Paddle Bridge guides Andy (left), Paul, Kalen (Beaver), Theo, Sparky (Amber), Jeff, and Amy at 5 year celebration with cake.
Put your paddles in the air and let’s party like we just don’t care!
In 2018, an ensemble of seasoned kayak guides sought to connect and improve the accessibility of Twin Cities communities to the Mississippi River. Paddle Bridge Guide Collective opened that Spring. Five years later, we’re still here—building and growing our river community—and that’s something to celebrate!
A brief look back
Jeff Buffington, Kalen Keir (Beaver) and Theo Byrnes—three of Paddle Bridge’s founding members still with us—pictured with Senator Ilhan Omar and former guide Izzie Smith.
Lost and found, 2018. One of the coolest perks of working on the river in an urban area is catching glimpses of the wild things that ordinarily happen just out of sight. In our first season, we were taking out a large group of students from Juxtaposition Arts, a favorite northside Minneapolis organization we’ve partnered with over the years. During the paddle training that we hold on land before launching, the kids facing the river suddenly stopped following along with the instructing guide, and soon a frenzy of exclamations echoed across the river. Turning to the water, our confused guide saw what had grabbed their attention: on the opposite shore, a chicken had emerged from the woods in a dead run, followed shortly thereafter by the red form of a confident-looking fox. Stopped in her tracks by the sight of the river, the hen simply had nowhere to go, so after the briefest standoffs the fox calmy scooped her up in its mouth and sauntered back into the trees. Don’t worry, we’re sure the fox was just bringing her back safely to the henhouse.
Image captured from Lizz Winstead’s Corona Borealis: A Night of Comedy Under the Stars
An audience of fun, 2020. While we were fairly low-key the first pandemic summer, moments of levity and even laughter provided some much-needed relief. Covid called for creativity when it came to live entertainment, and MN-raised comedian and Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead and her team were up to the challenge. For her Corona Borealis comedy special, filmed on Lake Minnetonka. Paddle Bridge helped facilitate socially-distanced audience seating - in the form of kayaks, of course. It was a dreamy time—before the cameras even started rolling, the masked audience was downright floating.
Lock Stock and Paddle, 2022.
Our Gorge Adventure took on extra significance last summer, as the future of two Twin Cities locks was brought into debate by the U.S. Congress. With partners from Friends of the Mississippi River and Macalester College's Department of Environmental Studies, we had the honor of co-leading several tours meant to engage the public on the function and future of Lock No.1, and its implications for all who live here. Read more about the study’s findings.
New tours and courses especially for you
This summer we’re offering a few ways to level up your paddling skills, whether you’re new, rusty or just a lifelong student who wants to learn from a pro. We’re hosting an American Canoe Association-certified Level 2 Essentials of Kayak Touring, a two-day, in-depth skills course for five students.
ACA Course Dates: May 27-28 and June 24-25
+August and September dates to be added pending interest
For those looking for a shorter brush up or a specific skill focus, from strokes to rescues, book a private lesson for you or a small group.
Take in the wild and wondrous great blue heron rookery, scenic national park shoreline, and distinctive Minneapolis skyline on this 2-3 hour downriver Mississippi paddle from Riverfront Regional Park to Boom Island marina. Offered all season; shuttle provided.
Become mesmerized by the full moon’s glow and twinkling cityscape lights as you enjoy a serene paddle on the most scenic lakes in the city. This special monthly tour starts at twilight and is approximately 2 hours, depending on light and time of season. Offered all season; beginner-friendly.
+Late season addition! We received exciting news in April—just before the start of our season—that we’ll be able to introduce a third, new Saint Paul-specific kayak experience! This downriver tour, called Between Two Rivers, will travel on the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, next to Pike Island and the sacred Bdote, under the historic swing train bridge and end with an impressive view of the River Capital’s downtown skyline.
Monthly Tour Spotlight
All of our adventures have unique elements that make each a special experience. That said, there are seasons when specific tours are particularly impressive and worth planning for. As part of celebrating our 5th anniversary in 2023, we’re featuring one of our tours every month and offering discounts on select dates to help you experience what makes each of our paddles special.
May: Custom Outings & Lessons
June: City of Birds (discounted dates: 6/14, 6/23, 6/30)
July: Heart of Minneapolis (discounted dates: 7/12 and 7/26)
August: Happy Hour Sunset (discounted dates: 8/11 and 8/25)
September: Mississippi River Gorge Adventure (discounted dates: 9/10 and 9/30)
October: Special Tours: Full Moon Floatilla and Between Two Rivers
A fresh look
Entering our fifth year, we’ve been focusing on how we want to grow as a business and community. We’ve invested much of our time this off-season into updating our look and voice to reflect that direction.
Sparky joined as a guide in 2022 and over the past year, she has also taken a role on the management team to steer our marketing efforts. Finding shared energy and enthusiasm for our mission is easy. Getting a bunch of scrappy kayak guides to consistently participate in the nitty gritty of this work in an industry that intrinsically works with the ebb and flow of changing river conditions, weather and seasons of life, not so much.
With patience and many hours spent on video calls, we’re thrilled with what we’ve accomplished. We learned how to collaborate more effectively, work towards one another’s strengths and developed new skills. Check out our website refresh, updated tour language and bolder look!
Growing our river community
We believe in building an active, sustainable, and diverse paddling community. That diversity should reflect the makeup of the Twin Cities and strive to include communities that have been historically cut off from the river.
Looking ahead, we aim to develop a paddling sport education program that builds upon our commitment to what paddlesports mean in communities around Twin Cities areas through scholarships, grants, and partnership work. We see our public tours growing to represent Minneapolis for its diverse history, culture, legacies, and hardships. We look forward to sharing that journey with you!