PRIJON: FINNA Paddle – 2026 Product of the Year (Paddle)
“The Prijon FINNA is a powerful and extremely reliable paddle, that feels precise in your hands and gives full confidence in the most demanding whitewater. »
Among the highlights of last year’s Paddle Sports Show was the 2026 Product of the Year Awards, organized in partnership with KS Publishing and the Paddler’s Guide. Each year, the contest spotlights the best new paddlesports gear for the upcoming season. Prijon won Paddle of the Year for their FINNA paddle. This high-end, foam-core carbon whitewater paddle features dynel-edged carbon blades, a forward-drop design that delivers powerful strokes, and a durable carbon-glass hybrid shaft. It sets a new benchmark for whitewater paddles.
Hey guys! Congrats on winning the 2026 Product of the Year for the FINNA at the Paddle Sports Show. Can you introduce the product in a couple of sentences?
Thank you very much! The FINNA is a high-end carbon foam-core paddle with an all-around Dynel edge and increased blade-to-shaft offset, made in Germany. The forward drop-shaped blade provides a powerful catch and stabilizes vigorous forward strokes in turbulent conditions. The low-profile backside of the blade improves the maneuverability of the paddle when linking different strokes. Our new carbon-glassfiber hybrid-shaft, with double ovalization and a slightly structured surface, gives the extra grip and superior stability that whitewater paddlers demand.
“The Finna gives me the security and control I need to feel safe in challenging rapids.” – Marisa Kaup
How much time and effort went into bringing this product to life?
We developed and tested the FINNA for more than five years, trying various build-ups on many different rivers and conditions all over the world, as well as in the laboratory, to find the perfect setup.
Does it build on ideas or designs from previous products you have created?
The goal was to produce the best carbon foam core whitewater paddle on the market. That’s why the FINNA was designed from the ground up.
Very nice. Was there a moment during development when you realized this product was special?
After all of our team paddlers returned the prototype paddles with a big smile, telling us that this paddle has a tremendous catch and is crazy reliable, we knew that we were heading in the right direction.
What feature or innovation are you most proud of in this product?
From the very first stroke, this paddle feels rock solid. The doubled Dynel edge combined with the special carbon layup makes the blade incredibly durable, while the outstanding carbon-glass hybrid shaft with double ovalization and increased blade-to-shaft offset delivers an amazingly direct and efficient power transfer. Add the extremely sturdy stainless steel SteelLock ferrule, fully adjustable in angle and up to 10 cm in length, plus a compact two-piece design for easy transport—and you’ve got a paddle that simply sets the benchmark. Once you’ve paddled it, there’s no going back!
What makes this paddle unique?
The double all-around Dynel edge is a unique feature of this paddle; it makes it very sturdy.
What’s the most amazing trip you know this paddle was used for?
The five most amazing places this paddle was used for are the Grand Canyon, the Indus, the Verdon gorges, on the Zambezi, and in Muksu (Tajikistan). We have well-known world-class athletes (Marisa Kaup, Kilian Ivelic, David Sodomka, Gav Barker, Matti Deutsch, Marinus Bauer, and others) who trust the FINNA on their trips to remote places all over the world. In the end, it’s everyone’s most amazing trip where the FINNA will be a high-performing and reliable companion, no matter what the destination.
To learn more about Prijon, visit their website.
Find and learn more about the FINNA Paddle on the Paddler Guide website.
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