If big water, three accomplished kayakers, and one of South America’s standout scenic locations is your cup of tea, look no further: This short film is for you. Kayaking Patagonia’s 3 Toughest Rivers For the First Time EVER is 14 minutes of pulse-pounding Chilean goodness.
It follows French expedition kayaker Nouria Newman over two months in 2019 as she attempts the so-called Patagonian Triple Crown — descents of three wild Patagonian rivers: the Baker, Bravo, and Pasqua. Along for the ride are American boaters Ben Stookesberry and Erik Boomer.
Photo: Screenshot
“Why am I doing this?” Newman rhetorically asks in one interview. “I’ve heard about these rivers for so many years. And I’ve always been attracted to Patagonia, maybe because it’s so far from everything else.”
That sentiment tracks when you learn Newman’s background. The kayaker, 27 at the time of the expedition, got her start on the water at age five when she joined a local paddling club in her home country. But even that humble beginning took tenacity. She didn’t know how to swim when the sport caught her young eyes, and her parents insisted she learn before she got in a boat.
Once she mastered her swim strokes, Newman quickly became a kayak master. She competed internationally in extreme kayaking from 2007 to 2013, wracking up medals and podium spots in 2013 and 2014.
Photo: Screenshot
Adventure, not competition
However, Newman is a pure soul, and eventually becomes more interested in adventure than competition.
“I think I had reached my limit of it,” Newman told Red Bull. “I got injured, and I never really came back from injury, so I didn’t have the results. It was the same races over and over. I was getting burned out.”
So Newman lit out for the Himalaya in 2018. Over the next two years, she battled frosty mountain whitewater on top of altitude and logistical challenges.
Then her next trick: The Patagonian Triple Crown.
A good team is important when you’re tackling some of the world’s roughest water, and each member of Newman’s trio added something special.
You can barely see the kayaker in this photo, that’s how big the water is. Photo: Screenshot
American Erik Boomer brought exceptional whitewater reading skills to the table.
“When no one else can see the line, [Erik] Boomer can see it,” Newman says.
As for Ben Stookesberry? Well, there’s something to be said for hard-won wisdom.
“He’s probably the most experienced expedition kayaker you can find,” Newman notes.
Meanwhile, Newman brought her signature fearless brand of aggressive paddling, pushing the team to run a few rapids that gave even the seasoned Stookesberry the creepy crawlies.
Big water
On the Baker, the team tackled big water — the kinds of waves, hydraulics, and pour-overs you just don’t find in Europe, Newman observes. The footage is stunning as the trio splashes and flips through the huge sapphire-blue features. On water that big, coming out of your boat is an ugly scenario, so the team fights hard to stay upright as often as possible.
Photo: Screenshot
With the Baker successfully sent, the team started eyeballing their next objective: the Pasque. But with six weeks to kill in Patagonia, they tackled an additional six rivers between their big three, notching four first descents along the way.
“We figured most likely, we would get skunked on one or two of the rivers. So, we just decided to take our time,” Newman explained.
She makes it sound easy, but even the time the trio spent out of the water was grueling. The expedition required 160km of portaging with boats that, with gear, weighed more than 45kg.
Photo: Screenshot
Paddling the Pasque offered the most challenges to the team — this river had only been successfully run once before Newman’s team tackled it.
Check out the entire adventure below.
