EVENTS
CALLAGHANCREEKRACE,WHISTLER,BC,JULY 2019
OnJuly6, 2019, 46 competitorsconvergedin Whistler,BritishColumbiato participatein the10thAnnualCallaghan
CreekRace,celebratingthisclassicsectionof river.TheCallaghanRaceis a timedteamracedownthewholeriver.The
3.5kmcoursefeaturesendlessboulderrapids,twospectacularwaterfalls,andtheinfamousOBDrapid,whichracers
facewhenthey’retiredandhungryforthefinishline.In additionto thecompetition,thiseventservesto highlightthe
importanceofCallaghanCreekasa world-classwhitewaterdestinationandthecornerstonerunoftheSea-to-Sky
regionof BC.Theeventservesa rallyingpointforthosein oppositionto thethreatof hydrodevelopmentontheriver.
Thisyear,thechampionshipmen’steamofBlakeMillerandTadDennistookthewinwitha timeof15:34,followed
closelybyLouisGeltmanandGeoffCalhoun(15:47),andJureStanandKiahSchaepe(16:08).DarbyMcAdams
(competingco-edwithBlakeHornblow)wasthe 2019 women’schampionwitha timeof 17:46.Theywerefollowed
shortlybyJenChrimesandCristaWiles(19:16)andthethree-packteamof DaphneeTuzlak,TessFieldsand Monique
Boag(19:29).Forresultsandinformationonthe11thannual event in 2020, goto liquidlore.com.Report: Steve Arns | Photography: Nick GottliebDURANCEFESTIVAL,DURANCEVALLEY,FRANCE,JULY 2019
Witha recordattendanceof 199 registeredpaddlers,the 2019 editionoftheDuranceWhitewaterFestivalwillbe
oneto remember.KayakSessionMagazineis proudto partnerwithNRSto inspirea revivalof sortsin thisremarkable
Frenchrivervalley.It hadbeenovera decadesincetheRabiouxcampsitewasfiledbycarsandvanswithwatercraft
perchedatoptheirroofs.Thefestivalhasbecomethemid-summerEuropeanrendez-vousforwhitewaterpaddlers.
Thisyearrafters,supers,opencanoeistanda bigturnoutofpackrafters,allcametotakepartintheracesorjust
enjoythevibe.Thenewcreekrace– theGorgeGuilChronoattracted 72 racersin multipleclasses.Theprizemoney
forthewinin theshortboatclasswenttoJonasle Morvan(FR),butit wasEricDeguil(FR)whowalkedawaywith
theGorgeRecordafterhisruninthelongboatclass.Over 52 peoplewhohadneverbeenontheriverbefore
joinedforSunday’sGrandeDescente,a giantstokefloatofnearly 230 paddlers!Butmaybethebestnewsfrom
thisyear’sfestivalwastheofficialreturnofthelegendaryRabiouxWave.C-1WorldChampionedTomDolle(FR)
celebratedwitha humongousairloopin hiscreekboat(seenbynearly100, 000 people).Tom’shigh-flyingmoves
areencouragingtheDuranceFestivalorganizerstoconsidera freestylesessionofa newkind for 2020... Come
joinfornextyeartosee#rabiouxreborn.Formoreinformation, visitKayaksession.com.Report: Kayak Session | Photography: Raoul GetraudTANARIVERFESTIVAL,KENYA,MAY, 2019
In Kenya’sSaganaregion,severedroughtwarningsconvincedTanaRiverFestivalorganizerstopushtheeventdates
back.Thenit rained!Thesurroundingareasturnedfromtoa dryanddustyyellowtoa bright,healthygreen,andriver
levelsspiked,whichmadethecompetitiona lotmorechallenging.Thewronglinechoiceoranerrantboilcouldcost
youtheraceonwhatwasnowa bigvolume,technicalandbrownAfricanstout!Forthefirsttimein 2019,themulti-
sportfestivalincludedadvanceandintermediatekayakinggroups,aswellasanMTBenduroeventanda BMXair
rampintotheriver,anda triathlon.KenyanandUgandanpaddlerswentashardastheAustraliansandBritish,proving
thatkayakingineastAfricais notthedomainofpurelyforeignkayakers.BigthankstoSamWard,ownerofKayak
theNile,forbringingTeamUganda.Thefirsteventthisyearwastheendurancerace,whichconsistedofaneight-
kilometerpaddledownthecommerciallyraftedsectionoftheTanaRiverwiththe“anylinegoes”rules.Onepopular
choiceis theclassiceight-meterwaterfallknownas‘TheMission’(luckilynoonelandedontopeachother...onthat
drop!).Thenextmorningtheriverwasevenhigher!TheslalomandBoaterX eventswerefilledwithcarnage,though
everyonecamethroughunscathed.Smallmistakescouldcostyoutheraceontheslalomcourse,whichhadgates
directlyabovechunkyholes.BoaterX consistedof twoheats,withtwopaddlersfromeachmovingthroughto thefinal.
Paddlersfoughthardfortheleadandto staycleanandfast.A trickyexitmovesawSammyandSamWardgetworked
in the‘BabyFishEye’holeaftergoingoverthedropbackwardandupsidedownin thefinal...entertainingspectators
if notthepaddlers!Thelastrivereventwas‘TheMission’showdown,wherepaddlersshowcasedtheirbestmoves
offtheeight-meterfalls.Oneoftheeventgoalsfor 2019 wastoincreasepaddlesportsparticipantsandultimately,
paddlesportsinKenya.Thisyear,intermediatekayakerstookpartintheslalomandendurancecompetitions,which
wasfantasticto see!Moreadvancedcompetitorswereonstandby for rescues and encouraging when needed, proving
youdon’tneedtobea classV kayakertoparticipate!Report and photography: Glenn RichardsNEWS