Paddling News

The world of outrigger canoeing and ocean paddling is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved figures. Kai Bartlett, a champion paddler, craftsman, mentor, and lifelong ocean lover, has passed away at the age of 50. His death has profoundly affected the global paddling community, with friends, competitors, and fans sharing an outpouring […]

Passionate about the ocean and driven by a strong competitive spirit, this French paddler Thomas Buton and Nalu’s Canoes team rider  has built an impressive journey in outrigger canoeing since discovering the sport in 2010. After many years playing American football, he turned to the water in search of a new challenge and quickly fell […]

Born in Budapest, Hungary, far from the world’s great ocean channels, Beata Markin began her paddling journey in sprint kayaking at just ten years old. What started on flatwater evolved into a career defined by open-ocean racing, resilience, and constant progression. Now based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, she competes at a high level across multiple disciplines  […]

Some athletes are driven by competition. Others are driven by something deeper. For Axel Celmanti, paddle sport became a turning point, a space where discipline, purpose, and self-belief came together. Following the amputation of his leg, he was forced to adapt to a new reality and rediscover his path. What began as a step into […]

À 21 ans, Ranitea Mamatui avance entre deux mondes. Née et élevée à Tahiti, bercée par le lagon et la culture du Va’a, elle a grandi avec l’océan comme terrain de jeu et comme école de vie. Introduite très tôt à la pirogue par son père, elle y a trouvé bien plus qu’un sport : […]

Sixteen thousand kilometers separate Tahiti from mainland France and that is the distance Ranitea Mamatui chose to cross to pursue her studies. At 21, the Polynesian paddler has traded lagoon waters for a new life at Aix-Marseille University, where she is training to become a physical education teacher. Raised by the ocean and introduced to […]

Raised between Tahiti, Fakarava, and Moorea, he learned to read currents, swells, and the rhythm of his crew. Paddling for him is not only competition. It is a daily practice, a link to his family, his island, and his ancestors. Hotuiterai Poroi pushes his va’a off the beach and begins his morning session, just as […]

Judit Vergés is a surfski, surf lifesaving, and paddleboard athlete from Banyoles, Catalonia, currently based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Over the years, she has established herself at international level, collecting European titles and World Championship medals while continuing to progress across multiple paddle disciplines. Living and training in Gran Canaria has played a […]

Calm, composed, and deeply connected to the ocean, Kira Bester has established herself as one of the defining figures in modern surfski racing. The South African paddler’s 2025 season was not just a demonstration of physical dominance, but a reflection of maturity, consistency, and respect for the sea. Racing across continents and conditions, she carried […]

Entre voyages aux quatre coins du monde, compétitions internationales et conditions extrêmes, Thaïs Delrieux a vécu une saison intense et marquante. À seulement 24 ans, la sportive de haut niveau établie à Biarritz a intégré trois équipes de France en sauvetage côtier, ocean racing et prone paddle, et s’est illustrée sur les plus grandes scènes, […]

At the 2025 edition of the VIBE Volta de Ilhabela, one team stood out not only for its performance, but for the method and vision behind it: ANALYTIC PADDLE, led by Arthur Santacreu. A former world-class athlete turned high-performance coach, Santacreu is one of the most respected figures in Brazilian paddle sports. He claimed the […]

The mixed surfski world title demands more than individual excellence. At the 2025 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in Durban, Saskia Hockly and Matthew Fenn rose to the challenge, combining precision, commitment, and trust to secure the gold medal. Already a familiar name on the international circuit, the young South African athlete added a new […]

A 9ª edição da VIBE – Volta de Ilhabela confirmou mais uma vez o lugar único do evento no calendário da canoagem. Realizada todos os anos no primeiro final de semana de dezembro, a VIBE é uma prova de revezamento de 90 quilômetros aberta a todas as embarcações de remo sentado, sendo especialmente popular entre […]

The 9th edition of VIBE – Volta de Ilhabela once again confirmed the event’s unique place on the paddling calendar. Held every year on the first weekend of December, VIBE is a 90-kilometer relay race open to all seated paddle crafts, while remaining especially popular with OC6 and V6 teams. This year marked record participation, […]