Name: Visa Rahkola
Hometown: Vantaa, Finland
Favourite place to paddle: Northern Finland aka Lapland for sure. Nightless night, clean nature, wave boating, spring flows and good friends. Voss (Norway) is my favourite place to go creek boating!
My story started the same way as so many, my dad took me out to the river. I think I was around 12-yo and I remember the class II rapids where enormous. We did also a little bit of river boarding with homemade boards. The moving water was an element which hooked me at first. Even today I love watching how water moves in a river; the shapes, the flow, the calm or even the sound.
I think I have always been pretty competitive person. For me it means I want to beat the kayaker I used to be. I want to see the progress and there is a million different ways to make it as a whitewater kayaker. You can sharpen your wave boating skills, waterfalling skills, your breathing or physical capability. I love the fact that there is no similar rapid or similar wave in the world. Everything is kind on unic, it’s cool.
Kayaking and competing means a lot of traveling around the world which is something I love aswell. Traveling itself but even more important the places you can go with your kayak. You can see same of the most beautiful places in earth. Most likely with your best friends!
Competitive side my biggest achievement is World Cup medal and Over all third place at Columbus 2022. I am also 4 time Finnish champion.
But for me the more important achievements are the lifelong friendships, new cultures and everything else kayaking have taught me.
-Instagram @visarahkola
