BROOKE HESS was introduced to kayaking by her father when she was a youth. Although she struggled at first she soon realised she had a real talent for the sport and it wasn’t long before she had well and truly caught the bug.

This year has been her best yet on the water to date and she has racked up some incredible results in a range of competitions.

We were delighted that Brooke took the time out of her busy training schedule to talk to us about the successes of 2017 as well as her kayaking aims and ambitions for the future.  

Brooke Hess was first introduced to kayaking at the age of 13 by her father, who encouraged her to join a local kayaking club. Photo Raoul Collenteur

Who introduced you to kayaking and how long was it until you really caught the bug?

When I was 13 years old, my dad took me to a pond near my hometown (Missoula, MT) and taught me how to roll. He then signed me up for the local youth kayaking club, which took us out three days a week to paddle the rivers around Missoula.
I didn’t really like kayaking too much at first because I was so little that I would get swallowed by every wave, and I wasn’t strong enough to throw my boat around. I was also really small for the boat I was paddling. However, my dad and I would still go kayaking nearly every weekend and eventually I grew into my boat and into my own self-confidence and came to love the sport.

What is it you love about kayaking the most?

I love that when I am kayaking, I am 100 per cent focused on kayaking and kayaking alone. All other thoughts exit my mind and I enter a hyper-focused state that allows me to be completely in the present moment.

As well as being highly competitive on the water Brooke also uses kayaking as a form of escapism. Photo Andrea Polgar

What are your biggest kayaking successes to date?

2017 has been somewhat of a breakthrough year for me in my kayaking career.

I placed second in the Nile River Festival Freestyle competition with one of the biggest tricks I have ever thrown.

I placed second in Unleashed, which is a multi-stage competition in the massive cold waters in the spring in northern Quebec.

I won the Montreal Eau Vive big water competition, which included a big wave freestyle and a big water boatercross.

I qualified for a spot on the U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Team and am currently in Argentina training for the 2017 Freestyle World Championships that happen in one week!

I think my proudest kayaking achievement was when I traveled through northern Quebec in the spring and surfed some of the biggest river waves in the world. I was mainly kayaking with men, and most of them are considered some of the best kayakers in the world, and I was able to hold my own among them.

Where in the country and world has the sport taken you and what have been some of the highlights?

The sport has taken me all over the world! I am currently in San Juan, Argentina training for Freestyle World Championships. In three weeks when world championships is over I will fly to Uganda where I will spend two months training on the massive and warm waters of the White Nile. I will also compete in two different multi-stage big wave competitions while I am there.

From Uganda I will fly to New Zealand to spend February-March training racing on the North Island. And then it is back to Quebec to get back on the big spring waves!

I think my favorite place to paddle is the Ottawa River in Ontario, Canada. The river is fairly safe, yet at the same time big and bouncy with endless options of epic waves to surf. It is the perfect training ground for any freestyle kayaker looking to take their skills to the next level.

Brooke has travelled all over the world to compete in the sport. Photo Andrea Polgar

Who are your biggest inspirations and closest mentors in the sport?

My friends! I wouldn’t have seen nearly as many rad rivers, nor run nearly as many cool rapids, nor done nearly as many fun tricks without my friends there to support me, run safety for me, and coach me through the moves!

What are your goals in the sport for the months and years ahead?

I am competing in Freestyle World Championships next week and my goal there has nothing to do with how I place, but I would love to be able to get all the tricks I have been training in the competition. If that places me last, fine. If it places me first, fine. I just want to be able to show that all the training and hard work has paid off and get the ride I am working for.
My long-term goal in kayaking is to go as big as the guys do on the big waves. Right now, there is a huge gender gap in the sport. There are about 10 men in the sport for every 1 woman. And most of the top kayakers in the world are men. I want to help close the gender gap.