Paddling Industry News

Paddling’s latest news and product reviews.  Paddling Life keeps you informed on what’s new in the paddling industry. From new product launches, paddling trade shows, company mergers, advances in paddling technology, and more – Paddling Life is here to inform you.

Conservation

Ken Sleight, River Guide Who Inspired Edward Abbey’s Seldom Seen Smith, Dies at 97

Ken Sleight, the river guide who inspired Edward Abbey's Seldom Seen Smith in "The Monkey Wrench Gang," has died at the age of 97...
Staff Post -
Events

Utah’s John Wesley Powell Museum to Induct 3 into River Runners Hall of Fame Oct. 2-3

For all you paddlers out there, the Powell Museum in Green River, Utah, is inducting three historically significant Colorado Plateau influencers to the River...
Staff Post -
Athlete Stories

B-Flow Sessions Podcast Joins Paddling Life, Adds Road Show

Paddling Life is now the official media partner of B-Flow Sessions: The Whitewater Kayaking Podcast, hosted by longtime industry veteran Brad Burden. With the...
Staff Post -
Business

PTC Collab Scrambles After Montgomery Whitewater Center Announces “Temporary Closure” Before Oct. 14-16 Event

The Paddlesports Trade Coalition is scrambling for an alternative venue after Alabama's Montgomery Whitewater Center announced it is "temporarily closing" less than a month before...
Eugene Buchanan -
Contests

Want a Free 6-Day Kayaking Trip to Costa Rica? Enter Amazing Vacations’ Sweepstakes!

Yes, you heard right. Want a free six-day kayaking trip to Costa Rica? Enter Amazing Vacations' Sweepstakes! They’re running an EPIC GIVEAWAY on their...
Staff Post -
Business

PTC Collab ’26 Hits Montgomery Whitewater Center Oct. 14-16

A lot can get done over a beer and a paddle blade. The Paddlesports Trade Coalition is holding its PTC Collab '26 October 14–16, 2026,...
Staff Post -
Films & Books

NRS Releases New “Futureproof” Marketing Campaign (and “World’s First Robotic Raft Guide” Video

To help celebrate guides and other champions “of the irreplaceable human spirit of the outdoors,” — and to show AI and robotics don’t really...
Staff Post -
Inflatables

New Razor Kayaks Edge Pro1 IK Review!

There’s a new inflatable kayak company making waves stateside, employing SUP dropstitch technology in the hull — including floor, sidewalls, and hull — giving...
Staff Post -
Apparel

Kokatat’s New Blast Shorty

Let’s just say I tend to go through shorty paddling jackets pretty quickly. That’s mostly because I trade them away to eager guides whenever...
Eugene Buchanan -
Paddling Industry News

Kokatat Names Ted Keyes Sales Lead, Realigns Canada Sales

Kokatat has named Ted Keyes as head of sales and marketing and introduced a new sales structure for the brand in Canada. Keyes will lead...
Staff Post -
Apparel

Kokatat’s Custom Stoke Drytop

This is one drytop you’re going to be "stoked" about. Kokatat’s new Stoke Hydrus Custom Drytop, available in both men’s and women’s sizing, lets you...
Eugene Buchanan -
Competition

OK’s RiverSport to Host 2026 Swiftwater Conference and Championship Games

The recent Slalom World Championships and upcoming 2028 Olympic Games aren't the only events being hosted by Oklahoma City's RiverSport Whitewater Center. During the last week...
Staff Post -
Paddling Industry News

Life Jacket Tech Helping Save Lives 

Life jacket technology has advanced dramatically since the early 1800s, when mariners first began stuffing canvas vests with blocks of wood, rows of cork,...
Eugene Buchanan -
Paddling Industry News

Tales from the Cripps Podcast: 35. Lightening Your Load with Dan Thurber

From rubber to hard shells to packrafts, Dan has test-driven his fair share of vehicles on the river. So with a thirst for novel...
Staff Post -
Accessories

Level Six To Introduce First Coast Guard-Approved, Ultralight Level50 PFDs

Level Six has just unveiled a new line of ultralight PFDs built to the U.S. Coast Guard’s new Level 50 standard, which for the...
Staff Post -
Inflatables

AIRE and Outcast: Two Brands, Same River DNA

To the untrained eye, AIRE and Outcast Sporting Gear might look like competitors sharing a river. But spend five minutes digging into the story...
Staff Post -
Paddling Industry News

NRS Launches Vector PFD, the First Whitewater Rescue Vest with Built-In RECCO

Northwest River Supplies has launched the Vector PFD, the first whitewater rescue life jacket to integrate RECCO locator technology, bringing the search-and-rescue system into...
Aaron Bible -
Paddling Gear

Paddling Life Swag Roundup!

Read on for a glimpse of gear we put through its paces this spring, from SUP pumps to duffel bags, firepits, and more, from...
Eugene Buchanan -
Paddling Industry News

Wave Sport Returns to U.S. Market

Paddlesports brand Wave Sport announced its official commercial return to the United States market as a highlight of celebrating its 40th anniversary. The move marks...
Eugene Buchanan -
Canoeing

Training and Racing with Hanalei Canoe Club on Kaua’i

“Hut!” Paddle. “Ho!” Switch sides. And just like that, the outrigger canoe keeps gliding forward. Regatta season is underway in Hawaiʻi, and I recently had...
Miles De Feyter -
Inflatables

Inside an AIRE Boat: How Construction Shapes Performance (Bonus Q&A with Designer Ben Marek!)

Buying an inflatable boat shouldn't feel like studying for an exam. But between denier ratings, floor systems, bladder types, platform options, and more, it's...
Staff Post -
Competition

Meet Mexico’s First Olympic Slalom Canoeist: Sofia Reinoso

Reinoso brings elite river expertise, environmental advocacy, and a passion for exploration to the brand’s next evolution in outdoor performance footwear.
Aaron Bible -
Business

Switchback Spring Wraps Up in New Orleans…Is Switchback the New Outdoor Industry Gathering Place?

Switchback, the education and business gathering for the outdoor industry, opened its doors last week to more than 300 retailers representing 1,300 retail doors...
Aaron Bible -
Paddling Industry News

First Descents Taps Alex Accetta to Lead Next Chapter of Kayak-Born Nonprofit

25 Years After Its Kayak Trip Beginnings, First Descents Names New Chief Executive
Staff Post -
123...55Page 1 of 55

Latest news

Conservation

Ken Sleight, River Guide Who Inspired Edward Abbey’s Seldom Seen Smith, Dies at 97

Ken Sleight, the river guide who inspired Edward Abbey's Seldom Seen Smith in "The Monkey Wrench Gang," has died...
- Advertisement -
Films & Books

Dustin, Scott Lindgren Work Water Magic to Film New “Redemption River” Video

There’s a new vid out highlighting Cali’s American River, billed as a faith-based survival thriller. Filmed among the rugged canyons...
Events

That’s a Wrap: Our Man in the Field Reports Gauley Fest is “Beautiful Chaos”

That is Gauley Fest: a little intimidating, a little ridiculous, incredibly loud and absolutely unforgettable. Beautiful chaos on the Gauley.

Must read

Contests

Want a Free 6-Day Kayaking Trip to Costa Rica? Enter Amazing Vacations’ Sweepstakes!

Yes, you heard right. Want a free six-day kayaking...
Paddling Gear

Paddling Life Swag Roundup!

Read on for a glimpse of gear we put...
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you

Paddling Industry News

Pyranha Names New U.S. Executive, Splits from Feelfree Kayak

Pyranha has chosen Brian Day to head its U.S. operations. Day is a 25-year veteran of the paddlesports industry, spending the past five years working closely with former director Jim Hager to make Pyranha, P&H and Venture premier brands among specialty dealers in North America.
Miles De Feyter -
Canoeing

Louisiana’s Paddling Paradise

Want the perfect paddling destination? Put Louisiana on your list. About 15 percent of the state is covered by lakes, swamps, marshlands, rivers and bayous, whose ecosystems are rich with state’s iconic animals, birds and plants...and even richer in paddling options.
Staff Post -