Here are my New Year's Day trips on the Sandy River, from 2024 and 2026. For the run that changed things for me, see my turning point on the Sandy.
Disclosure: SOLWYRX Paddle Gear sells SOTAR gear, and I earn money when you buy it here. SOTAR also sponsors me as an athlete.
New Year's Day Trip on the Sandy River 2024
I started 2024 rowing the Sandy River in my Super Puma, and this New Year's Day trip is what made me want to kayak the Sandy.
Video: New Years Day Trip on the Sandy River 2024 on the SOLWYRX Paddlesports YouTube channel.
Filmed: 2024
Watching the river from the oars that day, I kept picking out kayak lines. A few weeks later I went back and ran it in my AIRE Lynx, and that run became my turning point: it slingshotted me into harder whitewater kayaking. You can see it in The Sandy River 2024, and I tell the whole story in From God, for God: the SOLWYRX story.
Why New Year's Day on the river
It's become a tradition: start the year doing what you love with people you love.
The tradition continued: watch Sandy river new years day trip 2026 in a sponsor SOTAR SL kayak.
Sandy River New Year's Day Trip 2026
Starting 2026 the right way: a New Year's Day trip on the Sandy River in my SOTAR SL inflatable kayak.
Video: Sandy river new years day trip 2026, By Jacob Linkhart on the SOLWYRX Paddlesports YouTube channel.
Filmed: 2026
This video is sponsored by SOTAR.
New Year's Day on the Sandy has become a tradition. In 2024 I rowed it in the Super Puma (New Years Day Trip on the Sandy River 2024), which made me want to kayak it, and that led to my turning point in The Sandy River 2024. Two years later I'm back in a sponsor SOTAR SL.
What we bring in winter
- Dry suits and warm layers, dressed for the water temperature, not the air.
- A dry bag with extra layers and something hot.
- A group that stays close, since cold swims get serious quickly.
The story behind the tradition is in From God, for God: the SOLWYRX story.
Personal trip report: flows, wood and hazards change, and what worked for me that day isn't a rule for your boat or group. Check current conditions, scout, and boat within your training.
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Updated October 31, 2026 · By Jacob Linkhart, owner of SOLWYRX Paddle Gear · Spot a mistake? Email me and I'll fix it.
