New Fastest Known Paddle (FKP) Website Records . . . FKPs

[Glenn MacGrady]

"Welcome to Fastest Known Paddle (FKP)"​

"Making an FKP attempt is a wonderful adventure. Escape to the beautiful world of the river (or lake(s)/ocean) and get swept up in the excitement of the challenge!"

"Current number of FKP’s logged on the site: 34 (in a variety of categories), on 25 routes, in 15 states/provinces (as of 11/6/25)"

"Our mission is to inspire people to get out on the water by tracking the fastest known paddle (FKP) times for various routes. We hope you will try and set an FKP, try a new paddling route and/or enjoy reading about these amazing athletes and waterways."

"We’re launching this project with some initial rules and categories, but we anticipate refining them as we grow."

Fastest Known Paddle

www.fastestknownpaddle.org

 

[Mason]

That'll go over well with this crowd!

 

[tketcham]

That'll go over well with this crowd!

BFD was my first reaction.

 

[Gamma1214]

I was going to be content to just ignore the thread as a "different strokes" kinda thing but now ya got me piling on.

I know that the demographics of the site users change over time but I'm trying to spend more time in the woods not less.

I'll never forget the outfitter telling me that my BWCA route (my 1st venture into solo tripping) could be done in 6 days. I finished it in 10, wished I'd spent 14 and wondered why anyone would rush through something like that.

 

[Punkinhead]

I sort of get it since I used to paddle a few races each year a long, long time ago. But it holds no interest for me now.

 

[tketcham]

... and wondered why anyone would rush through something like that.

I sort of get it since I used to paddle a few races each year a long, long time ago. But it holds no interest for me now.

It seems that nowadays it takes a competitive approach to get some people outside. Think of all the apps that track miles hiked or ridden, vertical feet skied or ridden, and any number of metrics that compel people to compete with each other. If that's what it takes to get people outside I guess it's all good. But I do wonder about whether they're actually enjoying the natural world or just using the outdoors to fuel their need for competition. I think it's one thing to want to go fast while canoeing, bicycling, skiing, etc. but it's something entirely different when more times than not, maybe every time, it turns into a race. Good for them. I guess.

 

[gumpus]

I admire and respect every kind of paddling...each to their own. But the concept makes me grin because nobody follows the same routes as I do (upstream and back) so if I just time myself I'd be the winner even if I just float downstream. I'm often on a fairly large river where the wind, current, and obstacles I hide behind going upstream are constantly changing and with multiple river crossings to stay on the inside of bends there is absolutely no chance of ever following the same route twice so even if I paddled for time it's funny to even think that my fastest time would be due to me.