UNLEASHED 2017 “Once More Into the Fray”

25 athletes. Quebec’s limitless whitewater. One week of competition. Sound familiar? Driven by their passion for whitewater, desire for progression and inspired by events of the past, Dane Jackson, Bren Orton, Kalob Grady and Adrian Mattern drew on the camaraderie of the whitewater community to continue the legacy of the Whitewater Grand Prix. Strung together on a wing and a prayer, with no budget, the idea behind UNLEASHED was to harness the raw power of spring freshets to produce a friendly, competitive, athlete-driven event.

Words: Kalob Grady and Bren Orton Photography: Seth Ashworth, Kalob Grady, Dane Jackson

THE GAUNTLET IS A RAPID THAT WAS CREATED FOR BOATERCROSS: A CHAOTIC ENVIRONMENT FORMED BY HIGH VOLUME, MASSIVE WAVES AND UNPREDICTABLE REACTIONARIES. In the vast lands of Northern Quebec, 25 elite kayakers gathered in early May to tease the hidden giants out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Every spring, athletes migrate to this region of colossal rivers to be with friends, and to try to progress the sport of kayaking. This spring, a desire to hold a multi-stage event on the world’s biggest whitewater became reality, and the first UNLEASHED competition was held in Quebec, Canada. The aims were simple: celebrate the unique and enormous whitewater of Quebec, create an environment where progression could happen, and settle who is the best all-around kayaker in the world. To…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, fall 2017

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