BOISE, Idaho — Mateo Kowalcyzk finished second at the ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships in Germany in June. Mateo competed against 45 of the best juniors from all over the world.
"For those that don't know, freestyle kayaking is basically gymnastics in a kayak," said Kowalczyk. "So I'm surfing a wave, I'm doing flips and tricks. All these tricks have a certain amount of points they score."
Check out the video to see the tricks Mateo can do at the Whitewater Park
Kowalczyk spent years and countless hours honing his craft to acheive an elite level worthy of global competition. This year, only three kayakers got a chance to represent the United States at the World Championships.
RELATED: "The best it's ever been." Surfers ride the expert wave at the Boise Whitewater Park
"It felt so great because I’ve been training since [the] summer of 2024— just to make the United States freestyle kayaking team,"said Kowalczyk. "Because there [are] only three junior spots, it takes a lot of work to even make the team."
Kowalczyk spent two weeks in Germany training for the event before competing and taking home a silver medal. The competition was cut short because the water levels dropped. But when that happened, Mateo was in second place.
"I just want to shout out my parents, Jackson Kayak, and Idaho Rivers United, who worked alongside me too to fund my journey over there," said Kowalczyk. "I’m so grateful for the experience, and I’m so happy to come out with a silver medal."
Kowalczyk is a talented kayaker who grew up paddling the rivers in Idaho. Last year, he was part of our story on the Milner Mile.
No doubt, the kid has skills. However, it also helps to have natural features to practice on and whitewater parks so close to home. We caught up with Kowalczyk at Phase I of the Boise Whitewater Park.
"Having a whitewater park five minutes away from my house really helps me to train," explained Kowalczyk. "Then to have the Kelly’s Whitewater Park for a different type of feature, just two hours away, is really fantastic."
This was Kowalczyk's last year that he could compete as a junior. He graduated from Boise High School this past spring, and he plans on studying nursing this fall at Montana State.
You can follow Kowalczyk's adventures on his Instagram page @Mateo.Kowalczyk.
