ADRIAN MATTERN

24-year-old Adrian Mattern has come a long way from staring at posters of kayaking on his bedroom wall. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, the Heidelberg, Germany native has taken his training on the rivers of Germany’s Black Forest to some of the hardest whitewater around the world. From running large waterfalls or mobbing down the Lower Myrkdalselva at "stupid high water," to building a brand or becoming a YouTube sensation, for Mattern, it's all about natural progression. He offers a reminder to keep it slow and steady and to never take things for granted.

Words: Philippe Doux & Anna Bruno

KS: How were you first introduced to whitewater? AM: My father always liked water, so I was in an inflatable canoe pretty early on. We bought my first (very broken) glass kayak off eBay when I was around 7 or 8 years old, which I used a couple times a year. When my parents split up, my dad decided to focus more on things he enjoys and picked up whitewater kayaking at the local club. (This is how he tells the story; I’d say he experienced a midlife crisis and wanted to do something rad, ha). Since I was living with my dad, I ended up going as well. KS: How did it go at first? Was there instant love? AM: It was scary and really cold. I didn’t have…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Winter 2019

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