Through Unsponsored I have been fortunate to get in contact with the best paddlers and kayak designers in the world. Louise Jull falls right inside of this category. Whether it’s in slalom, freestyle or steep creek extreme river racing Louise is pushing the envelope. A truly superb paddler (see the video below) and great ambassador for the sport. I am stoked that Louise has kindly agreed to take part in the Unsponsored 2013 Q&A series – enjoy!

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Tell us a little a bit about you accomplishments in the canoeing/kayaking world.

From 2008-2011 I represented New Zealand in our National Senior Team on the international Slalom Circuit. At the end of 2011 I made the switch to doing a lot more river-running and Extreme Racing. Competing at the White Water Grand Prix in Chile was a highlight but the progress I made in my paddling in 2012 was good, I managed to get on a lot of different rivers and performed well sticking some good lines in New Zealand, California, Colorado, Norway and South America.

The Creation of TiTS DEEP ***THE TEASER*** from Airborn Athletics on Vimeo.

When and how did you first start paddling?

My older brother and two older sisters were all white water kayakers and I used to go along to watch them at competitions for slalom. In 2001 I started to paddle myself, but it wasn’t until a few years later that I really got into it.

What is your current location?

Okere Falls, New Zealand

What scares you the most?

Snakes…sometimes I think running the rapid might be a safer option than the portage! But actually loosing a friend or my own ability to pursue the things I love.

What was your biggest hurdle in canoeing/kayaking when you started out – finding people to paddle with, nailing the third end, lack of rivers etc?

When I was younger I got quite scared.

Unsponsored Q&A Series - Louise Jull

What has kept you in the sport?

I love the people I meet, the travel and the adventure. I have so much passion for paddling, I enjoy it so much and love the challenge, adventure and lifestyle.

Who is your biggest source of inspiration within the paddling world (and why)?

This is a really hard question as I can think of so many people that inspire me. Every paddler is different in some way and for me I am always trying to learn from my friends and the people I paddle with. I get inspired by people that are stoked and people that are more then just good kayakers. To name a few Vavra Hradilek, Sam Sutton, Nouria Newman and Nikki Kelly – these people all dominate on and off the water.

Given the choice where would want to paddle and why?

There is amazing places to paddle all over the world and with a good crew of mates and an epic river I could be anywhere. My favorite places to paddle so far would have to be on the West Coast of New Zealand, epic rivers and runs that require helicopter access. Also in the high sierras of California, warm weather, easy camping and again epic rivers. However I would really like to paddle in Nepal because I have never been there and I love exploring new rivers. From what I have heard this place sounds like it would be incredible. It has some of the biggest mountains in the world, a different culture, remoteness, good rivers and challenging multi-days.

Unsponsored Q&A Series - Louise Jull

What do you consider to be the biggest accomplishment in the world of canoeing/kayaking to date?

I don’t think there is one accomplishment that stands out to me. It is all respective to the time and the progression of the sport. I think their have been so many pioneers of the sport progressing it to where it is today.

How do you get yourself in “the zone” before a competition run or when running a challenging piece of water?

I do a bit of visualisation as this is quite a good way to focus my mind while keeping calm. I generally perform my best when I am in a positive mood and have good friends around me.

What is your favourite kayak of all time and why?

The ‘Tuna’ by Bliss-Stick! It is so easy to paddle and has really nice rails. It is also really fast and has really nice pop out of drops.

What kit are you currently using?

Duemstuff, Bliss-Stick Kayaks

Thanks Louise!