The sight and sounds of a waterfall are a reminder of nature’s beauty and power. For world-renowned professional whitewater kayaker Gerd Serrasolses, there might be no greater feeling than when he freefalls from one of these dangerous drops.
Serrasolses is one of the best kayak racers on the planet, having won many international races, and being crowned world champ in the process while also completing various expeditions around the world. He spends some of his time now instructing and introducing people to the sport.
The Spaniard is one of 10 of the world’s top adventure athletes that are featured on National Geographic’s upcoming 10-part documentary series “Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin,” which premieres on the network on Monday, Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. ET. The series takes a look at how these extreme athletes overcame setbacks and hardships to master their craft by highlighting their resiliency, endurance, and mental toughness.
Serrasolses’ episode in the series, which airs Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 10 p.m ET, highlights a run in which he almost drowned after a fall from a 50-foot waterfall in Chiapas, Mexico. And it was all captured on his GoPro.
Before heading out on a recent run, Serrasolses gave Muscle and Fitness a glimpse at some of the gear necessary for him to help him deal with currents that can reach up to over 45 mph, including his Pyranha Kayaks Ripper and Galasport Paddle.
These are the most important items in Serrasolses’ gym bag.
Follow Gerd at @gerdserrasolses and tune into National Geographic to see his story on Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin on Sept. 5 All episodes will be available on Disney+ beginning on Wednesday, Sep. 7
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pickybars.com
Snacks
My favorite snacks while in the water are pickybars or a banana, keeps me fueled with good stuff!
I’ve just started using my Coros watch and now I use it all the time to track how many kilometers I do, heart and stroke rate. It literally tracks everything. It’s a bit freaky!
I use these to keep me safe when I’m in the water. To go kayaking, you do need quite a bit of equipment. The essentials are the kayak and paddle. However, a skirt, helmet, and lifejacket are also a must for whitewater. The rest just makes your life much better when you’re out there.
The Skirt is my least favorite piece of gear to forget; I remember one day I forgot it when I was working as a river guide. I put on anyway with the clients but had to continue stopping to empty my boat!
