About
Kaydi Pyette is an outdoor journalist, editor and lifelong paddler. The Editor-in-Chief of Paddling Magazine, she has more than 25 years of experience on the water and has spent 14 years at the helm of Rapid Media’s editorial department, leading the coverage of canoeing and kayaking, adventure travel, gear, safety, conservation and the people shaping paddling today.
Experience
Kaydi took her first canoe trip at the age of 14 on a three-week Outward Bound expedition through the Lake of the Woods region in northern Ontario. The experience sparked a lifelong love of paddling and human-powered travel. Since then, she has paddled across her home province of Ontario on a two-month expedition, raced the 715-kilometer Yukon River Quest and logged thousands of kilometers on wilderness rivers, the Great Lakes and remote coastlines across North America.
She holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University. After graduation, Kaydi spent several years working in newspapers and corporate communications before attending the Paddling Film Festival and spotting a job ad that asked, “Can you paddle, spell and live in our small paddling town?” The unlikely posting brought her to Paddling Magazine and launched her career in paddlesports media.
Over the course of her career, Kaydi has tested thousands of paddling products, from kayaks and canoes to paddles, PFDs, drysuits, satellite communicators and more. Her reporting is informed by hundreds of interviews with expedition paddlers, outfitters, manufacturers, rescue professionals, athletes, conservation leaders and industry innovators.
Beyond the editor’s desk, Kaydi has presented at the Outdoor Media Summit, served as a judge for Canada’s National Magazine Awards, completed a month-long Outdoor Educator course with the National Outdoor Leadership School, and volunteered on backcountry trail and portage maintenance projects.
During her time at Rapid Media, Paddling Magazine has earned multiple national and international honors, including a Grand Prix National Magazine Award and Best Print Publication at the Outdoor Media Awards (twice!).
Fun Facts
When she’s not on the water, Kaydi’s other great love is traveling by bicycle. She has spent up to six months at a time on self-supported cycling trips and explored five continents by bike.
Closer to home, she starts her mornings with a dip in Lake Ontario year-round, and volunteers as a puppy raiser for a local service dog organization. Kaydi is currently raising her eighth future guide dog.
