THE VISION

Our vision for Richmond Rapids is to both provide a recreational outlet for the community on The James River, and to grow a team that can ultimately compete on a national level.

FOUNDERS

ADAM HUGO

  • Adam is a budding entrepreneur whose company, Hugo Render, led him to reside in Austin, TX for a few years. It was there he discovered kayak polo, and went on to play for the USA Kayak Polo National Team in both the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, AL and the 2022 World Championship in St. Omer, France. In addition to continuing to play for the USA National Team, Adam is also an at-home aquarist, musician, and recreational mountain biker.

OMAR HAFEZ

  • Originally from Northern Virginia, Omar's passion for technology led him to Austin, TX to pursue a career in software engineering. It was there that he met Adam on the pitch playing for the Austin Aquabats. Omar climbed the ranks within the team, eventually helping Austin win 1st place in the USA Nationals Competition of 2021. Omar is currently pursuing a position on the 2023 USA National Kayak Polo Team. Omar’s entrepreneurial spirit in combination with his dedication to the sport led him to return to Virginia and form the Richmond Rapids alongside Adam in 2023.

PIONEERS

EZIO AMBROSETTI

  • Ezio emigrated from Italy to the United States, bringing with him the European influence of the sport. Ambrosetti debuted the sport at a paddling expo in Houston in 1997. He has facilitated the rise of the sport both domestically and internationally since its modern inception and continues to do so today as a player, coach, and world accredited ICF referee.

MARK POINDEXTER

  • As a Texas native, Mark has dedicated his life to athletics. He is an experienced whitewater kayaker and a high ranking olympic qualifier for C2 slalom kayaking. This led him to attend the expo in Houston in 1997 where he fortuitously bumped into Ezio Ambrosetti, who introduced him to kayak polo. Since that time, he has not only attended every Worlds Tournament, he’s also currently the full-time Coach for the USA Men’s Kayak Polo National Team.