PHOTOS: Kayakers battle the Wild Mile at Bigfork Whitewater Festival
CASEY KREIDER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months AGO
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker takes a breath before being submerged under water while navigating a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker emerges from the water while navigating a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Casey Kreider is a staff photographer for the Daily Inter Lake. His work documents news, sports, wildlife, landscapes and everyday life across Northwest Montana through visual storytelling. Kreider’s keen eye captures major sporting events, community moments, and the natural beauty that defines the region. He is a graduate of Penn State University and previously worked as a photographer for Lancaster Newspapers in Pennsylvania. In 2024, he received the Montana Newspaper Association’s Mel Ruder Photograph of the Year award. IMPACT: Kreider's work brings readers closer to the people, places and moments that shape life in Northwest Montana through powerful visual journalism. | May 23, 2026 5:45 PM
Kayakers paddle the Wild Mile of the Swan River during the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23.
Photographer Casey Kreider can be reached at 406-758-4449 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.
A kayaker takes a breath before being submerged under water while navigating a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker emerges from the water while navigating a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
8
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A kayaker paddles through a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River in the expert slalom event at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
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