Current Listing of NE Rough Water Symposium Coaches & Guides, June 2010
February 16th, 2010.
Nigel Dennis - Nigel Dennis Kayaks, Anglesey Sea and Surf Centre, Coach 5. A 5. Designer of Nigel Dennis Kayaks. World level expeditioner, Cape Horn, Easter Island, Antarctica, So Georgia…the real deal, a gentle man and expeditioner extraordinare. www.seakayakinguk.com
Jen Kleck - Owns Aqua Adventures Kayak Center www.aqua-adventures.com in San Diego, CA for the last 12 years Located right on beautiful Mission Bay she has a well equipped store and a school offering ACA and BCU courses, junior Olympic and race training, surf instruction, rock gardens and trips down into Baja. Just be careful where you follow her laughing, fun way or you may end up plastered against a sea cave’s ceiling. Jen is the first No American to receive the demanding BCU Level 5 Sea Kayak Coach award.
Fiona Whitehead – NDK Sponsored Paddler, Gwyned, North Wales. Level 5 Coach. Leader of the “Paddle Like a Girl” team of NDK sponsored paddlers. (Don’t you wish you could?). Once known to throw hammers for fun. Prefers to paddle for a few months at a time. http://www.seakayakinguk.com/sponsored/fiona_whitehead.html
Phil Eccles – This big-water paddler hails from a small sea-side village on the Cleyn Penninsula, So Wales near Ramsey Island and its fierce waters. Phil brings a bundle of excitement to all his paddling and play time. He was one of the Team Sweetwater members in the Vacation to Hell adventure in the Arctic. Keep an eye on this rascal for he’s always getting us to do more than we thought possible.
Greg Stamer – NDK Sponsored Paddler. Greg finally gave in to his love of traditional kayaking, and now seeks a lifestyle along with the rest of us. He’s been around Iceland, Newfoundland in 44 days and is bringing his quiet, low key, first rate coaching to the RWS. The President and founder of Qajaq USA, he’s best known for his excellent articles on his studies of Greenland technique and culture. Now he’s become the KayakVagabond http://www.gregstamer.com
Billy Stark – Head instructor and lead guide for Wickford Kayak Centre in nearby Wickford, RI. Local paddler, surfer, gardener extraordinaire who’s dedicated his life to helping you playin and on these lumpy waters. Strong, excited and super competent with super local knowledge, but you may want to think twice before you follow him into the soup! http://www.kayakcentre.com.
Peter Casson – Director of EMS Outdoor School, Coach 4, ACA Instructor Trainer. Local Rhode Island paddler & surfer who will definitely inspire your surfing and rock garden play. I first met Peter at Nigel’s in Anglesey when he was a young soldier, now a family man and paddling dude who figured out how to play and be paid by training up your EMS instructors and guides. A model for us all. www.ems.com
Peter Jones – NDK Sponsored Paddler. Pete has been with Nigel Dennis longer than anyone, former head instructor at Anglesey Sea and Surf Centre. His latest expedition was to East Greenland, 2006. Baldy Pete is solid, steady, reassuring. We’re looking forward to his help, and you could talk with him about his other expeditions to West Coast Canada, Nova Scotia, Israel, Holland, Spain, Ireland, Outer Hebrides, St. Kilda, Orkney and other journeys in Greenland.
Phil Clegg – NDK Sponsored Paddler, Lead Coach at Nigel Dennis’s Anglesey Sea & Surf Centre, Holyhead, North Wales. Phil is one graceful paddler in a quiet, calm package who does things in a boat that most of us try and avoid, and he does it for fun. Ladies beware. www.seakayakinguk.com
Simon Osborne - NDK Sponsored Paddler, co-owner of Sea Kayaking Cornwall, founded Kayaking for Cancer series of trips and events, started competing when he was 8! Frequent visits to our NE for coaching and stories. Amazing things with a paddle in his hand. Very focused coach. Often halfway around someplace on the glove. http://www.seakayakingcornwall.com/
Harry Whelan – NDK Sponsored Paddler, Circumnavigated Ireland solo, circumnavigated Great Britain in record 80 days. Full of something all the time. Mischevious. Runs a touring center on the Thames in downtown London! www.seakayakinguk.com . He's particularily fond of open crossings and has completed all but one of the major crossings of the Irish Sea!
Cheri Perry and Turner Wilson - Greenland Paddling Instructors. You know this team of truly dedicated traditional paddlers who are here to take you into bumpy water and surf. We’ve known Cheri since the 1980s and back then considered her a true guide and coach. Since 2005 Cheri and Turner have been rolling around this planet in glassy, jobbly, and lumpy waters. They are passionate about sharing traditional skills. Oh yes, its ok to marvel at Cheri and Turners underwater skills, but you better watch out. Its catching. You too might end up with the Green virus. http://www.kayakways.net.
Dale Williams – founder of Sea Kayak Georgia, Coach 5 Aspirant, ACA Coastal Kayaking Committee Chair who’s decided its more fun to go paddle and ski and train others than run one of the best kayaking centres in the country. Lucky his surfing skills will keep him out of our cold water, eh? He and wife Debbie still live on Tybee Island if you go down to Sea Kayak Georgia’s symposium. www.seakayakingusa.com.
Vaughn __________ - NDK Sponsored Paddler, Nigel’s new coach at ASSC. NDK sponsored him to paddle around Britain last year. He’s use to the eye popping big water of Anglesey so should manage the softer waters of Long Island sound.
Paula Riegel - The Race Team, member of NDK “Paddle Like a Girl” team, ACA Open Water and BCU L2 Coach. When the ‘Blond Wonder’ is not organizing paddling groups for others, she can be is found surfing and rock gardening from Maine to Georgia. She works w Greg Paquin at Kayak Waveology. www.kayakwaveology.com
Greg Paquin – The Race Team. 5 Star Sea, Coach 3, Adv Open Water. Founder of Kayak Waveology instruction on Ct/RI shore. Conscientious, quiet and effective. Been known to be able to keep up with a certain blond haired paddler. www.kayakwaveology.com
Rick Stoehrer – The Race Team. 5 Star Sea, dedicated rock gardener who keeps his friend Ciro busy reconstructing his hard used Explorers. Don’t let that laugh of his fool you into complacency just before that wave hits. The laugh is for both of you. Works with Greg P at Kayak Waveology.
Ciro de la Vega – The Race Team, 5 Star Sea, adventure racer…he’s hard to keep in sight. Dedicated to this sport, (and to restoring Rick’s rock battered boats), winner of Blackburn Challenge Y07, seriously strong dude.
Nick Schade – The Race Team, strong local paddler who grew up out at Fishers Race which has helped hone the strength and performance of his hand made Guillemot Kayaks. Nick is on the very front of the wave with his strip boat designs and museum quality builds. www.guillemotkayaks.com
Carl Tjerandsen – The Race Team, RWS photographer, strong local paddler who takes all these great shots while out in the lumpy water has agreed to lend his expertise to your weekend, and might get a photo of you surfing past! How does he do it?
Ron Gautreau – The Race Team, after studying hard in the BCU and ACA, Ron is focusing on just getting out and playing in the local moving waters. He has paddled the East coast from Florida to Canada, visited mecca in No Wales, and for the RWS will be shooting pics of you in the rocks and surf, so don’t be late to dinner.
Paul Sylvester – The Race Team, strong, knowledgeable, dependable always out there when he’s not building a new wooden kayak. Regularly racing with the Team out to Fishers. Watch out for that new Explorer of his!
Jeff Brent – Holds a GoPher 5 star and Aspirant “Do It Now” award. Has spent several September’s at Nigel’s dealers meet in No Wales, and recently circumnavigated his garage looking for all his paddling gear (unsupported). Listen to his quiet ways, as an original member of “the Boys of the Barn” he’s trained at MIKCo for over a decade.
Tom Bergh - founder Maine Island Kayak Co in 1986, BCU L4 Sea, ACA Instructor. Tom has been guiding and instructing outdoors for decades. Knows something about getting the best out of other paddlers, and is said to be able to turn both ways on skis. www.maineislandkayak.com, tom@maineislandkayak.com .
June O’Neill Bergh - Maine Island Kayak Co. Event Organizer. Prefers her white water boat but has finally agreed that her Explorer LV is fun in the surf. If you got questions, she’s got answers, except as a vegetarian, she doesn’t understand what part of a fish is a vegetable. www.maineislandkayay.com, june@maineislandkayak.com .
Bill Hinderer – Kayaker since the early 80’s in a Maine made Dirigo, chef extraordinaire that makes great meals for outdoor groups so simple and elegant. Storyteller, sailor, fisherman & leader, Bill always has a smile, and always is upbeat; a true get it done man who knows how to keep kayakers strong. An amazing show in his own right, help him out if you want to learn the magic of.
