Pro Kayaker Brad Ludden Named Cosmo's 'Bachelor of the Year'

Who says kayaking isn't sexy?

Don't tell that to the editors at Cosmopolitan, who chose pro paddler Brad Ludden as their 2008 Bachelor of the Year in the magazine's November issue, on sale now.

The unassuming 27-year-old Vail, Colo. resident definitely has the chiseled abs and square-jawed smile you'd expect a Cosmo girl to fall for. But in a nod to nice guys everywhere -- especially those who spend their time in stinky polypro -- Ludden's not blowing his $10,000 in prize money on just another kayaking trip. He's giving it to First Descents, the charity he founded in 2001 to introduce young adults with cancer to the outdoors.

You can check out Ludden's interview with the Today Show's Ann Curry after the jump.

In a tear-jerking twist to Ludden's story, on the same day that he posed for Cosmo's photo shoot back in June, he learned his long-time friend and co-worker, Allan Goldberg, lost his own battle with cancer. "It definitely made for a really challenging situation for me to put on a smile and go about my day and try and be normal," Ludden told the Vail Daily newspaper.

So, in a sport filled with testosterone and terror, how does it feel to be named a hunk by the favorite read of America's girliest girls? "It was a little embarrassing at first," he told Canoe & Kayak magazine. But then, having the opportunity to donate $10,000 to young adults with cancer more than makes up for any flushing of Ludden's cheeks.

Already a sponsored member of Team D -- the professional paddlers at kayak maker Dagger who are lucky enough to get paid to travel the world with their kayaks -- the christening now means that Ludden really is kind of a big deal. Past Cosmo bachelors have gone on to fame and fortune, including appearances on Survivor, and yes, The Bachelor.

Not that Ludden hasn't made headway in the fame and fortune category already. According to Outside magazine, he already owns a half-million dollar home near Vail, and has paddled in more than 40 countries traveling on the pro circuit.

None of it, though, seems to have gone to Ludden's head. In a letter on Dagger's Web site, Ludden shouted out a big THANK YOU to all of the people who helped him win. "We showed that we are strong in the face of cancer and that we will continue to be so until we live in a cancer-free world," he wrote. "These efforts are something to be proud of."

And paddlers everywhere can be proud of you, Brad. Congratulations.

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