Bend Woman Pursues Gold on U.S. Women’s Kayak Polo Team | The Source Weekly

Anyone looking for outdoor adventure is sure to find it on a kayak polo team. Al Kolenda is on the U.S. Women’s National Kayak Polo Team — a squad of eight elite athletes from across the country gearing up for the Pan American Championships in Edmonton, Canada, this August. Kolenda says to qualify for the 2026 World Games in Germany, the U.S. team must take first place in Edmonton.

Kayak polo, also known as canoe polo, is a fast-paced, full-contact sport combining the finesse of kayaking with the strategy of basketball and the intensity of water polo, Kolenda explained in an email to the Source. The object of the game is to get the ball into the opponent’s net suspended above the water. Two teams compete, using their hands or paddles to pass, dribble and shoot the ball. Though wildly popular in Europe, it remains under the radar in the U.S., with fewer than 10 active clubs nationwide.

The national women’s team roster includes Kolenda (Bend), Chloe Olson (Seattle), Hannah Spellman (Austin), Heather Fenske (San Diego), Madeline Lee (Baltimore), Myrna Lewis (Austin, TX), Olly Gotel (Los Angeles), and Pin Thienapirak (New York City). To prepare for Edmonton, the team has been training in San Francisco and Austin, competing in tournaments across North America — from California to Vancouver Island to Richmond, Virginia.

“We’re doing everything ourselves — training, organizing, and fundraising,” says Kolenda. It will cost each player about $2,500 to compete in Canada, including airfare, lodging, registration, and transporting their specialized equipment.

Kolenda, 28, is the development manager for The Environmental Center, where she’s been involved since 2022. Last spring, she started a co-ed kayak polo team in Bend. She’s recruiting new team members. Right now, Kolenda says she doesn’t have enough members to compete in tournaments, but she does have enough for weekly practices. Ideally, she needs five to eight players with additional people as subs. Tournaments are in Washougal, Washington, San Francisco, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Austin and New York. Kolenda says you don’t have to compete to join the local team.

“This sport is exciting, demanding, and deserves a place on the U.S. athletic stage. We’re not just training to win, we’re building the future of kayak polo in America,” Kolenda says.

For the local team, she is looking for people 18 years old and up (or high school students with consent from their parents). No previous kayak polo experience required. Water polo background or kayaking experience is a bonus.

Practice is every Tuesday from 5:30-7:30pm on the Deschutes River below First Street Rapids, but above the dam. Gear can be borrowed, but Kolenda says it is helpful if team members have a kayak skirt and paddle. She’s also co-hosting a kayak polo training camp at Haystack Reservoir in June which will include players from outside the area.

Anyone interested can reach out to her at [email protected].

“With more local teams, we can grow this sport and maybe one day take home a world title,” Kolenda says. “But first, we have to get to Edmonton.”

Co-ed Kayak Polo Team

Tuesdays 5:30pm

Deschutes River, Bend