Fall 2021

Kayak Session Magazine

The International Whitewater Magazine

Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
Kayak Session Magazine
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Philippe Doux - Philippe@kayaksession.com. Editor: Anna Bruno - Editor@kayaksession.com. Art Director: Derek Holzer. Contributing Writers: Anna Bruno, Bartosz Czauderna, Philippe Doux, Eric Jackson, Carmen Kuntz, Mael Ngu
Kayak Session Magazine3 min read
Beyond The Surface
The River Runner, Rush Sturges’ recently released film on Scott Lindgren’s life, isn't your ordinary movie. It is not ordinary for the subject chosen; it is not the norm for the character depicted. It is not the norm for our sport, even though for us
Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
Gallery Shot
Paddler: Hayden Voorhees Location: Rock Drop in the rapid Jacob’s Ladder, North Fork of the Payette, Banks, Idaho. I had a concept in mind of capturing the Rock Drop boof in Jake’s in the evening with some high powered flashes. I knew that to do it,
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
World Whitewater News
The Paddlesports Show, which will take place the first week in October in Lyon, France, is quickly approaching! The show will be more than just a trade show. Organized by the Kayak Session Publishing Crew, the vision is to create an ecosystem of even
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Level Six King Of The Alps 2021, Tyrol, Italy, June 2021
After two years of waiting, the top paddlers of Europe gathered once again to battle it out in an attempt to become this year's King and Queen of the Alps and European champion. There was a great sense of closeness as familiar faces were once again r
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
North Fork Championship, Banks, Idaho, June 2021
After a year's hiatus, the ninth North Fork Championship once again kicked off in Banks, Idaho, where familiar faces were joined by a crowd of up and comers to make the NFC's largest-ever competitive field.This year, under new ownership from the Voor
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Teva Mountain Games, Vail, Colorado, USA, June 2021
The Mountain Games at Vail is a glamorous affair of big sponsors, big checks, and big crowds, so many expected a second year without this prestigious multi-sport XL event. Surprise! Back in March, the Vail Valley Foundation chose to give it a go, pla
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Oh Be Joyful Race, Buena Vista, Colorado, USA, June 2021
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 and an exceptionally weak snowpack, the 2021 Oh Be Joyful Race went off with great success on the first Saturday of June this year in Crested Butte. This year the OBJ Race found a new and permanent home with High Co
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Poudre Fest, Fort Collins, Co, USA, June 2021
On June 5th, 2020, 47 athletes came to Fort Collins, Colorado, for the Poudre Fest. Poudre Fest is an event for Running River Benefits, a nonprofit organization that states, "Our mission is simple; to help families with small children pay their medic
Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
The Ubayak Festival, Ubaye, France, June 2021
The third edition of the Ubayak Kayak Festival took place on June 19th, and it was a wonderful time! The Ubayak Festival is an extreme kayak race with a good-natured spirit where paddlers gather to share the love of the Ubaye River in the South Alpes
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Cks Paddlefest, Buena Vista, Co
For COVID and commitment reasons, the BV Pro Rodeo was canceled during the Paddlefest, but fearing another long summer at home, plenty of paddlers came to BV anyway to surf the amazing features and enjoy the town and the ''Colorado Tour'' vibe they l
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
ANIMAS RIVER DAYS & USA FREESTYLE KAYAK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, DURANGO, COLORADO, USA, JUNE 2021
The Animas River Days event was stop number two of the infamous Colorado Tour. Not only was it a playful weekend with surf competitions, boater cross, slalom, and more, but it was also the host event for the 2021 USA Freestyle Kayak National Champion
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Ucja River, Slovenia, 2021
Soca is one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe, and as a bonus, it offers several tributaries. The most extra bonus is the right side tributary, the Ucja. The Ucja is an incredible, full-on river with only one drawback: it flows only a few days a
Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
In Seach Of First Descents, Iceland, Summer 2021
Aniol Serrasoles, Aleix Salvat, and Mikel Sarrasola had a good adventure in Iceland that had a bit of everything. Their main goal was to explore some new rivers that they had checked out on the map. For the first ten days, the crew was very unlucky w
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
One Hour Gradient World Record
A year in need of thrills prompted Éric Deguil to launch a new challenge: to hurtle down 600 meters of height difference on a class V river in less than an hour. Located in the Pyrenees, the Cauterets River provided the perfect conditions for this re
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Garbh-uisagh, Scotland, UK
In the early and mid 20th century, many of Scotland's larger rivers were dammed for hydroelectric power. Dams were built on salmon spawning rivers on the condition that water would be released intermittently through the summer months to simulate the
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Cameron Creek, Waterton National Park, Alberta, Canada
On the Alberta side of the southernmost area of the Canadian Rockies, the once popularly paddled Cameron Creek was once again descended, this time by local paddlers from Southwest British Columbia and Alberta, in early May 2021. This run was often fr
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Oules Waterfall, Biaisse Valley, France
On a Saturday afternoon, Tom Dollé and Paul Aubertin didn't know what to do, so they went to Raphael Thibaut's kayak shop. After looking around, they started talking and rapidly began discussing what was running in the area. Raph mentioned the Oules
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
The East Lyn River, Devon, England
The East Lyn, though lesser-known outside Great Britain, is a British classic: low volume, steep, reliable, and jaw-droppingly beautiful. The river flows eight kilometers from its source to the sea, 250 m below, where a glorious point break can be fo
Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
Hawaii Sur Rhône, Lyon, France
The Rhône is one of the largest river systems in Europe, starting in the Swiss Alps and finishing in the Mediterranean Sea. Its numerous dams collect tons and tons of sediment every year, which block the river bed and obstruct the river's normal flow
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Waimapu River, Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand
When one of the shortest days in the southern hemisphere provided ample rainfall, the local Okere Falls crew knew there would be more than ample flow in the Kaimai Ranges! 11 Okere Locals (Dylan MF Thompson, Rob Collister, Cole O’Connor Stratton, Sam
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Lasting Legacy – Local Paddlers Push For Public Takeout On The Ottawa River
In a land that is home to over two million bodies of water, the odds of one river attracting the world's attention are slim—but the magic of Canada's Ottawa River has proven time and time again that it is capable of just that. The Rocher Fendu sectio
Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
Truful Truful River At Risk, Chile
The government of Chile just recently approved the construction of a hydroelectric plan that would divert the main flow of Truful Truful River for 2.5 km. It is estimated that the project would generate 11 MW. It would also occupy 4,600 hectares of i
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Save The South Fork Salmon Update
Over the past couple of months, new material pertinent to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has kept the folks at Save the South Fork busy as they fight the Stibnite Gold Project. After the release of the DEIS last Fall, Perpetua Resour
Kayak Session Magazine14 min read
Colombia- From Jungle To Desert The Biggest Risk Is That You Ll Stay!
Mael: When I read the tourist agency slogan, "nicely found," on my first trip to Colombia, I couldn't imagine how, ten years later, this sentence would perfectly illustrate my life. The exhilarating combination of cumbía salsa dancing, warm weather,
Kayak Session Magazine8 min read
Passer Gorge The Hidden Gem of South Tyrol
The Passer Valley is surrounded by towering mountains with lush green forests and meadows below. Waterfalls dash down each side, one of them, the Stuller Waterfall— approx. 350 meters— known for being one of the tallest in Europe. But of all the whit
Kayak Session Magazine12 min read
Scott Lindgren
KS: Scott, after three and a half years, the River Runner is ready to be shown to audiences this fall. It’s an incredible documentary. How do you feel—proud, exhausted, relieved? SL: Rush and the crew did an amazing job. I feel all of the above. How
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
Abby Holcombe
Kayaking and travel share a special relationship. It is rare to meet a kayaker who does not enjoy travel, whether locally, nationally, or internationally. The relationship between the two, one could argue, is that of dependency. Kayaking is dependent
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
From Roundhouse To Blunt By Mastering Your Rail Drive
It was recently announced that the 2023 World Championships for Freestyle will take place on Good Wave in Columbus, GA, USA. So, this time, we are looking at some of the basics of wave boating to get you in shape! To go from simple surfing to throwin
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
HOW TO SAVE (ACCESS TO) A RIVER PART VII: WHITEWATER & WILDFIRES
In 2020, the Western United States experienced a record-breaking year of devastating wildfires. By September of 2020, over five million acres in Oregon, Washington, and California had burned. The smoke from these fires could be seen from space and tr
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
Friend Of The Fearless
Bigfork. It was on one of those VHS tapes that I wore out when I started kayaking in the late 90s. “The Wild Mile,” they called it. It looked like some kind of crazy class V slalom race with a big audience cheering on the action. But I had not though
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
The Ej Approach To Life And Kayaking
At 20 years old, traveling for six weeks in Europe with USA Team members for slalom kayaking, I was open to adventure. It seemed to find me as much as I found it. Bourg St. Maurice, France, has one of the best slalom courses in the world, and we were
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
River Warrior
Anne Steven’s kayaking style could be described as cautious with an attention to detail and a healthy dose of respect for rivers. Rather than holding her back, this caution lets her experience the river at a slower pace, offering her a different pers
Kayak Session Magazine8 min read
BJØREIØ The Norwegian Paradox
It took me almost six years to paddle the Bjoreio from top to bottom. Not because it is a crazy difficult run—there are some portages over the 35 km section, which drops 1300 meters in gradient. Most of it is beautiful class IV/V. Not because it's a
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
Doctor River What's Up Doc ?
WHAT IS BICEPS TENDONITIS? Biceps tendonitis is a repetitive strain injury involving either the shoulder or elbow and is a common condition in paddlers. As the name implies, tendons of the biceps muscle become inflamed and swollen, leading to painfu
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
What You Need To Know About The Protecting America's Wilderness And Public Lands Act
Paddlers from across the globe travel to California (USA) every spring to experience the granite wonderlands of the Sierra mountains. A seemingly endless list of classic river trips lined with rapids and waterfalls that appear to be sculpted by dream
Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
Portfolio
Location: Alara River, Turkey Photographer: Mike Krutyansky Paddler: Ben Marr Location: Kicking Horse River, Golden, BC, Canada Photographer: Dan Stewart Paddler: Hayden Voorhees Location: Mini PeePee, Hawaii Photographer: Dane Jackson Paddler:
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
The Kirk Burn, Scotland
With 318 runs in the guidebook, it is pretty rare to run a river in Scotland without at least a mention as a footnote. If there is a runnable river not in the guidebook, they are usually an obscure ditch hidden away in the northern highlands. However
Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
New Park N Huck In The French Alps
The French Alps are well known for their whitewater; rivers like the Guil, Ubaye, and Durance, are renowned worldwide for their rapids and scenery. Kayakers from all over Europe visit every spring to catch the snowmelt. This spring, French paddlers M
Kayak Session Magazine2 min read
Kern River Conservancy Update, California, USA
The Kern River Conservancy was founded in 2013 when Los Angeles resident Gary Ananian decided it was time for someone to stand up and care for the Kern River.After spending many summer adventures with his friends on the Kern, Gary grew impatient and
Kayak Session Magazine4 min read
The Wish List
The DR9 is the extreme kayak from the Italian company designed for paddlers weighing between 60 kg and 85 kg. Easy to use, it is suitable for both experienced and beginner paddlers. Ideal for large-volume rivers, it is incredibly fast and agile. LE
Kayak Session Magazine1 min read
Focus
NFC IX Bronze Medalist, Jeremy Nash, makes his way into “Taffy Puller” after nailing the top section of the course during the Jacob’s Ladder Giant Slalom. © John Webster ■

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