Samana Fest 2024 | Recap

Last week in the eastern region of Antioquia, Colombia, we saw the sixth edition of the Samana Fest take place. Recognised as the first international kayaking competition in Colombia this year was a huge success with racers from all corners of the globe! The main event this year had to be the all-new Marathon Race, a 42-kilometre course of class 4 whitewater with a surprise 5k of class 5 at the end!

All around success of Samana Fest 2024: Multicultural Celebration in Defense of Río Samaná. During last week, near Medellin, Colombia, was celebrated the sixth edition of Samana Fest 2024. This event, which took place from the 11th to the 17th of March, was an unprecedented success, which also represented an important step towards the union of the villages, local communities, national and international athletes in favour of the protection of the Río Samaná Norte, the last free flowing river in the eastern region of Antioquia.

« The culminating point of the competition was the first Marathon ever organised, where the participants started simultaneously from the Samaná bridge in San Luis, to the Narices waterfalls in Puerto Garza, San Carlos.«

Samana fest co-organiser Jules Domine with Nouria Newman ©samafest/kayaksession.com

The festival brought together more than 55 kayak athletes from Colombia, Ecuador, France, Spain, Canada, the United States, Switzerland, and Germany marking the first international kayak competition in Colombia. The qualifiers, held on the Río Calderas, a tributary of the Río Samaná Norte, within the jurisdiction of the municipality of Cocorná, included an exciting individual race against the clock and a challenging extreme slalom. Among the highlights, Eric Deguil, from France, became the winner of the first whitewater marathon ever organised, while Tyler Bradt from USA and Jules Domine, Colombo-French, shared second place.

©samafest/kayaksession.com

« Among the highlights, Eric Deguil, from France, became the winner of the first whitewater marathon ever organised, while Tyler Bradt from USA and Jules Domine, Colombo-French, shared second place ».

The culminating point of the competition was the first Marathon ever organised, where the participants started simultaneously from the Samaná bridge in San Luis, to the Narices waterfalls in Puerto Garza, San Carlos. This incredible 42 Km stretch of class 4 whitewater provided for a unique race course, with a 5 KM section of class 5 at the end which only the top 10 athletes were allowed to paddle due to the difficulty! Among the winners, we again highlight Eric Deguil, Tyler Bradt, and Jules Domine, along with the presence of two Colombians in the top 10, Andres Perez de Santander and the local de Cocorná, Christian Henados. Nouria Newman, the only woman to participate in this event, stood out by finishing in post #8.

Eric Deguil (Fra) marathon race and overall winner of the Samana festival 2024 ©samafest/kayaksession.com

To celebrate the competition, the local community organised a parade in honour of the river, followed by cultural presentations and themed balls held by children from the region, highlighting the deep connection between the communities and the river, as well as the invaluable services ecosystems and food security that it provides to the region. We appreciate the commitment of the Alcaldía de San Carlos to protect the river and its support in organizing the festival.

©samafest/kayaksession.com

During the weekend, the activities took place in the municipality of San Luis, where more than 150 participants had the opportunity to explore the remote canyon of the Río Samaná through rafting, reaffirming the need to protect this unique place from any hydroelectric intervention.

Mad Colombian party in the evening ©samafest/kayaksession.com

The festival concluded with a historic concert in honour of the Río Samaná, which took place in the main park of San Luis. Local artists such as Universo y la Raza Hip Hop, together with Animalejo Live Band, Astroria y Hombre Solar y Sistema Solar, provided an energetic and emotional musical experience. Among the presentations, Walter Hernández from Sistema Solar called at the national level for the protection of the Río Samaná Norte. The night culminated with the performance of Rasta Boy and DJ Abel Viro, which ended the event with great energy.

« The commitment of civil society and the watershed’s municipalities towards river protection will be reflected in the upcoming large-scale communication campaign to promote the creation of a new protection figure dedicated to rivers ».

©samafest/kayaksession.com

The commitment of civil society and the watershed’s municipalities towards river protection will be reflected in the upcoming large-scale communication campaign to promote the creation of a new protection figure dedicated to rivers. We invite the country’s environmental and political authorities to join this initiative and support the desires of civil society to guarante that the Rio Samaná Norte can continue flowing freely from to the Magdalena!

Samana Fest 2024 thanks the NRS brand for its support in the competition, as well as Expedition Colombia for organizing the event. We also extend our gratitude to the alcaldías of San Luis and San Carlos, the Mirador del Samaná, the rafting companies of the region, the National Police, the Army and the Bomberos, as well as Lightroom and Juan Diego Gallego for their musical contributions, to all participating artists, volunteers, Cumbres Blancas and International Rivers for their support.

Marathon race *©samafest/kayaksession.com*

We celebrate the success of Samana Fest 2024 and look forward to next year to continue promoting the protection of the Río Samaná Norte and the development of sustainable eco-touristic activities. An applause for the local communities and for the Río Samaná!
See you soon at Samana Fest 2025!