The River Life Road Trip: The Payette River Games

//www.youtube.com/embed/hwiHbpoks9c

In the coming weeks you’re going to see a lot of media come out of the Payette River Games in Cascade, Idaho. That’s because it was an incredible thing to see: river and ocean athletes coming together to celebrate the power of moving water in an unbelievable setting.

Fernando Stalla captured the overall title on the men’s side in a win he calls “his biggest ever.” Stalla has long been a top 5 contender on the worldwide men’s racing circuit but has never quite broken through. This win—against athletes including Jamie Mitchell, Travis Grant, Kai Lenny, Michael Tavares, and Slater Trout—solidified his place as one of the best all-around paddlers in the world.

That talented field also extended to the women’s side, where Candice Appleby captured an incredibly important win, taking home the overall title following a weekend in which she looked totally at ease in whitewater even though she admitted to SUP magazine that this was one of the biggest challenges of her career. So check out the video above and check back with SUP magazine for continued coverage of this fantastic event.

Men’s Overall

1. Fernando Stalla (Mexico)

2. Ben Sarrazin (France)

3. Mike Tavares (USA)

4. Even–Slater Trout (USA), Kai Lenny (HI), Spencer Lacy (USA), Peter Barl (Austria)

Women’s Overall

1. Candice Appleby (USA)

2. Fiona Wylde (USA)

3. Gillian Gibree (USA)

4. Rebecca Giddens (USA)

5. Louise Jull (New Zealand)

For more on the Payette River Games

The River Life Road Trip: FIBArk

The River Life Road Trip: SUP Cross

The River Life Road Trip: GoPro Mountain Games’ Sprint Race