The Story

FROM RAGS
TO RIVER

GERMANY'S
FINEST
KAYAKER

Born in Heidelberg, Germany. Paddler of the Year 2024. Red Bull athlete. Adrian Mattern's journey from a 35-euro eBay kayak to the world's most dangerous rivers is a story of relentless passion, grit, and an obsession with pushing the limits of what's possible on water.

The Journey

HOW IT
ALL BEGAN

First Paddle on the Rhine

Adrian's father took him on a paddling trip on the Otterstadt old Rhine arm — a natural offshoot between Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The trip ended with his father playfully throwing him in to teach him to swim. He fell in love with paddling the following year.

AGE 5–6

35 Euros on eBay

His first kayak — a fiberglass boat bought for 35 euros on eBay — saw its first waters on the Neckar river. He joined a local paddling club, progressed to plastic kayaks, and his passion only grew from there. By age 12 he was dreaming of achieving more than just finishing another tour.

EARLY YEARS

Young Adrian kayaking on the river

Inspired by the Best

Watching kayaking videos of idols like Evan Garcia and the Bomb Flow Crew, Adrian was inspired to push his sport in entirely new directions. He began looking at other action sports — snowboarding, mountain biking — and asking: what could kayaking borrow from them?

TEENAGE YEARS

Teenage Adrian with kayaks

Building It from Scratch

Financing his passion through construction work and as a bouncer, Adrian funded expedition after expedition to kayaking hotspots around the world. A near-death experience at the Wellerbrücke in Austria and a transformative trip to Pucon, Chile proved to himself that he could keep up with the very best.

EARLY CAREER

Adrian Mattern with Alexander Huber at Claim Freedom event

First Sponsorship

Years of perseverance paid off when Adrian secured his first professional sponsorship deal — the beginning of a career that would take him to every continent and the world's most extreme rivers.

2015

Fully Supported by Kayaking

A milestone that very few extreme athletes ever reach: Adrian was able to fully support himself through kayaking alone — no more construction sites, no more bouncing. Just the river.

2019

Red Bull Signs Adrian

Recognition at the highest level: Red Bull added Adrian to their global roster of extreme athletes — a testament to his skill, his vision for the sport, and his ability to push it somewhere completely new.

2020

Adrian Mattern Red Bull athlete portrait

Paddler of the Year

Kayak Session magazine awarded Adrian the prestigious Paddler of the Year 2024 award — the highest individual honour in the sport. A season described as nothing short of remarkable.

2024

Adrian Mattern — Male Paddler of the Year 2024, Kayak Session Awards
Adrian Mattern kayaking
"I always look at ideas from other sports and ask: could this work on the river? Then I just try it out."

Adrian Mattern

Today, the athletes who once inspired Adrian count him among their friends and collaborators. Together with filmmaker Olaf Obsommer he produced the carbon-neutral "Bike 2 Boat" — a project that embodies his ethos of combining adventure, creativity, and environmental awareness.

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Key Milestones

A CAREER
IN NUMBERS

5+
Continents Explored

From the rivers of Europe to Chile, Nepal, and beyond — Adrian has paddled on every continent, chasing the world's most powerful water.

20+
Years on the Water

Two decades of relentless progression — from a 35-euro eBay kayak on the Neckar to the most technical waterfall lines in the world.

2024
Paddler of the Year

Awarded Paddler of the Year by Kayak Session magazine — the sport's most prestigious individual honour — for a season described as remarkable.

2020
Red Bull Athlete

Joined the Red Bull global roster — one of the most selective groups of extreme athletes in the world. A validation of a decade of dedication.

2019
Fully Self-Supported

Became fully self-supported through kayaking — a milestone that very few extreme athletes ever achieve in their careers.

∞
Still Pushing

At the peak of his career, Adrian shows no signs of slowing. New rivers, new expeditions, new boundaries — the story is still being written.

Speaking & Workshops

PUSHING LIMITS,
INSPIRING TEAMS.

As a professional extreme athlete at the peak of my career, I push limits, navigate uncertainty, and lead teams in high-stakes environments every day. I bring these hard-earned lessons to the stage — in German and English.


Book a Talk →
High-Stakes Decisions
01

High-Stakes Decisions

In extreme environments, every decision can mean life or death. Learn to assess and manage risk decisively — turning high-stakes challenges into opportunities on the river, in business, and in life.

Overcoming Obstacles
02

Overcoming Obstacles

How mindset, perseverance, and creative problem-solving help overcome obstacles and achieve bold goals. Packed with real expedition stories of facing challenges head-on and turning setbacks into breakthroughs.

Leading Teams
03

Leading Teams

Success in extreme environments depends entirely on the right team. Trust, clear roles, and seamless collaboration — when everyone knows their part, the impossible becomes achievable.

Tales from the River
04

Tales from the River

Real-life anecdotes from the edge of the world's most dangerous rivers. Told with humor, striking visuals, and powerful storytelling — creating images and lessons that stay with audiences long after the talk ends.

WANT ADRIAN
AT YOUR EVENT?

Keynotes, workshops, and team experiences — in German and English. Drawing from the river to inspire your organisation.

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