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.

Paddling Industry News

Ocoee River Sees Historic Flooding

Historic Flooding Hits Ocoee River Region, Shattering Water-Level Record It's not just the desert Southwest of the Rockies getting record floods this fall. Mother Nature...
Brad Burden -
Paddling Industry News

NRS Releases Streamers, Steamers, and Struggles on the Krka (A Rafting/Fly Fishing Trip in Slovenia)

It’s not always about competition. Produced by Leeway Collective & Balkan River Defence, with support from NRS and Chums, Streamers, Steamers, & Struggles on...
Staff Post -
Business

Pyranha Pauses Kayak Prouduction

Longtime kayak-maker Pyranha of the UK stirred up some waters recently with an announcement on social channels that the company has "taken the difficult...
Staff Post -
Paddling Gear

GLIDE Angler Elite Fishing SUP Review

The Angler Elite Fishing SUP from GLIDE comes packed with features that make it a great option for both serious anglers and recreational paddlers...
Aaron Black-Schmidt -
Business

End of an Era: Canoecopia, Rutabaga Closing Doors

It's been a helluva run. The paddlesports world has lost one of the country’s best consumer events (and retailers) with Madison, Wisc.’s, annual Canoecopia...
Staff Post -
Business

Slice of Paradise: Buy a Riverfront Home and Land on Costa Rica’s Chirripó Pacífico River

Want your own slice of kayaking paradise? Mike Carter, the owner of a riverfront property located in Canaán de Rivas, Costa Rica, directly along the...
Staff Post -
Events

That’s a Wrap! Outdoor Media Summit 2026

Outdoor Media Summit Brings Brands and Creators Together in Asheville The annual Outdoor Media Summit took place September 28–30 in Asheville, North Carolina, a gateway...
Brad Burden -
Business

Hala Debuts New Japanese Freestyle SUP, the Atcha-R

Hala is bringing a new freestyle SUP to the U.S., bringing its exclusive Japanese freestyle design to North American rivers. Developed with Hala athlete Kazunori...
Staff Post -
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...
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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 -
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Latest news

Paddling Industry News

Ocoee River Sees Historic Flooding

Historic Flooding Hits Ocoee River Region, Shattering Water-Level Record It's not just the desert Southwest of the Rockies getting record...
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Accessories

Summer Swagalicious Gear Roundup!

Okay okay, it's still a little early for Christmas. But it's coming, and the goose is getting fat. So,...
Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Isle Paddle Boards: A fun alternative to whitewater kayaking

ISLE Pioneer 3 & Pioneer Pro 2: A New Perspective on Stand-Up Paddling Looking for something to mix things up...

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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...
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Paddling Industry News

Remembering Rich Weiss

With the Olympics winding up in Rio, those of us in the game long enough can't help but remember two-time slalom Olympian Rich Weiss, who tragically died kayaking Oregon's White Salmon River less than a year after his 1996 Olympic appearance. Read on for a touching memorial written by Steamboat Pilot reporter Joel Reichenberger, from Weiss's hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Staff Post -
Destinations

Alabama’s Montgomery Whitewater Park Grand Opening July 1-2

Get ready for the country’s fourth recirculating whitewater park....
Eugene Buchanan -
Archive

Filmaker and Class V Kayaker, Brook Aitken on filming

Oscar winning documentary “The Cove” has been making waves in the film world since its premier at the Sundance Film Festival last January. The film, which has brought the plight of dolphin hunts to the forefront of environmental activism, was filmed “guerrilla-style” without permission of the Japanese government. PL sat down with a pivotal member of the renegade film crew, Class V Kayaker and film-maker Brook Aitken for a dose of what it was like on set…
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