Cheers to Ed Pilkington and a lifelong connection to water. Growing up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada Ed has always been drawn to the water, after all Montreal is an island. For much of his life, though, Ed preferred the frozen kind and like most Canadians, he played hockey. But another thing that Pilkington says defines Canadians is canoeing. "Those backcountry trips with the boys were golden. There’s nothing like dipping your paddle into still water at dawn, making those first ripples on the lake. That’s always been a place where I’ve felt most at peace."
A little over ten years ago, during our annual family trip to Florida, Ed wandered into a local surf shop. He hadn’t surfed in years, and he was thinking about getting back on a board. Ed borrowed a paddle board from the shop, carried it down to the local spot, and that moment changed his life forever. The instant he stood up and started to paddle, he knew he was hooked. Ed found his place.
It didn’t take long before he became obsessed with stand up paddleboarding and he bought his first all-around board and brought it everywhere. Ed even started paddle camping, tossing a few dry bags under the tie downs and heading out. He'd take the kids out too, even his young daughter joined on a four day island-hopping trip through New York’s Saranac Lake Region. Pilkington began following the global race scene, the pros, the events, the boards, the gear. What started as a leisure activity quickly evolved into a lifestyle.
Then one day, he met a guy through a few local connections in Montreal’s West Island named Tommy Buday Jr., a three-time Canadian Olympian in canoe racing. Tommy transitioned into professional paddleboarding and became a team rider/manager for SIC. Tommy invited Ed to join his training group, The Lake SUP Gliders , an incredible crew of athletes who train and compete in races all over. The group has become a close knit family, constantly pushing each other to improve. The results have spoken for themselves, even to the point of medaling at the ICF World Championships. This year, if all goes well, he is hoping to represent Canada at the ICF Worlds in Sicily.
Pilkington says, "at the end of the day, what matters most is connection, connection to the water, to nature, and to our inner selves. Races are great, don’t get me wrong, but what really matters is the community, the family of like minded people brought together by a shared love. I absolutely love Session Magazine too! Every issue is beautifully put together, with stories and visuals that are both inspiring and meaningful. It celebrates creativity and real voices in a way that feels genuine. Reading it always leaves me feeling inspired and more connected to water."
