By Peter Tranter

Photos: As stated from the Red Bull Content Pool

Finally, we get to chat with France’s, Nouria Newman, a dynamic kayaker whose passion for the water runs as deep as the rivers she conquers. With a fearless spirit and unparalleled skill, Nouria navigates the most challenging WW with grace and precision. Her journey began as a five-year-old, and since then, she has become a trailblazer in the kayaking world from continent to continent. Nouria’s commitment to the sport has meant we’ve had to wait a couple of years before finally catching up with her as she recovers from a shoulder injury. Her unrelenting pursuit of excellence makes her a true force to be reckoned with in the kayaking community, so please, take it away, Nouria…

A chat with… Nouria Newman

When did you first start kayaking?
I started paddling at a very young age at the local kayak club in the Isère Valley when I was five years old. Before I was born, my parents started a Cannot Blérot business in Val d’Isère. They would paddle the river in some beater crafts consisting of a plastic chair attached to an inner tube of a tractor tyre with ski racing gates. They had no skills but had a ton of fun on the river, and that’s how they got to know some kayakers. As a small kid, I thought kayaks were giant toys, which they are, so I really wanted to do it.

My parents said I couldn’t do it until I learned how to swim, so I attended swimming classes. When I came back home with the swimming certificate, I was able to join the kayak club. From there, it was a pretty standard French experience: friends and camping, slalom and downriver kids races, and it just kept going with national races, French teams, federation training centres, and International races, but along the way, I was lucky to have people who took me down rivers: my dad and his friends, Deb Pinniger, Nico Chassing and Billy Harris on kids camps, and then friends from river running. Thanks to them all, I still had a recreational practise of kayaking.

What training do you undertake for expeditions?
I stopped having a strict training program when I left the French Federation slalom training centre. I am using what I learned through competing, and I still plan things around major goals, but the conditions are what actually dictates the final schedule. I do very little to no gym work, but I replace that with other outdoor activities such as cross-training and fundamental endurance. I, of course, try to paddle as much as possible.

You motivate so many paddlers, but who motivates you?
So many people motivate me. Pretty much anyone who is kind, passionate, works hard and is good at what they do. I even like going to my dentist! Hélène and her assistant work together so well, it’s incredible to watch them! They don’t need to talk and seem to be reading each other’s minds. I think we can find motivation everywhere.

If you could head anywhere in the world to paddle, where would it be, and what appeals?
There are many places where I would like to paddle, but I don’t do lists. A lot of the time, what draws me to a new river is the wilderness and the mountains, but what draws me to a new place is the culture and its people.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to somebody thinking of packing it all in to become an adventurer?
I don’t really know what an adventurer is these days. For me, it’s one of these words that is very trending. It probably meant something before its overuse by the marketing world and’ influencers’. Now I don’t know and would say just do your dream and your adventures and go for it. It can be class I behind the house or a complex ‘expedition’; it doesn’t matter as long as it’s your project.

When preparing for a multi-day expedition in challenging conditions, what qualities do you look for in a fellow teammate kayaker?
A friend who is solid on and off the water. Someone who stays strong when things go horribly wrong but can stick with you when you’re at your worst. Call you out if needed, but forgive you when you’re being a grinch or making mistakes.

We’ve all watched the extraordinary footage, but what goes through your mind as you stare into the abyss, tipping over the lip of a 100-foot waterfall?
Ideally absolutely nothing. There is a lot of analysis beforehand. I looked at the landing, the lip, if there was a kicker, the entrance, the put-in, the access and way out… That’s some of the things you consider before dropping in, but once I commit, I only think about what I have to put together to have a good line, and once I am in my boat getting ready to go, I only focus on slowing things down.

How do you personally prepare for expeditions – mentally and technically?
Sometimes, it’s hard to prepare for something with many unknowns. I try to study the river as much as possible, spend a lot of time in the boat and go for long efforts. Spending time in the mountains with Tiphaine Duperier is also the best training I can possibly do. It’s long days, and I get pretty scared, so it mentally and physically challenges me.

What’s the most enjoyable encounter with wildlife that you’ve had whilst paddling?
I paddled past a brown or black bear on a solo first descent in British Colombia. I was very scared to have a bear encounter on that trip. I was on a bushwhack portage two days before and figured I should keep the bear spray handy, just in case. The security lock got caught in a branch, and I managed to Mace myself. So when I saw the bear and paddled past him, I was very scared, but the bear just really didn’t care about me! It was such a relief.

You’re clearly one of the finest paddlers of this or any other generation. Which paddlers from the past would you have loved to have paddled with?
Rob Lesser. He is a legend but also super supportive of the new generations. I always have an amazing time meeting him again at North Fork and would love to paddle with him one day.

If you had to choose one last thing you wanted to achieve within WW paddling before giving it up, what would that be?
Nothing. I don’t want to give it up!

Have you ever been scared, and if not – what would it take?
I am always scared. If you aren’t scared running rivers, something is wrong with you!

What projects are you currently working on?
I often work on several projects simultaneously, so I have a few things going on at the moment. I have just finished my French kayak coach degree, so that’s a good one to have out of the way, and I can now teach kayaking legally. We are also working on a documentary about our recent trip to Pakistan.

Any fellow paddler you would like to interview and why?
Someone I don’t know, so I can be sure to learn a few things! I would go for Dave Manby because he has been to many places I am interested in. (Read Dave’s interview with the Paddler from 2021 – https://paddlerezine.com/dave-manby/)

What’s the one river you haven’t paddled that would be on your bucket list?
There are many rivers I’d love to paddle, and I definitely don’t do lists.

What do you do when not kayaking?
I try to spend time in the mountains and otherwise emails, accounting, project pitches, eating cheese, and spending time with people I love.
Expeditions or competitions – which gives you the most buzz?
It’s expeditions for sure, but also paddling a super good run with friends.

Name just one thing we can do as paddlers to improve our environment.
We can do many things, and I think that rather than showing what a fellow paddler does wrong, we should all start trying and doing the compromise that we feel like we can do: carpooling and optimising shuttles, buying eco-friendly gear that lasts longer, fix your gear, ask kayak companies to stop wrapping boats and be okay if your new boat arrives with a scratch from the transport, clean up rivers. Anything that can make a difference, even if it’s small and does not seem enough.

Here in the UK, a lot of work by PaddleUK is being done to bring more women into the sport; what’s being done in Europe and by whom?
I am no longer involved in sports policies. In the past, I have been involved in a think tank organised by the French Federation, programs set up by the French sports minister in all sports and there used to be projects through the ICF development program, but that’s no longer happening. Things are being done, and it’s changing slowly, but I think we still have a long way to go to make kayaking effectively inclusive and not just for women.

Quickies…

If you could paddle with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?
Loulou.

Pick two celebrities to be your parents.
I don’t see any celebrities who would want to be my parents!

Which famous person would you most like to see play you in a film?
Katie Burrell. It would be a good laugh.

Are you a bathroom/shower singer, and if so, what do you sing?
I sing in the car on long drives.

Favourite social media platform?
Instagram and Strava, but I would not do social media if I could.

An ideal night out for you is?
A good bivy or an unplanned party.

What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island?
A kayak?

What would I find in your fridge right now?
Lot’s of veggies and some Italian food smuggled through the border.

What would you prepare for us if we came to your house for dinner?
Pasta or Dhal.

What’s the most boring question you are often asked?
Half of the questions you’ve asked me!

If you could be a superhero for one day, what superpower would you choose and why?
Teleportation in time and space. I could hang out with all my friends, paddle so many good rivers, and get out when it gets too crazy.

Who are your kayaking buddies?
I have a good amount of people that I love paddling with, and I am afraid that if I list them, I will forget someone.

Any final shout-outs?
I couldn’t do what I am doing without the support of my family, close friends, and sponsors: RedBull, Astral, Immersion Research, Seiko France, Waka Kayaks, Sweet Protection, Packraft Europe, and Werner.