Kayak Session Issue 96 - Print Edition

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TABLE OF CONTENTS KS 96, WINTER 2025 

MISSION: UZBEKISTAN - FINDING BIG WATER IN THE DESERT                 

The -stan countries of Central Asia are lands of contrast and scale, with deep valleys cutting through desert and steppe. Despite its vast potential, the region still holds rivers few have seen or run. Among them is the Oygaying River in Uzbekistan. With travel restrictions easing in recent years, it was finally time for kayakers to explore the valley again.

QUEST: KVENNA – WHEN VALHALLA OPENED

This summer, Eirik Hansen, Mario Leitner, Kilian Ivelic, and David Sodomka ventured across Norway’s Hardangervidda National Park, a vast, treeless expanse of lakes and short rivers, to explore the Kvenna River. Eirik recounts their journey in search of whitewater he first scouted three years earlier, and what felt like a rare opening in the Norse heavens.

FOCUS: KLAMATH - RETURNING WITH THE SALMON 

Following the largest dam removal project in the world, the Klamath River runs free for the first time in more than a century. This June, thirty Indigenous young kayakers completed the first full descent since the dams came down, paddling from Oregon’s headwaters to the Pacific. Among them was Karuk paddler Ruby Rain Williams, who tells how it felt to return with the salmon.

INTERVIEW: GEORGE SNOOK 

Steezy is the word that comes to mind when talking about George Snook’s paddling. Rooted in a laid-back Kiwi mindset, his approach to life has always been simple: only good days on the river. Recently crowned Extreme World Champion, George is that cool kid everyone wants to paddle with, humble, curious, and driven by a constant desire to keep learning. 

PORTFOLIO: SPECIAL INDUS MONSOON SESSION

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