We kicked off with the fantastic Tjärö Kayak Festival, which you can read about here.
Then, straight into hosting duties for RollSM — the Swedish Nationals in Greenland rolling (Svenska Mästerskapen i Grönlandsroll), held right in the heart of Västervik on September 13–14. Months of planning went into making it happen, but as with any event, reality threw in some curved harpoon throws 🙂
We were smack in the middle of town, far from our usual club amenities. No reliable internet for smooth streaming, sketchy power setups, no easy printer for last-minute score sheets… it was more like make-it-work-by-running-around mode!
Still, the competition itself flowed beautifully. Competitors were relaxed, super supportive of each other, and the atmosphere stayed positive from start to finish. Exactly what we wanted for a national champs event. We had a steady stream of spectators wandering by from the town center, docks, and nearby spots; I’d guess a few hundred people stopped to watch, cheer, and ask questions throughout the day. (The livestream didn’t capture the crowds well). A conclusive Swedish post about the event and the results are here.
Who’s already looking forward to next year’s RollSM?
UPDATE: We are kicking off at 2026 at June 6-7 in Västervik with the Kayak Rebellion festival. After that on June 8th, there will be a week long Skin On Frame kayak building class, then a little trip to Greenland and what not. So much time and so little to do… 😉
There is a list of events here at rebelkayaks.eu.