Northwest Paddling Festival Showcases Kayaking, SUP

The third annual Northwest Paddling Festival is set to celebrate paddlesports, from sea kayaking to stand-up paddle boarding (SUP). The festival will offer a range of activities, including 45-minute sea kayak tours every 15 minutes, 30-minute SUP on-water classes, an open-air market and outdoor related non-profit booths.

It’s also a retail showcase: “It is shaping up to be an amazing event with over 60 vendors from the paddlesports industry,” organizers said. “Come out and see what the biggest collection of manufacturers in specialty paddlesports looks like in one location.”

Demonstrations and displays will include a “kayak camp site” demo from Washington Water Trails, dry-land stand-up paddleboard simulators, and information on how to pack a kayak and plan for kayak touring.

The festival also includes the Northwest Paddling Challenge, a six-mile race for kayaks and SUPs, sponsored by the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce, plus a two-mile course for less-experienced racers.

The festival is planned for Saturday, May 11, at Sunset Beach Park in Issaquah, Wash.