North Fork Championship 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses the return of the North Fork Championship in Idaho, featuring insights from its founder and a board member about the race and river conservation.

What happens when you invite the best river kayaking athletes from around the world to meet up for a 3-day race on the wild and rowdy Class 5 North Fork of the Payette River under the big sun and blue sky of Idaho? You get the North Fork Championship of 2026. After a multi-year hiatus, one of the favorite races among paddlers and fans is back, now with a solid foundation and strategic stability to return year after year. We talk with the founder of the race, James Byrd, and a board member of the newly established board of directors, Aaron Pruzan. These guests are deeply passionate about this race, paddling, this river, and bringing conservation of rivers to the culture of this wild race, all in a way that keeps stoke on high.

People in this episode

Host: Sam Carter

Guests: James Byrd, Aaron Pruzan

Topics covered

• river kayaking
• sports events
• conservation
• Idaho
• athletes
• racing

Keywords

• North Fork Championship
• river kayaking
• Idaho
• Payette River
• sports
• conservation
• athletes
• racing

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Idaho, North Fork of the Payette River

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