TheTeamatKayakSessionTheICFFreestyleWorldChampionshipsjusttookplacein Sort,Spain,returningto
thesmalltowninthePyreneesMountainsforthefirsttimesince2001.Forusat
KayakSession,it is a veryspecial place and an occasion to celebrate. It is where
welaunched 18 yearsago.Whenwepresentedtheveryfirstissueof KayakSessionMagazinenext to the river
in Sort,littledidweknowthatwewouldbehere 18 yearslater.Ourgoal,ourvisionwastoproducea qualitywhitewatermagazine.Asreaders
turnedthepagesof Issue#0,presentedto thepublicforthefirsttimein thatCata-
lunyanmountainresort,therewasthethrilloffinallyseeingwhitewaterportrayed
thewayit deservestobe.Butmanywonderedaboutourabilitytomaintainthe
promisingquality,andtherewasfearthatthere was no way a whitewater-specific
magwouldsurvivepastthefirstfewissues.Howhavewesurvived?It’saneasyanswer:thepaddlingcommunity.Despitethoseinitialconcerns,wehavehadnothingbuta warmwelcomefrom
dayone,whenovera hundredpledged their support, signing up for a subscription
towhatwasstillanunknown.Whatis themostremarkableaboutthepast 18 yearsis howthewhitewatercom-
munityunderstoodintuitivelythatthepagesofKayakSessionaretheirhome.Themagazinehassurvivedbecausefromtheverybeginningyouhavesupported
ourdream.Bybuyingandreadingthemag,yes,butmoreimportantly, because
you have helped to fill its pages with previously unseen quality.Today,KayakSessionis heretostay,andtheprintsideremainsourprimarygoal.
However,in thepast 18 years,wehaveenrichedourpageswitha webandsocial
mediapresencethatarecontributingnewfrontiersto depictthewhitewaterworld.
Tous,theydonotcompete with print, they two complement each other, and the
skyis thelimit.Wehavesomanyplansinourheadsthatweareexcitedtobringtolightsoon.
Withyourcontinuingsupport,wewilldoourbesttokeepshowcasingthebest of
whitewaterkayakingonpaper,online,andin-personthroughourevents.Eighteenyearslaterweareherein Sort,waitingforthenightfinalstostart.In this
issue,#71,weareincludinga portfolioshotbyPeterHolcomberecappingthe
2019 WorldChampionshipsin tributeto our legacy, but also to the generosity and
passionofthewhitewatercommunity.Thesporthascomea longwaysince 2001 whenEricJacksonwalkedawaywith
Gold,andwearestokedtowitnesstheevolution.Whiletheconceptofa “night
finals,”inauguratedinSortin 2001 remains(withthesamecrazyFrenchfans),
thequalityofthemoves,thesportsmanship,thelevelofcompetition,thelevelof
organization,andexposure,hasexploded.Whathasnotchangedis thespiritand
theloveof thesport,northelastnameof themanontopof thefinalpodium.With
EJ’ssonDanetakinghomethegold 18 yearslater,there is a sense of whitewater
legacywewouldliketobebelievewearepartof.Here’stothewhitewatercommunity that has made this possible. This issue- and
every issue- is for you.2001-
©Peter HolcombeEDITO