Kayak Session Magazine

Just over a year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine, kicking off a humanitarian crisis and leaving the world grappling with difficult decisions as they are forced to pick a proverbial side. In response to the shock and horror, Putin's actions have been glob

After three years of cancellation in a row, the Modi Khola Express finally returned this past November 3rd-5th, 2022, with a big bang. This event has been rated as one of the best events kayakers have experienced and has also become a hub for meeting

Twenty-three years ago, the Millrace Massacre and Iceman Championships was created to bring friends together in the dead of winter for a day of friendly kayak racing. On January 7th, 2023, it was apparent that The Iceman has become a Southeast staple

On October 29th, 2022, over 30 kayakers participated in the third annual Benham Bash, organized by High Desert Media. The Benham Bash is the last remaining Whitewater event on the Deschutes River and Oregon's premier kayak race. Although there is no

On the sunny morning of Jan 14th of 2023, the 15th anniversary of the Alseseca Race took place on the Roadside section of the Alseseca River, where the basalt rock and the gradient drop form an exceptional waterfall paradise.There are two different r

Organized by Kayak The Nile in collaboration with various local partners, the Nile River Fest showcases the beauty and significance of the Nile River and its role in the lives of the river community of Uganda. This year, the festival featured a new f

The ninth annual Jondachi Fest was held from January 18th-22nd, 2023, in Tena, Ecuador, to promote the protection of this strategic, free-flowing Andean Amazon river corridor from poorly-conceived hydro development. The event brought together a new g

The Irish Whitewater Race League always united a modest paddling community. Since 2018, and owing to multiple factors, attendance had declined, and for a time, all races had ceased. Jumping forward to 2022, Irish paddler Shane Little was determined t

The Asahan River is a huge natural stream of water that flows 150 kilometers (93 mi) from Lake Toba to Nibung Bay in the Malacca Strait, forming the longest river in North Sumatra. There are four commercially run Whitewater sections with varying char

Until the most recent dam in late 2018, the White Nile in Uganda was unquestionably the premiere winter freestyle destination in the world. After many of the best features were flooded, freestyle paddlers were left searching for something new. Rumors

After arriving back from Oetz into a strangely dry October for Wales, the wasn’t much kayaking to be had for John, Huw, and Andy of Pistyll Productions. That said, making the effort to head to Llandysul Paddlers Club night was ever so worth it. Octob

In California, the quality of whitewater on a run is often matched by the difficulty of accessing that section of river. January might not be the best time to attempt a run on Northern California’s Upper section of the Middle Consumnes River “UMC,''

This fall, Spencer Beck quit his job and headed to Central and South America for an extended paddling tour. The first stop on this trip was in Veracruz, where he met up with some of the local paddlers to work on some waterfall projects in that area.

In November 2022, a group of international athletes gathered in the Asahan province of North Sumatra to compete in the infamous Toba Caldera Extreme Race. The group (Jakub Sedivy, Leon Bast, Michele Ramazza, Martina Wegman, Michael Frey, Léa Grison,

Local paddler Patrick Lynch had identified an unrun stretch of whitewater on the Sillahertane River in County Kerry. He had scouted several times over the last number of years. Approximately 50 mm of rain over a short spell is needed to bring this ge

Class 2/17 - “Out sick.” It was Friday, and Isaac Hull and Finn Gardner were on the way to Fayetteville after a long week of exams and more importantly, a week of rain. Hull spent Thursday impatiently refreshing gauges after seeing the Meadow already

I had never heard of the easternmost of the seven sister states that belong to India since the British Empire retreated until a conversation with Chris Korbulic, who said, “Arunachal has some of the best whitewater I have ever paddled.” It is a big s

It was a profound, spiritual experience ten years ago as I floated the New River Gorge, now the United States’ newest National Park, to the abandoned site of my family’s early 1900s coal town for the first time. Nature had reclaimed the area to the p

As I lie in bed listening to the continuous pounding of rain, I contemplate which rivers will run tomorrow. While weighing up which river to paddle next, I realize I am sick of rain! This is not the summer I spent all winter dreaming of. Being the fi

Kayak Session: You recently published Freestyle, Unlocked, a freestyle instruction manual. Congrats—very cool. Where did this idea come from? Bartosz Czauderna: All I have dreamed of since I started training freestyle was to have a coach. Somebody to

The entire Deerfield River holds a very special place in my heart, as you may already know if you watched the NRS "Home Run Series," where the main branch of the Deerfield is featured. This time, I want to share my love for the West Branch of the Dee

Reciprocity is the touchstone of our stewardship work here at American Whitewater. We never paddle solo when we enter a process to remove dams, negotiate new hydropower licenses, defend river access, or speak out against new dam proposals. We activel

Shaped by Zig Zag in collaboration with members of the French slalom team, the PANAME has been designed for paddlers who are looking for performance both in extreme kayak competitions and out on the river. Fast, fluid and responsive, this new model i