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Interview: Peter Tranter
Photos: Jens Klatt/Red Bull Content Pool & Kalob Grady
Huge thanks to David Bain of NRS, for his help in organising the interview
A chat with… Adrian Mattern
We’re honoured to have an in-depth chat with an athlete for whom kayaking is a way of life: Germany’s Adrian Mattern. Mattern and his Send crew of Bren Orton, Dane Jackson and Kalob Grady have set themselves the goal of promoting kayaking. To do so, they capture unique moments, share them and get more people excited about the sport. Adrian views every expedition as a new challenge to be mastered, whether that’s a river, waterfall or new techniques. Adrian lives his dream of travelling the world, paddling the most incredible rivers and filming it all – take it away, Adrian…
When did you first start paddling, who provided the motivation and who was it with?
I started kayaking together with my dad; looking back at it now; I think he went through a midlife crisis. He divorced my mum, moved to the city, bought a really quick motorbike and picked up an action sport which happened to be kayaking. And the 8-year-old Adrian just came along for the ride. So that’s how it all started – after that, I quickly went into freestyle and met so many people there who I still paddle with – Bren and Dane, for example.
When did you first partner with NRS? What was your first trip as a team paddler?
My very first contact with NRS was back in 2015 when I got invited by David Bain to join a central and eastern European kayaking road trip together with a few other paddlers. I got to paddle new rivers with new and old friends, and we had an all-around great time! What a fantastic opportunity that I am still grateful for.
After that, I paddled in the Adidas Terrex team after winning a campaign they were running back then. So, it did take another few years until 2019, and I decided to join the NRS team and could not be happier. Quick hint – already looking for the next team trip to kick off this spring!
You have worked with NRS for several years now. How do their company values link with your own?
I am very aware that the only reason I can do my sport is due to intact river systems linked to the entire ecosystem we must take care of.
What new and exciting goodies are NRS rolling out this year? Can you tell us?
Well, there are quite a few exciting things to come! Most obviously, the partnership with GORE-TEX means that we are upping the level of dryness and comfort AGAIN. I am already quite looking forward to that – it will be such a game-changer in the cold and wet conditions I find myself in so often!
You’re also an Exo team paddler; what are those advantages?
I paddle only the equipment which works best for me – that’s how I choose my gear, and that also means that I care a lot about being able to give input for designs and not have to worry about my gear when I am kayaking in big and consequential whitewater.
Any business relationships with any other companies?
I am happy to call Red Bull my sponsor, which opened many doors and helped push my personal development as an athlete to the next level. Between the possibilities of pitching the craziest projects and receiving great support in training and rehab if needed – I have all the aspects of my kayaking covered, and it is pretty much all I ever wanted.
You were paddling in Zambia this winter. Tell us a bit of what the Zambezi is like as a winter paddling destination?
The Zambezi has a very special place in my heart; I went there first in 2018 and have been going back for roughly a month every year since – and I will keep doing that.
Not only is the Zambezi the most fun and forgiving big water run I have ever come across, but it also has so many possibilities to work on everyone’s individual kayaking without fearing some super bad consequences.
Between all the crazy travels and not sleeping in the same spot for more than a few nights all year round, I find it quite ironic but fantastic that a reason why I love the Zambezi is the routine I have there. I sleep in the same spot for a month; I kayak the same river for a month; I go to the same gym, and so on. Logistic planning is minimal, and all I need to care about is kayaking, eating, going to the gym and making videos. I love it!
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from kayaking?
I learned to listen to myself and make decisions in high-stress situations and learned that persistence is key. Many situations where I had to expose myself to scary situations on the river and play the mental game of scouting, deciding and pulling it off after helped me to be able to trust myself and my decision making.
Aside from dams, what do you see as the biggest threat to rivers in Europe and the wider world?
Besides dams, it’s climate change for me, which is threatening rivers worldwide. During Bike2Boat, I hiked up to the source of the Oetz, which is a glacier. It was many kilometres before I could first lay eyes on the remaining glacier; there were signs of where the glacier had reached, just 50 to 100 years ago. To see and experience the loss of the glacier system first-hand was eye-opening! Other than that, I found myself in some of the most remote places on the planet where trash was still a problem. During an expedition in Tibet and Nepal, I was in the deep thick jungle, many miles away from civilization, but plastic was floating around the river everywhere.
Being an international paddler and being environmentally friendly is a difficult balance. What steps do you take to support eco-friendly decisions both at home in Germany and when you are away on trips?
It’s super tricky to find a balance for that. I know that all my travels by plane or car put out a significant amount of C02 and are not necessarily sustainable. So I try to even out where I can: do C02 neutral trips like Bike2Boat and use the audience reach from that, raise money for organizations like the Free Rivers fund (I ran an online raffle together with my sponsors with many prizes given from them), use my reach on social media to stand up for the what I think are the essential things, do river clean-ups and such.
We have heard some horror stories about the current hydro construction plans in the Oetztal Valley in Austria. What do you know about this? Are there any organizations that our readers can check out to help support this area?
There is a huge scandal in the Oetz Valley going on right now. It all started in 2020 when the dam company started building it without legal permission, and WET and Free Rivers Fund started campaigning against it and got support from the WWF. These three organizations would be ones to check out concerning the Oetz Valley damming and multiple rivers in the alps.
You started as a freestyle paddler – what drove you to pursue whitewater more heavily?
I came from freestyle which I think was super helpful for my career as a whitewater kayaker. Having orientation in a hole and knowing how to also tumble out of some big features helped me many times! Saying that I was never outstanding in freestyle, I did it for fun, and it helped me meet fellow kayakers from around the world. When I was at worlds back in 2013, it started to annoy me how little time on the water I could spend. Between training slots for each country and dam release times, it wasn’t that much time on the water every day – so I stole away to the Green River narrows one day to paddle some whitewater for myself, and what can I say, I loved it. Realizing that I function way better outside the world of rules made up by men, rather than dealing with rules set by nature, made me change and switch over to extreme whitewater kayaking completely.
Which do you prefer, white water trips to well-known destinations or far-flung expeditions?
For me, it’s honestly the mix of both. It for sure is super nice just to rock up and bang down some classic runs, not much scouting required and just joy kayaking. Saying that, I always get the itch when I spend too much time on well-known whitewater, and I need to do something which challenges me in a different way – and that’s where expedition kayaking comes in!
Figuring out possible areas to hit, learning about the water levels and doing research – dealing with logistics in your area of interest all takes a lot of time and creative ways to figure things out – not knowing whether you will find anything worth your time.
But being in that place, in your kayak, and exploring the unknown is so special to me- and when you struck gold and find a new epic river or waterfall, life for me cannot get much better.
If you could go anywhere in the world to paddle, where would it be, and what appeals about that location?
I am very grateful and lucky to say that this is precisely what I do most of the year: figure out a place where I want to paddle and go there. I have a super sick project up my sleeve in northern Siberia, which I was going to go and do this May, but given the recent invasion of Russia into Ukraine, that will not happen anytime soon, unfortunately.
It’s a tough call with all the expeditions throughout the world you have undertaken, but does one pop up as your favourite?
It’s super hard to say since every expedition has its own unique thing about it; if I had to name one, it would be my trip to the Sary-Jaz in Kyrgyzstan back in October. The combination of remote multi-day kayaking with savage mountaineering in a super crazy place made it a memorable trip! I will not mention how much I suffered during the ten days of the trip, but once you reach the car again, it is all worth it and makes it so special.
When preparing for an expedition in remote locations, what qualities do you look for in a fellow teammate kayaker?
I learned my lessons over the years when it comes to expedition kayaking. That kind of trip you need to be with a team you know very well, and you have 100% trust in. It can get quickly challenging during an expedition in the middle of nowhere, and the last thing you want is your team to fall apart. So basically, I think factors like:
- reliability
- nerves of steel and
- willingness to suffer make a great team!
My friend Olaf Obsommer said that “Never have someone in your team with a bigger ego than yours,” and I also think it couldn’t be more true (that’s to be understood with a wink). Absolutely no need for ego trips and stuff like that out there!
You’re one of the paddlers of this generation. Which paddlers from the past would you have loved to have paddled with?
So many! It’s hard to name them all, but I’d love to share a lap with all the local legends who opened new sections that now became classics.
Any fellow paddler you would like to interview?
I would love to see an interview with Andi Brunner, one of the most promising extreme racers and a person with an unmatched training/working attitude – and always with the biggest smile out there! That’s what it’s all about, and Andi is doing a great job with that. (Read the Paddler’s interview with Andi @: https://paddlerezine.com/andi-brunner)
Can you talk about your training? What keeps you motivated?
I put a lot of time and effort into my training on and off the water. My primary motivation, my ‘end goal’, is to become the best possible kayaker I can be. I learned that I need more specific goals such as certain expeditions or descents to keep my training motivated and to have something I can measure myself with.
I do four days in the gym, then 4-5 days on the water and 2-3 days doing cardio/HIT.
Is there anyone in particular in the sporting world that has influenced you?
I grew up with BombFlow, so Evan Garcia, Fred Norquist, and their crew for sure. Besides them, Olaf Obsommer, since he was the one who figured out a way to make a living from kayaking and making movies about it in the german speaking realm, which inspired me and made me want to chase that too.
Any issues that stop you from sleeping at night?
Many, many issues in the world give me trouble, but I am blessed to say that I sleep very well ( kayaking and training all day might make you do that J)
What’s your most embarrassing moment?
Of course! Without embarrassing moments life would only be half the fun, especially when you can laugh about it afterwards. So many embarrassing moments; I’m usually the guy who ends up in weird situations for whatever reason.
What do you do to relax?
I like to watch UFC, listen to music (heavy into HipHop), and care a lot about spending time with my friends from outside the kayaking world.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
Still kayaking, hopefully having figured out a way to open up doors for future generations who want to make a living from kayaking and other fringe sports, maybe a sports agency or something like that? I also realized that I do enjoy the process of planning projects such as an expedition or so, so maybe that’s something I’d like to chase in the future.
Quickies
If you could paddle with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?
Anyone!
Pick two celebrities to be your parents…
John Gotti and Marie Curie.
Which famous person would you most like to see play you in a film?
Tom Hardy.
Are you a bathroom/shower singer, and if so, what do you sing?
No, I am not.
Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?
@adrianmatternkayak
An ideal night out for you is?
Spending time with my close friends, sharing a laugh and a meal and a beer or two and just really trying to be in the moment.
What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island?
My kindle!
What would I find in your fridge right now?
Unfortunately nothing. I haven’t been home in a couple of weeks (currently typing this interview in Dublin Airport).
What would you prepare for us if we came to your house for dinner?
I’d make you guys a homemade Spaghetti Bolognese (I have lived with an Italian friend of mine for the last two years, and I guess it starts showing).
Favourite sports team?
Eintracht Frankfurt!
Who are your paddlesport buddies?
Bren Orton, Dane Jackson, Kalob Grady is my core team, but I spend so much time with all kinds of rad persons on the water, so impossible to list them all! You guys rock.
Any final shoutouts?
Cheers to everyone for supporting and helping me make my dream a reality. Also, thank you to people like the Free Rivers Fund, WET or WWF for making sure we get to keep our rivers free-flowing!
