick Khaghani claimed second place. Danny Stock took third overall and earned…

March 22nd brought the Upper Wind River festival, a beloved local favorite race near Carson, Washington. Because the river is relatively easy, or at least compared to the Little White Salmon in the next drainage over, the race is run as a mass start, with paddlers lining up on the bank and seal launching in. Bank positions are decided by drawing cards at the racers’ meeting. There is generally a wave for each class, though this depends on the number of competitors. This year, there were only three women’s long boats, so they raced alongside the men’s, forming a wave of about 20. They were followed by the men’s short boats, then the women’s short boats. The course takes about 10-15 minutes to complete, but this year’s race was especially…

On March 29th – 30th, the third edition of the NIK (Nive Itsasu Kayak) took place in Itxassou, in the French Basque Country. Organized by Ur Tipula Kayak Club, this small but growing whitewater event welcomed around a hundred paddlers to the scenic Pas de Roland on the Nive River. The course features a Class III rapid that’s accessible to a wide range of paddlers, with a hand-built ramp, eight gates, and a roughly 400-meter stretch of fun, technical whitewater. Thanks to perfect flows and sunny weather, the weekend struck the perfect balance between fun and challenge. Saturday’s race saw strong performances across categories: Marine Izac took the win in the senior women’s class, and Léo Grézis from Pau claimed victory in the senior men’s. Local paddler Fabien Paleau dominated…

In April 2025, De Wet Michau, Ari Walker, and Jordy Searle joined forces and set out on an expedition to unlock the secrets of the Kiwira River hidden deep in the misty highlands of southwest Tanzania. Flowing from the slopes of Mount Rungwe toward Lake Nyasa, the river cuts through dense jungle, volcanic landscapes, and farmland planted with banana and avocado—an untouched gem far from the typical kayaking map. The team set up base camp in the town of Rungwe, also known as Kiwira Town, from where they launched daily exploratory trips on the river. From the start, the Kiwira presented serious challenges: narrow gorges, log jams, continuous gradient, and big, complex waterfalls, most with tricky entrances. Due to the river’s narrow width and relentless gradient, stopping and scouting was…

When it rains hard in Galicia, the region turns into a true whitewater paradise. It doesn’t look that big on the map, but it’s packed with hundreds of rivers and creeks and there are still many first descents left to claim in the area. But despite being fairly accessible and offering countless options, most technical runs are too high and dangerous to explore during heavy rain. At the same time, short weather windows make logistics tricky, as many potential first descents drain out within just two to ten hours. This year, just after a solid rainfall, Nicolas Caussanel, Jan Larrue and Mike Krutyansky faced a really hard choice. Within a two-hour drive, they could paddle almost any of the Galician or Portuguese classics or get themselves into an exploration adventure…

"SOMETIMES IT’S A FREESTYLE JAM, SOMETIMES IT’S AN IMPROMPTU ANY-CRAFT-DOWNRIVER RACE, AND SOMETIMES IT’S A CHAOTIC ‘WHO CAN SURF THE LONGEST’ CHALLENGE IN A STICKY HOLE" Imagine this: You’re fourteen years old, paddle in hand, heading down to your local whitewater course. But today’s different. Instead of the usual crew, there’s a full-on session going down. The air is buzzing with excitement, music is thumping, and some of the best paddlers in the game are throwing down right next to you—laughing, giving pointers, and just stoked to be on the water. It’s not a competition. No stress, no scores. Just pure, unfiltered fun. Welcome to the Palm & Pyranha Park Jam. If you’ve ever been to a skateboard jam, you’ll get the vibe instantly. Think back to those legendary days…

If you follow Chile’s main highway that runs north to south, you eventually run into a sea of mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans: the gateway to Patagonia and the mighty Futaleufú. In the middle of this landscape is the near-perfect town of Puerto Varas, home to 17-year-old Maite Luz Herrera. Despite her young age, Maite has already paddled all over Chile, as well as Canada, the Zambezi, Ecuador, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. Excited, positive, and deeply connected to the energy and mystique of the rivers she runs, Maite clearly embodies the spirit of the river-runner whose soul is nourished by water. HOW DID GROWING UP IN CHILE SHAPE YOU AS A PADDLER? I am from a small town in the south of Chile. There are two volcanoes and a big…

If you kayak long enough, you know that injury is not a matter of if, but when. It might come from overuse, or it might be traumatic, like a shoulder dislocation, separation, or ligament tear. Sooner or later, we all face the same challenge: getting back to the water. And when it comes to traumatic injuries that often require surgery, how well you heal can make the difference between getting back to 100 percent or not. WHAT DETERMINES HOW WELL WE HEAL? This is a complex question. There is the psychological state you are in, and there is the physical impact of the injury and subsequent surgery. There is what you feed your mind, and there is what you feed your body to heal—and they definitely impact each other. Beyond…

On March 28th – 30th, the Santa Cruz Paddlefest returned to Santa Cruz, California, for the 34th time, attracting over 120 competitors from around the world. The stoke for this event was greater than ever, making its comeback after a six-year hiatus, under new management, and aptly named “The Revival.” The iconic Steamer Lane surf break showed off its power with three days of incredible surf conditions, daring even the best paddle surfers. The intermediate event, the Cowell’s Classic at the Indicators break, was at its prime, allowing paddlers to challenge themselves while building competition skills. The Santa Cruz Paddlefest is the longest-running paddlesurf event on the planet and remains the only surf event in the U.S. that features surf kayak, waveski, and SUP. For many, it is a bucket…

On February 22nd and 23rd, the 26th annual Extreme Series Wairoa Race took place. One of New Zealand’s longest-running whitewater events, the Wairoa Race remains a favorite for many. Around 70 paddlers gathered at McLaren Falls car park near Tauranga, on the North Island, to take on the iconic Wairoa River. The excitement kicked off on Saturday morning with a timed sprint down the Class IV section of a tight, technical, and fun bedrock gorge. The course finished at the bottom of the river’s biggest rapid, The Rollercoaster—a couple of drops, each with a variety of channels. This one-kilometer sprint determined the seeding for the next day’s head-to-head race, matching the fastest paddler with the slowest and continuing down the ranking. Saturday night brought good music, a cool camping spot,…

The Citroen Race usually takes place on the Citroen rapids of the Kawarau River, just outside Queenstown, New Zealand. It is typically run as a boater cross event. This year, though, Central Otago had not seen rain in over a month, and the Kawarau dropped to rarely seen lows. With the Citroen too low to race, the Nevis Bluff Grand Slalom time trial was born. Held on a Class IV section of the river, the new format demanded tight lines and solid technique to stay on track and come clean through the ramp. The steepness of Nevis Bluff at low flows exposed rocks and formed eddies that became perfect features for the slalom gates. Paddlers fought their way through waves on river right to then catch an eddy above the…

The Pacific Northwest has seen an epic season for water levels. During race week, the Little White Salmon held perfectly between 3.8 and 3.3 feet. The takeout was electric; kayakers from across the U.S. and the world had descended on the river, getting as many laps in as possible before race day. Most could be found at the take-out enjoying the week-long sunshine, where they could be heard talking about the laps of the day and how fast everyone was feeling. There was a real buzz in the air. This year, the race welcomed multiple categories: single longboat, team longboat, single shortboat, and team shortboat. The course started from the top of Getting Busy, an intimidating and challenging section of rapids for racers to stay on the fast line. A…

Suck Creek is a Class V jewel just ten minutes from Chattanooga, Tennessee, arguably the best paddling city in the Eastern U.S. Named after an infamous giant whirlpool at its confluence with the Tennessee River, this creek has provided excitement to boaters for many years. The run is low volume, steep, and technical, with an interesting geology of sandstone boulders on top of shale bedrock. It's continuous and ever-changing after floods, channeling surprisingly well for its manky reputation. The river drains from relatively undeveloped forests and takes on a crystal blue color toward the end of rain events, flowing due south off the Cumberland Plateau, where the winter sun lights its waters throughout the day. Raindependent, the race is determined by a mysterious rubric—something to do with the right weekday…

San Juan, host of the 2017 ICF World Championships, recently welcomed a new wave of freestyle energy as it hosted an ICF Development Camp and International Open. A joint effort between the ICF, local authorities, and the San Juan Kayak Club, the camp brought together paddlers from Argentina, Australia, Peru, Chile, Ireland, Great Britain, and the USA—cementing the venue’s growing status as a hub for global freestyle development. At the heart of the initiative was a ten-day training camp focused on building more than just tricks. Fifteen up-and-coming athletes, aged 14 to 28, worked closely with coaches Mason Hargrove, Charlie Brackpool, and Maxi Montoya. Alongside technical coaching, the sessions emphasized strategic thinking, body awareness, and decision-making in the feature. An embedded ICF judges’ seminar also gave participants valuable insights into…

Every spring, as the snowmelt begins in the Dinaric Alps, the scenic canyons of the Balkans come back to life. This year, Mylo Nicholas and Paul Aubertin from Eggstream Kayak set out with seven other paddlers to explore the best rivers the Adriatic coastline has to offer. Among the highlights were the Moraca and Cijevna, two rivers offering kilometers of freeflowing whitewater through some of the deepest canyons in Europe. The Platje Canyon on the Moraca is a true masterpiece of nature: steep gorges, technical rapids, and natural springs, sometimes creating waterfalls that fall straight from the rock face into the river below. But these rivers also face serious threats. Due to poor waste management in Montenegro, garbage and plastic pollution are sadly common along the banks and riverbeds. Local…

SLEEPING UNDER STARS I'D NEVER SEEN I heard my first river story when I was twelve from a group of raft guides and kayakers who had just returned from an expedition on the Karnali. I still remember sitting wide-eyed, listening intently to their wild tales as they unpacked their gear. I was captivated by their stories of big rapids, the legendary God’s House and Jailhouse, their capsizes, and a culture that seemed to belong to another world. Listening to them was like holding an ice cream and forgetting to lick it, my tongue hanging out, completely entranced, while it melted all over me. Ever since, I found myself waiting for the season to start just as eagerly as the guides themselves. I counted the days until they returned from their…

Kayak Session: How did it all start for you in the boating world, Anna? It’s a family affair, is that right? Anna Bruno: My mom got me into paddling, but it really started at a summer camp near Asheville, North Carolina, in the late ‘90s. The story (as I tell it) is that the girls all wanted to kayak because the instructors were hot and never wore shirts. I never got into the class, but my sister did. She loved it, and the instructors encouraged my mom to keep her involved. KS: The Demshitz van seems to have played a big part in your early paddling adventures. How did you end up traveling with those nutters? AB: When I started learning to kayak with the Philadelphia Canoe Club, Jared and…

No whitewater around this winter? I hope you have been training hard in the pool or on flatwater and are ready to take your skills to moving water! With this column, I want to share a one-hour, ready-to-go training session that takes you from your loop to a Space Godzilla—a move that’s guaranteed to earn you some of the most spectacular shots out there. You can practice parts of this training plan on land, on flatwater (in the river or in the pool), and of course, in the hole. For more information on these tricks, you can revisit KS80, KS92, and KS93. If you need more visuals for the exercises, scan the QR code! WARM-UP (10 MINUTES) On the bank: visualize! 1. Using the step-by-step instructions below, practice your Space…

All eyes on the 2025 Little White Salmon Race—record attendance, vibrant atmosphere, and steezy lines. In this shot, Kilian Ivelic charges into Boulder Sluice, the crowd above locked on his line.…