Unleashed Quebec MMXIX

Inspired by past events and born from the collective desire of organizers Bren Orton, Kalob Grady, Adrian Mattern, and Dane Jackson, Unleashed aims to showcase elite kayaking through competition on some of the world’s biggest whitewater. This spring, the third edition returned to its roots in Eastern Ontario and Northern Quebec. Twenty-two athletes from eight countries battled it out over the event's four stages. New names joined established contenders in one of the most dynamic whitewater environments on earth to once again answer the question, "Who is the best kayaker in the world?"

From the media edits to fine-tuning the details of each stage, for organizers Dane Jackson, Bren Orton, Adrian Mattern, and Kalob Grady, Unleashed is meant to be a pinnacle of competition, designed to inspire the next the generation. In April 2019 Unleashed returned to where it began, on the spring freshets of eastern Canada, with a new wave of athletes ready to prove themselves. Last year, uncharacteristically low water levels forced organizers to cancel Unleashed at the last minute. The announcement was devastating, but it helped to shape future events and created motivation for organizers to overcome the challenges of operating in fluctuating conditions. Drawing inspiration from the success of surfing competitions designed to give more authority over the uncontrollable forces of nature, for 2019, instead of fixed dates, Unleashed set a 22-day event window from April 26th to May 18th.