2023 Paddlers Awards Winners – Kaelin Friedenson (USA) & George Snook (NZL), U21 Male Paddler of the Year

The judges couldn’t decide whether Kaelin or Georges would be the one, and instead of trying to find a silly reason to set them apart, we called a tie.

With a win at Extremeveko, a silver medal at the World Championships (King of the Alps), and countless sick runs back home in NZ and in Europe, it looked like George would easily take the trophy this year, but that was without taking into consideration Kaelin’s incredible return from a broken back early in the year, managing to make the US slalom team and winning the Great Falls Race in August and the Green Race in November. Whether in a slalom boat, freestyle kayak, long boat, half slice, or creeker, Kaelin lit it up all year long. Well done lads.

Check out the 2023 Paddler Awards Finalist’s here

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