“Don’t Leave Me, Kid”: 14-Year-Old Saves Paddleboarder After Freak Accident
Decades before standup paddleboarding became a thing, Gavin Bowden was chasing waves all over the globe, from his childhood in Australia on to Indonesia,...
An Outdoor Retail Icon Closes, Causing A Tectonic Shift In The Region’s Paddlesport Landscape
Deek Heykamp still remembers his first whitewater kayak, one he brought home from the annual Outdoor Retailer trade show to his new outdoor store...
John Chase Knows Good Paddling Stories
When it comes to epic paddling stories, who doesn’t love to gather around the campfire and trade tales of swashbuckling adventures by kayak? No...
Indigenous Youth Kayakers To Depart On Historic First Descent Of Klamath River
On June 12, 2025 a team of Indigenous teenagers from the tribes of the Klamath Basin will begin a historic first descent of the...
Meet The Gen Z Paddlers Proving Expeditions Aren’t Dead
Big paddling expeditions have a reputation of being for the rich or retired, for the career adventurers and legacy paddlers, but a handful of...
Paddlesports Trade Coalition Colab Moves to Charlotte, NC
The Paddlesports Trade Coalition annual industry gathering is heading to Charlotte, North Carolina. The 2025 Colab event will take place October 15-19, in partnership...
Pelican Bought After Boom And Bust
Pelican Intl Inc, now a newly formed entity has acquired assets excluding GSI Outdoors, of Pelican International Inc and Confluence Outdoor Inc according to...
How This Alberta Whitewater Festival Became Kid-Friendly
When Chuck Lee’s ten-year-old son told him whitewater kayaking is for old people, Lee set out to find small boats and equipment to bring...
24-Year-Old To Canoe Across America
On September 11, 2024 Kyle Parker set a speed record in solo canoeing the Wisconsin River, paddling the 430-mile river in just five days,...
Sea Kayakers Deserve Their Own Triple Crown
For years, backpackers have challenged themselves on North America’s Triple Crown of long-distance trails. Meanwhile, sea kayakers—whose adventures often demand greater skill—have watched from...
Watch Viral SUP Surf Star Rippin’ Rosie
Santa Cruz, California, is known for its legendary surf breaks—and these days, for a four-legged social media sensation in the lineup. Rosie Drottar, or...
Follow The Leader: A Canoe Trip 20 Years In The Making
When my son Doug was four years old, we paddled the Petawawa River with outdoor adventure filmmaker, Justine Curgenven. From our trip, Curgenven created...
Sunrise Sessions: The Story Behind The Iconic Shot
This sunrise session very nearly didn’t happen.
Boise, Idaho-based photographer John Webster had been invited before. His friend and former freestyle world champion, Nick Troutman,...
A Kayaker’s Guide To Solving Life’s Problems
There’s a highly successful and well-paid management consultant who, whenever he gets in a stressful pickle at work, solves his problems by sitting down...
Column Spotlight
Microadventures Could Save Your Soul From The Grind Of Modern Living
Lately, I’ve noticed a pernicious gap between the trips I imagine going on—the big, ambitious ones—and the ones I have the time and resources...
Hardwired: Why True Kayakers Are Born, Not Made
No circumstances conspired to turn me into a kayaker. I grew up in the city, far from the water. Yet I knew I wanted...
Loved To Death: The Unintended Consequences Of Eco-Tourism
If you were given the option to go sea kayaking in Antarctica, would you? On one hand, the decision is all too easy. The...
Fool’s Gold: Why Sea Kayaking Will Never Be An Olympic Event
As a sea kayaking fan, should you root for the activity you love to become an Olympic event? The benefits of shining a global...
The Not-So-Surprising Benefits Of Weekend Sea Kayaking Trips
I recently had the rare experience of getting away for a solo weekend kayaking trip. Rare because responsible and gainfully employed fathers of young...
Sit-On-Top vs Sit-Inside Kayaks: Which Is Right For You?
It’s hard to say what the best kayaks for recreational paddlers are: sit-on-top or sit-inside. With more than 30 years of experience working in...
Choosing The Right Size Kayak For You
The size of a kayak plays a huge role in determining its performance characteristics, and whether it’s the right kayak for you. If you’re...
Best Beginner Paddleboards For 2025
The best paddleboard for beginners depends a lot on personal preferences and what you hope to do with your paddleboard. Are you looking for...
Best Inflatable Two-Person Kayaks For 2025
In all my years paddling, I've spent many days in kayaks and in rafts, but some of the most enjoyable times on the water...
Best Water Shoes For 2025
Among the checklist of what to wear paddling, solid footwear is not to be overlooked. The best pair of water shoes will keep you...
How To Kayak Tow Your Friends Out Of Trouble
Sometimes the best way to assist another paddler is to give them a helping hand in the form of a tow. Towing a weaker...
How To Bake A Backcountry Pizza
Done poorly, campfire pizza will have uncooked toppings and half-melted cheese on a burnt bottom and black crust. Instead, follow these simple steps and...
How To Tie Down A Kayak On Your Car’s Roof Rack
I could feel the rumble of rocks under the truck as I worked my way back up the dirt road in the dark. My...
How To Register Your Kayak In Your State
Registering your kayak can feel like an intimidating task, but we’re here to demystify kayak registration. From which states do and don’t require paddlecraft...
Do Sharks Attack Kayaks? Here Are The Facts & Precautions You Can Take
A handful of well-publicized shark encounters in the waters off some of our favorite coasts have left sea kayakers watching their dorsals. Headline stories...
This 190-Mile Water Trail In Florida Passes Through Mangrove Tunnels, Pristine Beaches, And Historic...
Whether you're seeking solitude in Southwest Florida's wild landscapes or craving a lively day on the water, the Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail offers...
The South Coast Of Oregon Holds More Wild Rivers To Paddle Than Anywhere Else...
If you were to drop a pin in the center of Curry County, Oregon, along the border of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, you...
Experience British Columbia’s Wildlife Wonders By Water
Along with its coastal temperate rainforests and rugged Rockies, British Columbia is known for iconic wildlife such as bears, whales and eagles. The vast...
The Best Places To Go Kayaking In Chicago
Chicago is famous for many things—astonishing skyscrapers, Art Deco architecture, the blues, Al Capone, Michael Jordan and the Bulls, Navy Pier—but kayaking isn’t generally...
The Best Places To Standup Paddleboard In San Diego, According To A Local
More than a decade ago, when I moved to San Diego, the bays and ocean afforded me the opportunity to access a paddling lifestyle....
