Hard Water Sports

John Jacobson

2024-02

Tony did a great job introducing my wife and I to ice climbing. He was encouraging while providing tactical guidance during the climbing. He has all the gear and made it easy for us. Thank you!

Rachel Saladin

2023-05

My partner and I shared a tandem kayak and it was a blast! This was my first time white water rafting. The guides were very experienced and passionate about delivering a positive experience. Tony the owner is very serious about safety and makes sure to give the best possible tour that river conditions allow. I will be back to try ice climbing and a larger raft during higher water!

Alex

2019-05

My girlfriend and I went ice climbing with Tony right after Christmas and couldn’t be happier. We were out of state and Tony was very kind to reschedule us one day earlier due to weather conditions. Overall, everything went smoothly and the ice climbing park is only two minutes away from the Hard Water Sports office. Tony is a very experienced climber (over 25 years) and you can totally trust him and the experience is 100% safe. Make sure to have some warm but non-restrictive clothes suitable for active sports. Boots, crampons, axes, helmets, harnesses, and even gloves will be provided. Tony did a great job explaining the basics of ice climbing and both my girlfriend and went up two different ice routes a few times. It was a lot of fun and totally different from indoor climbing we both did. Forget everything you knew before about climbing (except how to tie knots - that still applies here). In the end, we both had a great time and learned something new. If you’re in Minnesota and looking for a memorable adventure - ice climbing with Tony is the way to go. We’d love to come back for some rafting in the summer!

Aaron Rickard

2020-05

Ice climbing was so cool, and Tony was a great teacher. We found Hard Water Sports online and thought ice climbing would be a great winter activity. We've never climbed ice before, but we got right up the wall on our first try. Hard Water Sports has all the ice climbing gear, and they just coached us on how to do it. We really enjoyed the entire day, meeting the people we climbed with, and we will likely be back quite a few times to climb, as well as in the summer for rafting.

Ariel Doyle

2023-05

This was our first time white water rafting, and was perfect! Our guides, Jeff, Charlie, & Twig were very knowledgeable and helpful, they had so many stories about the area and even took some pictures and sent us a google drive folder! The bursts of rapids were short, with breaks between to regroup and get instructions for the next. One tip, bring bug spray! All around highly recommend this experience!

Ivan Bartha

2019-05

Hands down one of the best "close to home" adventures in Minnesota! The Kettle River is beautiful & the guides do a great job on all levels. Just a fantastic opportunity an hour north of Minneapolis!

Josh Troemner

2022-05

Tony and Jessica were fabulous guides! We are experienced paddlers and they showed us a great time. Rapids, cliff jumping, water falls, kayak surfing! The equipment provided was well maintained and clean, their tutorials were spot on, and they were accommodating to all levels of paddlers. We highly recommend their river tours!

Mike Bruins

2023-07

Really fun experience! The river was unseasonably low during our trip so we couldn't do a rafting trip as we had hoped. However, we did get to go on kayaks and our guide, Tony, did a great job of helping us navigate the river. Our family (3 teens, 2 parents) had no trouble and we all had a blast. Highly recommend!

Claire Weiss

2021-05

My dad and I had a blast rafting the kettle river! We used a kayak and it was awesome! Highly recommend, Tony is a great guide. He’s very knowledgeable and made the day extra fun!

Youssef Abou-Atme

2021-05

I come here every summer. Tony and his Friendly adventurer scout dog are excellent guides. Sometimes we get the river that is too high sometimes too low sometimes in the middle. Safety is important for tony he always warn us how to go where to go. I like the nice area the river is clean no people on both sides. Excellent adventure. No noise pollution. Just the river and us.

Kiera Lowe

2023-05

Great experience! Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Learned a lot about the area while enjoying the thrill of the rapids. Fun 52nd bday celebration for dad! Would highly recommend!

Betsy Lee

2023-09

We booked a tour with Hard Water Sports and they failed to let us know the tour was cancelled. We drove one hour to the location and waited for 30 minutes. They didn’t call or email. Nothing. When WE called the owner, he yelled at US when we expressed dismay at the lack of notice. He accused us of “bashing a small business.” I think even a small business should let people knowif a tour is cancelled before you waste two hours driving and 30 minutes waiting.

Anna Dourgarian

2019-05

Whitewater rafting with HWS was fun, well-priced, well-organized, safe, and informative. We learned a lot, from how to paddle a boat and surf a wave to the history of the river. #1 tip for the trip: bring bug spray! We are excited to paddle with HWS again soon.

Ryan Just

2023-05

Did the rafting tour down the kettle river and loved it. Instructor was very knowledgeable and friendly. 100% would do again. Kettle river in the summer is gorgeous. The people at hard water sports were very nice. Great experience to do with family or friends

Krishnan Nambudiripad

2023-05

We had a blast on this trip. It was great for kids because the rapids are not too intense. The Kettle River has some beautiful spots that the guides brought us to check out. I would do it again!

Amanda Putzke

2023-05

We did the 10 am tour with Jeff this Saturday, 6/4/22. There was a bit of nervousness in our group, but the team at Hard Water did a great job answering questions so as to settle that. From the moment we arrived to departed, the employees at Hard Water made the experience feel light and fun.The rafting part was FREAKING AWESOME. I now wish there were more and bigger sections to hit! Already planning a trip back with my son. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested, we had a blast!

Manish Patel

2021-05

Took the intro to rock climbing course with Anders. From beginning to end was a great experience. He was calm and made sure the boys felt safe while on the wall. Was coaching us from the ground and the kids loved it. We were out on the wall for a solid 3 hours.2 days later did the whitewater trip on the kettle river. Again the guides, Jeffrey and Nate, were super friendly, informative, and made everybody feel safe on the water. Jumped off a cliff into the river and swam under wolf creek falls. It was a really fun trip and well worth the money. 5 stars in all aspects!

Juli Fast

2023-05

Not what we expected at all! We booked a white water “rafting” afternoon and expected to be on rafts. When we arrived they were loading kayaks. Nothing was said to us that we would all be in individual kayaks. The most uncomfortable air kayaks I’ve ever been in with almost 0 back support. If we had known this prior to our trip we would not have gone at all. I brought this up to the owner and he basically turned and walked away for me and told me we should have been in better shape and was totally rude!!! I, personally, have rafted many places including some of top rivers in the world and this place was by far the worst!!! Please beware the owner is rude and you very well may not get what you are expecting and they will do nothing about it.

Melissa Hake

2021-05

Had a great afternoon on the Kettle River with Tony (guide) and his dog, Scout. We were a party of 2 and there was another party of 8. We were paired in small 2-person inflatable canoe-like rafts with Tony and Scout in the lead. After a quick check-in/gear fitting it was a short 10 min drive to the launch site. We had a safety overview and quick paddling lesson, then we were off. Tony discussed the best way to manage each set of rapids as we approached, demonstrated it, then faced upstream to coach each raft through as we through. We stopped to “surf” rapids a few times, stretch our legs with short hikes to rocky outcrops for drinks, scenic views, and jumping into the river, and visited Wolf Creek Falls. River was lower so rapids were mild making for a very safe first whitewater rafting experience and learning to paddle with my 11 year old son. Low water also meant a long steady paddle against the wind at the end. The Kettle River is gorgeous and we had a wonderful 3.5 hours on this guided adventure. Thanks Tony!

J D

2021-05

What a great experience!! The Kettle River is beautiful and the rapids are definitely manageable even for someone that's never done something like this before. Especially with the help of our guides, Jeff and Glen who spent time with our group practicing paddling and explaining what to expect and how to navigate each rapid. I give the experience 10 stars!!

Taylor Schlenk

2021-05

This experience was awesome! We showed up, geared up, and they brought our group to the river! Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and the equipment. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL. I don’t think there is a better way to view the area. We got to go jumping of a big boulder and see waterfalls. The whole process was very slick and enjoyable for all! Great activity for adventure seekers!

Erica & Erin Little

2023-05

We spent the afternoon on the river and had an amazing time. We were in a double duckie and absolutely loved it. The rapids were fun, not too big, but just right. If you have not done this trip, book it now!!!

Denise Lavalle

2023-05

We were excited to go White Water Rafting and come to find out we had to use kayaks. The owner made a comment to us well if you were in better shape. Well let me just say I am in pretty good shape. No pain here. I think he should reach out to customers and Explain to them that they would be using kayaks with them and not a Raft.. It ruined my Andrenlin which I was so ready for. Don't do it...Just saying.

SayderCascading

2018-05

My boyfriend and I had a fantastic time white water rafting down the Kettle River with our guide Tony and two other couples. It was a special treat to have Tony's dog Scout along with us too! We got our own little boat and the others were on a raft with Tony and Scout. The rafting itself is amazing, but what made this experience even more worthwhile was that we got to stop several times to get out of the rafts and jump off of 15 and 20 foot high rocks into the river! (Only those who felt comfortable, of course). We also stopped to see two more beautiful spots: one with a waterfall that we walked underneath, and another where Tony took our pictures. Tony was especially accommodating to us, as we had booked for the day before and our car was towed (typical Minneapolis), so he let us reschedule for the next day at the last minute. I would definitely book another adventure with Hard Water Sports!

Roberta Warneke

2021-05

Toni and Scout were the most awesome river guides! The 3 hour trip was so worth it. We were able to stop along the way and explore a bit! Everyone should do this at least once, more more than once! Great time had by all!

Jill vanDenHeuvel

2021-05

Took my 15 year old ice climbing and we had a great time! Tony is easy going, knowledgeable, and experienced in climbing. He made sure we were in good climbing gear (and offers the good stuff for sale at his shop) and showed us how to rig up the ropes before we started the climb. He was thorough and patient in explaining everything to us and we learned a lot in a short time. We'll be back!

Scott Schubert

2020-05

Booked the whitewater rafting trip for a group of nine with varying paddling experience and everybody had an absolute blast. The trip was the perfect mix of rapids, lazy paddling, and hopping out of the boats for some sightseeing. Tony was extremely responsive and a fantastic guide - would highly recommend the trip for anybody.

Brittny Lee

2020-05

My Mother-in-law organized a family trip of about 20 of us to go white water rafting and IT WAS BY FAR one of my top highlights of summer! My husband and I (29yrs old) chose to do the two person kayak while the older adults were in the rafts. Adam was a terrific guide and if you have as much of a blast as we did make sure to tip! I promise it's worth the joy ride!

Nick Strafford

2020-05

Our guide, Tony, is the Kettle River expert! Not only did he guide us down the river with a great deal of energy and passion, but he also made stops along with way to show us cool aspects of the river that you really won’t find anywhere else! I would 10/10 recommend this for anyone looking for a great outdoor adventure this summer!

Troy H

2023-05

This is a great company and the owner, Tony, is a good dude, very knowledgeable, safety focused and happy to teach folks rafting, kayaking, rock climbing and even ice climbing. I've been his customer a number of times and he always delivers. His support staff are also great people, professional and friendly. The prices are very good as well. Highly recommend.