In Today’s Newsletter: From inspiring family adventures and epic paddling films to industry news and important river safety lessons, this week's stories will keep you informed, inspired and ready for your next adventure.
🌊 Here are some of the top stories making waves:
Dangers of low-head dams
Why two ionic rafting brands joined forces
Tragedy Reveals Danger Of Low-Head Dams
Harrowing video shows how this river hazard can trap paddlers and rescuers.
Jim Baird’s Tips For Remote Canoe Trips With Young Kids
Keep your little explorers comfortable with the adventurer's advice for families.
Learn Why These Two Iconic Rafting Brands Joined Forces
Inside NRS’s acquisition of retailer and manufacturer Down River Equipment
Consolidation is a familiar storyline across the paddlesports industry, especially now as many of the industry’s most iconic brands contemplate their legacies and succession plans. Below, NRS Chief Marketing Officer Mark Deming and Down River Equipment co-owner and CEO Phil Walczynski speak publicly for the first time about NRS’s acquisition the storied river-running retailer and custom gear manufacturer.
The deal is an acquisition that feels like a partnership, Walczynski and Deming told Paddling Business editor Jeff Moag in the wide-ranging interview. It also smells a bit like a succession plan. The agreement keeps Down River operating under its own name and continuing to build custom oar frames and river-running gear in Colorado. Phil Walczynski and his wife Carol, Down River’s Chief Financial Officer and Operations Manager, will continue to manage Down River under the new partnership with NRS. Down River co-owner Zach Svoboda will pursue a new chapter…
Follow The Water: Inside The Best Kayaking Film Of 2026
A source to sea adventure that explores the secrets behind one of the cleanest watersheds in America
The Crooked River is a small, relatively unknown river in western Maine. Adventure photographer Andy Gagne had lived near the Crooked River for 10 years, paddling and fishing its waters regularly. But one day he learned a surprising fact: the forest surrounding the Crooked River acts as a filtration system for the water, which is part of the Sebago Lake Watershed and provides drinking water to one in six Mainers. And this natural filtration system means the water doesn’t have to be mechanically filtered in a facility—one of only 50 places in the U.S. where this is the case…
SUP Racing 80 Ocean Miles On Borrowed Lungs
After a life-saving double lung transplant, Scott Johnson set out to conquer a grueling ocean SUP race.
How To Shoot An Epic Whitewater Kayaking Movie
7 expert tips from multi-award winning filmmaker Justine Curgenven.
