REGISTRATION FOR SSTIKS 2008 IS NOW CLOSED!
| 2008 Instructors: Learn from the best American Greenland-style paddlers & builders from the West and East coasts.
Our 2008 pool of instructors will continue to be updated. Check back.
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 GUEST SPEAKER: Vernon DoucetteKayak Historian Cambridge, MA Vernon Doucette is Qajaq USA's archivist and Journal editor who is an inveterate collector of arctic books, ephemera and knowledge. "As a youngster a serendipitous stroll through the stacks of the local public library resulted in a lifelong interest in the Arctic and the peoples who live there. A shelf stocked with Polar titles caught my attention and checking out a book detailing McClintock's expedition north in search of Franklin I was soon hooked as one book led to another and then another. I became engrossed by the accounts of early explorer's and their encounters with the 'Eskimo', though my attentions were to shift from the visitors to the residents of that boreal locale. A Canadian by birth I was perhaps predisposed to the subject". "I started sea kayaking about fifteen years ago. An experienced backpacker I was attracted by the potential of independent travel offered by the kayak as well as succumbing to a romantic notion that I might be able to experience some small measure of the reality of the Arctic peoples that held such intense interest for me. Once a kayaker I became curious about the origins and history of this craft I was paddling. My reading and research began to focus specifically on the history of native and recreational kayaking. Pursuit of this subject and curiosity about the Arctic ultimately led to my taking two trips north one to Baffin Island in 1997 and another to Greenland this past summer". "My interest in kayak studies/history having become something of an obsession I was grateful when I discovered that there was a community of similarly afflicted souls on the web. I subscribed and became a participant in the discussions on the Baidarka List and subsequently on the Qajaq USA forum. Last year I was pleased to accept an invitation from Greg to become involved in the formation of Qajaq USA. As a charter member of the board it's my hope that in accepting and fulfilling my obligations as the archivist and journal editor I can help forward our stated mission as well as perhaps contributing something to the existing store of knowledge on Northern Native watercraft".  Dan SegalKayaking Instructor Acton, MA Dan Segal, a longtime member of the Walden Qajaq Society (aka "Pond Scum"), was strongly influenced by Bart Hauthaway, an Olympic whitewater coach and one of the leading designers and builders of kayaks in the late 60's and 70's. "Bart was my mentor. He charged me with learning what I could about Greenland technique and helping him understand it. That kayak and that assignment led to the Walden Qajaq Society, at Walden Pond where Bart had taught rolling free of charge for decades. Members of the Society often would demonstrate for Bart before he died. Bart never let up on us during these sessions; no matter how good we thought we were, he knew better and made us better. In Bart's honor, mentoring remains a tradition at Walden. Information flows free." "I try to help others get as much pleasure out of this game as I do. Some members of Qajaq USA have worked with me at various events around the country and have helped me get more pleasure still. It's give and take." Dan was elected to the Qajaq USA board in late 2004.
Mark Whitaker has been kayaking since early 2004 when he started as an assistant guide for Skamokawa Center. He was introduced to the Greenland paddle at the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium that fall by Tim Mattson and Henry Romer and it has been a long downhill slide ever since, including paddle carving, boat building and harpoon making in addition to acquiring BCU star awards. Mark is now a co-owner of Columbia River Kayaking. He has been leading trips in the Lower Columbia River for over three years and he has been teaching kayaking skills and Greenland rolling techniques for over two years. Mark also plays an aggressive game of Dead Fish Polo.  Don BealePaddler & Paddle-maker Portland, OR Don Beale was bit by the boat-building bug with a Cosine Wherry, and went to kayaks from there. After paddling several years he learned to roll, which opened up a whole new world. "The closest destination is Henry Hagg Lake by Forest Grove, which is where I go to practice. I like all sorts of paddling, from quiet bird-watching to surf." He took up the greenland style after trying to build euro-type paddle with only moderate success. "After learning to roll with the greenland paddle, Ill never go back." Beale Paddles was started in 2002, upon the realization that he could make a much better paddle that could be purchased. Since then, over 150 custom-built paddles have been hand carved for happy customers. Sharing the fun of carving in addition to the joy of paddling adds to enjoyment of the sport.  Tim MattsonCertified Instructor Olympia, WA Tim is a kayaker. It is more than a sport to Tim; it is what defines his place in the universe. He has paddled all over the world: in Norway, Sweden, Australia, Baja, east coast of the U.S. and of course, all over the pacific North West. He is addicted to the surf zone, coastal rock gardens, and anything rough enough to cause occasional episodes of "self wetting". And he loves to share kayaking with others. With ACA instructor certification in white water, advanced open-ocean, and traditional kayaking, Tim is well qualified as a kayaking educator. But his biggest qualification is his passion for paddling kayaks and his experience getting beaten up by the sea in countless and sometimes painful ways. Tim uses and teaches about a wide range of kayaking paddles. He races with wing paddles, plays in rivers with Euro paddles, sea kayaks with Greenland paddles and is working hard to master single blade technique with his King Island paddle. There is a time and a place for each type of paddle and he believes the well rounded paddler benefits from using them all.  Bob KelimKayak Builder Willapa Bay, WA Bob started kayaking 1985, put it aside in 1990, and took it back up again 1999. He worked most of my life on the water and became interested in traditional boats about the time he started paddeling. He cut out most of the parts for a baidarka in 1986 and they are still with him after four moves and 18 years. (This may be a record for an uncompleted project.) Bob has built 14 kayaks, four drift boats, three skiffs, two canoes, one shell and a bunch of rafts when he was a kid. He used to be a commercial fisherman, cannery worker, bolt cutter, and surf bum. He currently lives on Willapa Bay where he works as a surveyor. "I’ve been playing or working on the water my entire life. Would like to get my hands on some camouflage neoprene so I could make a tuiliq for duck hunting out of my boats."  Mike HanksPaddler & Kayak Builder Tacoma, WA Mike Hanks started kayaking a several years ago, and built a Greenland style paddle to save money and time (quicker to build than a Euro). After paddling with it, he became hooked. Since then Mike has built many traditional style paddles, both Greenland and Aleut. He also enjoys building his own kayaks and most have a Greenland influence. Mike has led Greenland paddle-making workshops, and one kayak-building workshop at the West Coast Wooden Kayak Rendezvous. Mike has been working specifically on Greenland techniques for the past years, and is very enthusiastic about traditional techniques. Mike lives with his wife Tammy and two children, Sadie (5) and Sam (4). The kids have had their own kayaks since they were 3 and 2 years old respectively. |
BUILDING DEMO:
Robert Morris Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop Vancouver, BC 
Robert Morris saw his first skin on frame kayak in 1966 or '67, on the beach in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Decades later, his friend Rob MacDonald showed him a Kodiak kayak frame he was building. Robert was enchanted by the beauty of the boat. Together they started a tiny shop in a one car garage to teach people how to build baidarkas. Their business, Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop, was boot-strapped from a back alley hobby to a full time operation on Granville Island. Inspired by a customer to diversify, Robert built his first Greenland Kayak. That plumb-sided beast now rests safely on a shelf, away from the water, on permanent display. The next kayak and the next after that were dramatically better though, as Robert evolved from following instructions, to understanding design, and controlling performance by controlling the shape. Robert explains that: "Each of my kayaks contains at least one small experiment. If I'm not learning I'm bored." Incremental experiments and inventions were shared with students, and also with the wider community by writing. Two Sea Kayaker Magazine articles on his Recovery kayak adaptation of the North Alaska Retrieval kayak and building a children's Greenland kayak were followed by publication of his book Building Skin on Frame Boats. In 2000, 2001 and 2002, Robert and his shop mate Mark Reuten were invited to assist the elders of the community of Kugaaruk, Nunavut to start a program to build Netsilingmeot kayaks. The last season of that project is documented in the Canadian National Film Board documentary Caribou Kayak. Robert has recently closed his shop to pursue a career teaching high school students how to use tools. "I want to spend evenings and weekends with my family, not my customers" he says. He hopes to use his energy to keep exploring and researching skin on frame boat building, and his spare time to write, and to keep sharing his discoveries with the skin on frame community.  Brian SchulzKayak Builder Manzanita, OR Brian Schulz is an avid whitewater and sea kayaker living on the Oregon coast. His life for the last fourteen years has revolved around kayaking. As owner and instructor for Cape Falcon Kayak, he teaches the construction and use of both traditional and modern skin-on-frame sea kayaks. Brian specializes in rough water paddling, targeted fitness training, and sea kayaking safety. "I think my biggest accomplishment in paddling is learning not to fall in love with my own ideas. I'm always willing to consider different kayaks and new approaches to paddling. . When you gain the ability to be wrong, you open up a whole world of possibility in paddling and in life. I've done some extreme stuff and seen some exciting places, but lately I've come to the realize that there is no paradise over the horizon, that richness and depth are something one imparts onto any experience. Whether I'm surfing big waves, scraping down shallow, creeky whitewater, or floating silently at sunset on the bay, my quest is the search for harmony rather than adrenaline." Steeped in a broad range of kayaking disciplines, Brian communicates his unique perspective with infectious enthusiasm. Pat Welle (Daly) Kayak Instructor and Kayak Shop Owner Richland, WA www.ColumbiaKayakAdventures.com
Pat is relatively new to Greenland technique, but she likes to introduce her beginner students to it before the Euro paddle because she found that proper paddle strokes tend to come easier. She loves the moment when a student grasps a new technique, or just discovers the “I can do this!” Pat is certified as an ACA open-ocean instructor and has BCU 4* and WFR ratings. She has kayaked in Scotland, southern Chile and all around the northwest. Her current favorite play area is the Lower Columbia, where the endless choice of surf, back-island estuary, or anything in-between just gives her more reasons to be on the water! Marcel Rodriguez SSTIKS 2008 Chair/Instructor  Portland, ORMarcel has been paddling on and off for the last 12 years. He built his first kayak, a cedar strip, in 2002. After attending SSTIKS 2003, he got hooked on Greenland paddling and boat building. At last count, he has built ten boats of various designs. Marcel is lucky to have an eleven year-old budding paddler as a daughter, who keeps him constantly on his toes trying to keep one step ahead of her skills. He enjoys introducing new paddlers, especially kids to the sport and working with first-time kayak rollers. In addition to SSTIKS, Marcel has instructed at the West Coast Wooden Sea Kayak Rendezvous, the Delmarva Paddlers' Retreat, and for the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society. Marcel is also a certified Wilderness First Responder. Marcel lives in Portland with his daughter, McKinley, and his wife, Jennifer, also an avid paddler.  Henry RomerPaddler, Instructor, Boat Tinkerer Olympia, WA A veteran of all the SSTIKS events, Henry has been active coaching Greenland and “Euro” sea kayaking for 10 years. He is a BCU L3 Coach Trainee and an ACA Open Water Coastal instructor with the Traditional Paddling endorsement. His paddle adventures have ranged from New Zealand to Greenland, and he can often be found teaching at kayak symposiums and clinics in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. His ambition is to become the SSTIKS “Minister of Culture” promoting things like Greenlandic language skills and harpooning.  John DoorninkInstructor Poulsbo, WA John Doornink began kayaking in 1997 when his brother gave him a couple of old fiberglass kayaks. His kayak fleet finally expanded in 2002 when he built a Greenland-style stitch & glue kayak; "kayaking suddenly became much more fun". This entry into the world of traditional kayaking was prompted both by an enjoyment of woodworking and also by economics (outfitting the family with commercial equipment would be cost prohibitive). However, there are many other aspects of traditional kayaking that led to his continued interest. “I enjoy building and using these traditional kayaks not only because they are capable craft that are fun to build, but also because they afford perhaps a vague glimpse into the realm of individuals whose ability to survive hinged on kayaking skills. I use a Greenland Paddle not only because one can be made from a $6 two by four, but also because I consider it to be a state of the art piece of kayaking equipment.” John firmly believes that traditional Greenland paddles and kayaks are not just interesting pieces of kayak esoterica, but are highly effective pieces of equipment with a place in today’s mainstream kayaking. In addition to building kayaks and carving paddles, John also makes much of his own neoprene kayaking gear. His article on making a neoprene sprayskirt was published in the December 2005 issue of Sea Kayaker magazine. John has been involved with SSTIKS since 2003 and has also worked as an instructor at many of the other Pacific Northwest kayak symposia. John is largely a self taught roller who enjoys working his way down the list of competition rolls. However, more recently John’s passion is finding the perfect stroke (and maybe beating Ralph Johnson in the next SSTIKS race). John lives in the Puget Sound area on the shores of Liberty Bay near Poulsbo, Washington with his wife Tess, their 5 wonderful children, and a Yellow Labrador retriever, all who enjoy playing on the water. The Doornink children are also aspiring Greenland Rope Gymnasts. Picture is courtesy of Paul Lalonde |
Mark Whitaker
Pat has been kayaking for the last eight years, and teaching and guiding for five. She grew up canoeing in northern Minnesota, and now travels frequently from her desert home on the Upper Columbia to coastal waters for surf and swell play.