Luckily, he has a good mentor. In the kayak episode, he has help from 2024 Summer Olympic bronze medalist Evy Leibfarth , who trains Juanpa to kayak off a 30-foot waterfall. But the world’s largest man-made river nearly claims him, trapping him upside-down beneath 12 million gallons of rushing water.
Other Red Bull athletes included in the series—who challenged Juanpa’s mind and body to the edge so he can try to achieve his personal “mountain top” moments—include:
We caught up with him for his take on taking up kayaking with Eva:
Paddling Life: How hard is kayaking compared to some of the other sports you’ve tried like wing suiting, slacklining, and big wave surfing?
Juanpa: Kayaking was so much more difficult. I feel like it felt very different in the sense of the skillset that I needed, and the muscles that I was using to be able to achieve it. I mean, jumping off the waterfall was nuts, but even the smallest thing, controlling the kayak properly and making it move in the water properly, is a challenge. There are many variables, such as weight, the way you paddle, the way you move your legs inside, the way your waist is moving, that affect the way your kayak is moving. And the other crazy part about kayaking is that you must understand that you need to read the water. And that was crazy for me, meaning not only you need to get good with the kayak, but there is another force, which is the river, that you must learn to flow with.
Because you’ll never beat the river, it will always win, so you need to use it in your favor, right? So that was very interesting mentally, to be like, “Oh, okay, this is how the current moves. If I do this, then I get flipped, but if I do that, I don’t get flipped. Oh, OK, this is edgy, there’s Evy, OK, this is the current,” and incorporating all of that at the same time is overwhelming, you know? But at the same time, it is so thrilling, it’s so unique, and you’re so connected to nature. I didn’t know how connected you were to nature.
And, on top, you add the fact that stakes are crazy. I’m not saying that when you wingsuit there are no stakes, or in slackline or big wave surfing, but just the danger feels so close when you’re kayaking. Being underwater upside down is not a comfortable thing to do, and I had very few days to master a craft that takes years. And even though I was able to do a couple of successful rows, I wasn’t, I guess, pun intended, in a row. There were many where I was in the midst of the current and I couldn’t row back up, so it was very panicky, but it was so exciting. And jumping out of the waterfall is one of the craziest feelings I ever had in my life, it’s embedded into my brain forever.
Paddling Life: Did you like it?
Juanpa: I loved it, I mean, it was incredible. But I like it so much because I feel it’s also so crazy. It’s such an extreme sport that needs so much respect that I automatically loved it. Also, the experience of kayaking with friends, and going to the rapids, screaming, the nature, just the experience and the culture of it all is incredible. It’s a sport that goes beyond just the fact of doing it, it’s almost as a way of life, and I love the fact of how present you need to be in order to do it right. I love that you can work out, that you’re connected with nature, and I like the connection of doing something extreme in the midst of the jungle. And the jump was exhilarating.
Paddling Life: How bad were your thrashings?
Juanpa: They were really bad. I got out of the kayak multiple times. There was a moment when we were on a level 3 rapid and I flipped, and the rocks were there. Another moment where I was training in the man-made river and I fell right before the drop, and even though it’s a man-made river, there are rocks below as well. So I think I made a lot of mistakes, but it’s also the only way you can learn. One of the biggest, fortunately, was not while jumping the waterfall, but it what happened after, which is that I stayed upside down because I had spoken to my coach and I was like, “OK, I’m not gonna get out. I’m gonna try to roll, and if I can’t do it, I’ll wait for you guys to flip me so I don’t need to get out of the kayak.” I really wanted to stay inside of the kayak for the jump, but I stayed in too long and the current was pushing me far away from my team, so it got a little bit dramatic. Nothing happened, but it was definitely “thrashing” is the word, right?
Paddling Life: How was having Evy as a coach?
Juanpa: Oh my God, she’s amazing. She’s so joyful, and when she does things, she makes it look so easy and graceful. It’s incredible to access her brain and her mind, and see how she unravels the sport. She basically explains how everything is possible within the sport, but with a lot of respect. Her energy is contagious, and it’s really amazing to know that there are people that are younger than you and that are teaching you things. Evy is a major promise of kayaking worldwide. She’s an Olympic medalist, and, I mean, back then she was 19, she’s probably 20 now, so it’s very inspiring to see young people teach you things. It makes you want to learn more.
This series is a Roku Original produced by Red Bull Media House.
