TALKS-CONFERENCES PROGRAM 2024
Dear friends of the Paddle Sport Show, we are very pleased to present the “Talks & Conferences” program for this 2024 edition. Prestigious guests and renowned experts in paddle sports will be present this year to engage with us in a particularly exciting program. You will meet champions, experts, and activistsâthose who drive the sport forwardâin enriching debates that will offer new perspectives. We look forward to seeing many of you attending and participating in these great moments. These conference sessions are complemented this year by our “Industry Breakfasts,” morning gatherings where we facilitate exchanges between actors in the paddle sports industry.
Here is the program and the guests to help you organize your schedule for the show:
Day 1 – Tuesday 24th
13:00
Dams in Question with Beatrice Balducci / Dam Removal
The Dam Removal association advocates for the dismantling of dams on rivers, leading fights and commitments on numerous sites. A presentation followed by a debate that will raise many questions: What future for our rivers? How can we preserve and defend them? What are the ecological and energy challenges?
15:00
Freya Hoffmeister
Freya Hoffmeister is one of the most experienced kayakers, having traveled thousands of kilometers in a sea kayak. She will present her latest adventure, a circumnavigation around North America. Her presentation, titled “Halftime North America,” will take us from south Seattle to Panama City and north to Tuktoyaktuk in northwestern Canada.
17:00
River classification with Francesco Salvato
River kayaking has evolved significantly over the past 20 years, but the classification of river difficulties has not kept pace. Francesco Salvato and a panel of whitewater professionals will discuss the possibilities of evolving this classification, particularly to assess kayaker engagement and the implications for insurance and responsibility.
Day 2 – Wednesday 25th
13:00
Free River Fund Presentation
In an exciting presentation, Marieke Vogt and the Free River Fund team and guest will engage a conversation that will remind us why need free flowing rivers! The threats on rivers around the world and why we humans depend on healthy, free flowing rivers.Â
15:00
Whitewater Parks with Scott Shipley
Scott Shipley, Olympic athlete and former World Cup champion in slalom kayaking, started S2o Design and now leads Calibre Engineeringâs Whitewater Team. The team specializes in designing artificial pumped whitewater courses and in-stream whitewater destinations worldwide.Scott will present the differences in design between traditional Olympic Venues and the more profitable American model for whitewater park design. Â He will present the interests and challenges of such facilities for the future of the sport, especially in preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
17:00
Oscar Chalupsky
Oscar Chalupsky, a legend in ocean racing and surf-ski, 12-time winner of the famous “Molokai,” will share his battle against a severe illness, showing the same tenacity and combativeness as in competitions. He will also present his book “No Retreat, No Surrender.”
Day 3 – Thursday 26th
09:30
Eric Jackson – Re-Engaging Lapsed Paddlers: A Low-Cost, High-Return Opportunity
In this presentation EJÂ will develop a rather simple theory:Â reaching new demographics and introducing fresh faces to kayaking are crucial for the industryâs growth. But there’s a largely untapped market that offers immense potential: the lapsed paddlersâthose who once loved the sport but have drifted away due to life changes like marriage, career demands, or starting a family.
The barriers to re-engage them are minimal, yet the rewards are substantial.
10:30
Recycling Paddle Sports Industry Products by Bob Tims
This discussion follows up on the one initiated in 2023: where does the reflection stand? Does the industry have solutions to propose? The debate is open, and the discussion continues, with the possibility of discussing the creation of a label or other specific actions.
