Interview : Peter Tranter Photos : As stated from the Red Bull Content Pool
PADDLER 15
A chat with … Nouria
NEWMAN
Interview : Peter Tranter Photos : As stated from the Red Bull Content Pool
Finally , we get to chat with France ’ s , Nouria Newman , a dynamic kayaker whose passion for the water runs as deep as the rivers she conquers . With a fearless spirit and unparalleled skill , Nouria navigates the most challenging WW with grace and precision . Her journey began as a five-year-old , and since then , she has become a trailblazer in the kayaking world from continent to continent . Nouria ' s commitment to the sport has meant we ' ve had to wait a couple of years before finally catching up with her as she recovers from a shoulder injury . Her unrelenting pursuit of excellence makes her a true force to be reckoned with in the kayaking community , so please , take it away , Nouria …
Nouria at the Red Bull Dolomitenmann in Lienz , Austria , 2023 . Photo : Mirja Geh / Red Bull Content Pool
WHEN DID YOU FIRST START KAYAKING ?
I started paddling at a very young age at the local kayak club in the Isère Valley when I was five years old . Before I was born , my parents started a Cannot Blérot business in Val d ’ Isère . They would paddle the river in some beater crafts consisting of a plastic chair attached to an inner tube of a tractor tyre with ski racing gates . They had no skills but had a ton of fun on the river , and that ’ s how they got to know some kayakers . As a small kid , I thought kayaks were giant toys , which they are , so I really wanted to do it .
My parents said I couldn ’ t do it until I learned how to swim , so I attended swimming classes . When I came back home with the swimming certificate , I was able to join the kayak club . From there , it was a pretty standard French experience : friends and camping , slalom and downriver kids races , and it just kept going with national races , French teams , federation training centres , and International races , but along the way , I was lucky to have people who took me down rivers : my dad and his friends , Deb Pinniger , Nico Chassing and Billy Harris on kids camps , and then friends from river running . Thanks to them all , I still had a recreational practise of kayaking .
PADDLER 15