FROM RAPIDS TO COASTLINES presented by NRS, PYRANHA, P&H and VENTURE Find the right equipment Pyranha Elite Outfitting and NRS Every Body Design GEAR TALK

A quick sundowner with the SUP on a local lake, a three-week luggage tour in a folding kayak on the Danube, tidal surfing at The Bitches in Pembrokeshire, hucking 20-metre waterfalls in Norway, hanging out with the crew in Plattling... Few activities have as many facets and bring so many different people together as paddlesports. Whether you’re a toddler on your mum’s lap, or a senior with 60 years of experience, the magic starts as soon as you put your paddle in the water. For most of us, it’s not just a hobby, it’s a way of life. But what if you suddenly can’t hold a paddle anymore, like Adam...

Marieke Vogt SERVING CONSERVATION YOU HAVE BEEN ACTIVE FOR THE FREE RIVERS FUND FOR YEARS. WHY? Because I want to stand up for rivers. Rivers and their ecosystems are under incredible pressure worldwide. Through all kinds of things, pollution, construction, climate change... With the Free Rivers Fund, we are campaigning against damming. Personally, I don’t really have a choice, I’m a kayaker and I can’t stand by and watch dam after dam being concreted over. CAN INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVES ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Yes, of course! You start as a single initiative, perhaps even as a single person....

We’ve been waiting for it a long time, but finally we have received an audience: read the exclusive interview ... and the run that saved a river. with ChatGPT about the best sport in the world. HI CHATGPT, WHY DO YOU THINK KAYAKING IS THE BEST SPORT IN THE WORLD? Kayaking is hands down one of the best sports in the world, and here’s why: Jimmy Carter (1924–2024) was not just the 39th president of the USA, but also the longest-lived president in U.S. history and the first to reach the age of 100. President Jimmy Carter grew up in awe of nature’s wonder. But it wasn’t until he first paddled the...

Conquering Austria's Tallest Waterfall: A Kayaker's Decade-Long Journey by Huw Butterworth ustria is renowned for world-class whitewater kayaking and hosting the Extreme Kayaking World Championships. However, big waterfall kayaking is rare, with the Salza waterfall being a notable exception. In 2014, Lukas Strobl made the first descent of the 83 ft Salza waterfall with a very memorable line as he hit the centre-line kicker, sending him flying; luckily, he walked away with only bruised ribs. A few months later, Daniel Egger completed a cleaner, second descent. Due to a dam upstream, the waterfall...

Fresh out of the box: The revised Silkweight Line for Women (left) and Men (right) from NRS. The Full-Carbon Cetus A PERSONAL NOTE ABOUT A SKILLED, TALENTED AND WONDERFUL TEAM Let the sunshine into your heart (but not on your skin) NRS has spent years tweaking its sun protection to perfection. Silkweight material enhances the body’s natural cooling process by wicking excess moisture and drying quickly while offering UPF 50+ sun protection. From T-shirts to hoodies to dresses, NRS offers a range of styles to appeal to everyone who adventures in the outdoors. New for 2025, Silkweight includes Brrr(R)...

SALTWATER AND WHITEWATER MULTI-DAYS IN CORSICA by Carmen Kuntz | Photos Rok Rozman Hiking trips are great - you have all you need on your back. Bike trips are cool too - with everything neatly tucked into panniers. But when it comes to comfort, carry capacity and the ability to cover some solid kilometers... nothing beats the kayak. Regardless of whether you are a lover of saltwater or whitewater, the kayak is a vessel that allows you to pack all your gear inside your mode of transportation. And this opens up a world of multi-day adventure possibilities. This spring we had a thirst for on-water...

These days and nights spent by the water ultimately reminded us that a kayak is more than the sum of all its parts. worries. We were drunk on the simplicity of having all the gear to be comfortable, while having a vessel that allowed us to explore a coastline that was otherwise completely inaccessible by foot. And doing it all in the season before the crowds and yachts pepper the bays. We almost lost track of time, enjoying the daily routine of the nomadic life on the sea. But on our sixth day, the weather made the call for us, and we half sailed, half surfed our way onto the kilo-metres-long...

A LID FOR E VERY POT! Finding the right equipment depends on many factors. The weather, the water, the means of transportation – and your own preferences. The case studies on the following pages will help you to find the right equipment.

1. PLAY THE RIVER ALL SUMMER LOOONG Short sessions or warm weather paddling – no need for too much gear. TIME ON THE WATER: rescue vest that delivers superior mobility and comfort and dialed-in rescue essentials to better serve whitewater paddlers, guides and SAR professionals. Always respect the river – and expect the unexpected. Does it always have to be a Stratos Shorty jacket? The HYDROSKIN 0.5 SHORT-SLEEVE SHIRT (right) is made for those hot-weather, cold-water adventures. WATER TEMPERATURE: Even if the air is warm, the water can cool you down quickly. Like the idea of the Firecracker, but...

The NRS ETHER HYDROLOCK DRY BAG can hold many things: biscuits, camera – and your edition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Available from 3 to 22 litre capacity. The NRS Paddle Wetshoe protects against cool water and rugged put-ins – whatever the adventure is. PYRANHA FUSION II: You might just be getting started in the sport, and haven’t settled on which type of kayaking you prefer yet, or perhaps you’re looking for unrestricted adventures that combine the adrenaline rush of whitewater with a peaceful cruise across a lake. The Fusion II comes in three sizes to suit a wide range of paddlers and adventures:...

5. TOURING TRIPS IN SPRING AND FALL ARE SPECIAL But there is a difference: while trips in fall are mostly done on warmer water, you always paddle on cold water in spring. TIME ON THE WATER: WATER TEMPERATURE: Who said kayaking is a summer sport? CANOE OR KAYAK? Canoe = No spraydeck (usually) Kayakers commonly use spraydecks to create a watertight seal between their torso and the cockpit of the kayak. This prevents water from entering the boat. Canoeists, especially those in traditional open canoes, generally do not use spraydecks – and therefore don’t need a double tunnel sytem on their jacket...