PaddleQuest was created by Matt Kirsch in 2002 and is kept alive by a team of dedicated volunteers known as the PaddleQuest Heroes.
PQ in the media:
PaddleQuest featured in Rolling Stone - “Woodstock on the Water”
Keith Ulig’s award winning piece on the event
Wisconsin Public Radio on PaddleQuest
2022 ushers in the 21th year of this epic event that has become a tradition and continues to grow in the Stevens Point community. Now supported by Create Portage County, the 2021 the event will kickoff from the iconic Bukolt Park! PaddleQuest sends canoers and kayaker teams onto the river to gather trash, play games and solve riddles at checkpoints to score tokens. PQ is run by volunteers called heroes that not only run the games but also act out a storyline that is directed each year by the actions of the participants. Our mission: Celebrate our local waterway in the spirit of stewardship and educate participants on the importance of clean waterways and overall reduction in trash.
PQ has been held in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Waupaca, Minocqua and Lake Du Bay but the main event has always been held in Stevens Point, WI.
