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2012 Instructor List
2012 GUEST SPEAKER
- TBD
SSTIKS 2012 CHAIR
John Doornink, kayak instructor, Poulsbo, WA
 John has
been
kayaking
since
1997.
His
interest
in
traditional
kayaking
began
with the
construction
of a
Greenland
Style
kayak in
2002 and
his
first
traditional
style
paddle
soon
thereafter.
He
taught
himself
to roll
in his
new
kayak
and has
been
working
his way
down the
list of
competition
rolls
since
then.
John has built two other boats and carved numerous paddles. He also enjoys making some of his own kayaking gear. His first neoprene project was a sprayskirt for his first boat and since then has made lots of other neoprene projects including sprayskirts, akuilisaqs, mitts, shorts, hoods, and tuiliks.
Not wanting to be completely outdone by his children, John is also an aspiring ropes gymnast and is fortunate to have several young coaches in the family. John lives on Poulsbo Washington with his wife Tess, their 5 kids, and two Yellow Labrador Retrievers.
 2012 PADDLING INSTRUCTORS (alphabetical order)
Bob Baltazar, paddler, instructor
Bob started sea kayaking
in 1998. Since then he
has built several kayaks
and paddles, and now
holds a BCU 4 Star Sea
Award (old). In 2011, he
attained BCU Coach Level
2. When he is not
paddling, his next
favorite thing is to
teach kayaking skills.
In addition to coaching
for the Oregon Ocean
Paddling Society (OOPS),
Bob has instructed basic
Greenland Paddle Strokes
and Rolling, assisted
with paddle carving, and
has been one of the
Kid’s Track Coaches at
SSTIKS.
Joanne Barta, ACA Level 3 certified instructor, Wilderness First Responder certified
 Joanne began kayaking several years ago while vacationing with her kids in SE Alaska. She is an active member of the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society, organizing trips and teaching classes in the Portland area.
Like many other paddlers, Joanne enjoyed building a pygmy boat, two skin on frame kayaks and carving paddles. She enjoys rolling, camping and fishing, and sharing her interest in traditional kayaking with others.When not kayaking, Joanne is an enthusiastic middle school teacher in Portland.
KAYAK PADDLE CARVING CLASS
 Don Beale, paddler & paddle-maker, Portland, OR
Don was bit by the boat-building bug with a Cosine Wherry, and went to kayaks from there. He likes all sorts of paddling, from quiet bird-watching to ocean and surf.
He is an ACA level 4 instructor and BCU 4-star certified, and working towards a BCU 4-star Leadership award. Don teaches for the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society in Portland, Oregon, and currently lives in Forest Grove.
Beale Paddles was started in 2002, upon the realization that he could make a much better paddle than could be purchased. Since then, over 500 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.
Neris Biciunas, kayak builder, paddler, and dad, Montesano, WA
 Neris built his own kayak shortly after his first daughter was born. He quickly realized that a growing family was not going to fit into a boat barely big enough to hold a sack lunch. The painful decision was made - he would simply have to build more kayaks! This year, his youngest daughter will be launching her own "Kidarka" at SSTIKS.
Gail Clark, kayak instructor and guide, West Richland, WA
Gail began kayaking in 2006. She frequently paddles the eastern Washington waterways and has been guiding for three years and teaching for two. She made the switch to a Greenland paddle two years ago and is sure she needs at least one more of those beautiful paddles. Gail is a freelance writer and retired event planner.
 Karl Guntheroth, instructor, Renton, WA
Karl started with Canoes at scout camp in the '70's, has been kayaking twelve years, eight with a Greenland style paddle. He has built four foam and glass kayaks, and 5 paddles, including traditional, graphite/wood composite, and a bent shaft. 2011 will be his third year at SSTIKS, returning as an instructor and safety coordinator. In the real world he is a Mechaical Engineer, married 24 years with 2 kids - 18 and 20. He is embarrassed that his wilderness first aid certification has expired, but he has over a dozen merit badges, CPR cards, and first aid classes.
Dubside, Greenland Kayaking Skills Instructor  Dubside is an internationally known authority on Greenland rolling techniques and Greenland rope gymnastics. His name and likeness have appeared in Justine Curgenven's "This is the Sea Four", Bryan Smith's "Pacific Horizons", and articles in Sea Kayaker, Canoe and Kayak, Paddler, and Adventure Kayak magazines, as well as his own instructional DVD's "Qajaasaarneq – Greenland Rope Gymnastics", "Greenland Rolling with Dubside", and "Modern Greenland Kayaking".
Dubside does presentations, demonstrations, and instructional classes for symposiums, clubs, and outfitters throughout North America and Europe. He is also an enthusiastic advocate of folding kayaks deployed by public transportation, alternatively known as "commando kayaking." Watching, listening to, and learning from Dubside will get you excited about kayaking all over again.
 Mike Hanks, paddler & kayak builder, Tacoma, WA
Mike Hanks started kayaking several years ago, and has been with SSTIKS since its beginning. He got his daughter and son started kayaking at about two years of age. He built their first kayaks when they were 4 and 3 years old. Most of his kayaking now is with kids, and he loves to have a safe. fun time on the water with them. Mike has also spent a number of years working with youth in some non-profit organizations.
He has built several paddles and about a dozen kayaks and most have a Greenland influence. Mike has a strong interest in kayak design and has a long list of kayaks he wants to build.
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Tim Mattson, certified instructor, Olympia, WA
 "Hello. My name is Tim and I am a kayakaholic. I can't help it. I see a body of water and I get an uncontrollable urge to get out in the water and paddle. It's especially bad if the water is rough ... forget 'white powder', nothing beats the addictive power of white water (as in frothy surf). I am also a kayaking-pusher. I am certified as an ACA advanced open ocean kayak instructor. I am also certified as an ACA instructor trainer, so I get to help other people become certified kayaking-pushers.
"I am obsessed with the strokes we use to move our kayaks. I use a full range of paddles, from Greenland paddles, to single blade King Island paddles, wing paddles, and yes even those new fangled euro paddles. Rolling is great, but it's the strokes that get me excited.
"When I'm not kayaking, I work as a professional scientist (Ph.D. theoretical chemistry). I love science. I have combined my twin addictions of kayaking and science to create a lecture series on the science of kayaking. I present these lectures at kayaking events around the Pacific Northwest."
Marcel Rodriguez, Instructor, Portland, OR
Marcel has been paddling on and off for the last 15 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 twelve boats of various designs. Marcel is lucky to have a 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 2009, Marcel and his family were fortunate to participate in the Greenland National Kayak Championship, held in Ilulissat, Greenland.
In addition to SSTIKS, Marcel has instructed at the West Coast Wooden Sea Kayak Rendezvous, the Delmarva Paddlers' Retreat, the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, 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.
Introduced to Greenland-style kayaking in 2007, Jeanette quickly became attached to the stick and hasn't gone back. She built her own kayak and several paddles which she paddles regularly around the Seattle area and in the San Juans. Each year she and her husband go on a kayak camping trip and in 2009 the trip was a visit to Ilulissat, Greenland for the annual kayak competition. She enjoyed experiencing the kayak culture first hand and participating in several of the events.
Jeanette loves to roll and enjoys helping other kayakers learn advanced rolls. She also helps teach kayaking classes during her spare time.
Henry Romer, paddler, instructor, boat tinkerer, Olympia, WA
A veteran of all the SSTIKS events, Henry has been actively 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. In the absence of real Greenlanders, he gets called upon to announce roll names in Greenlandic or teach harpooning.
 Dave's Greenlandic experience started about 8 years ago when meeting a rather unusual bearded character with dreads and dressed all in black. The guy (Dubside) had Greenland Ropes strung in the trees and encouraged Dave to try. As they say, the rest is history!
As a former gymnast and coach, Dave was drawn to the ropes as they were quite similar to exercises on parallel bars and the high bar. Seeking venues to gain more experience, Dave attended and became a ropes instructor at Michigan Training Camp, DelMarVa Retreat in Delaware, and the Hudson River Greenland Festival in NY. As a teacher and coach Dave found a new avenue for his passion of helping others learn and improve.
To Dave, instructing at Greenland events is all about "Pay it Forward," the practice of doing good deeds for others, always being open in volunteering information and passing along what you learn.
 Allison Sigethy, Greenland kayaking instructor
Alison has been paddling for seven years and teaching kayaking for six. She is an ACA Open Water Instructor, an ACA Adaptive Paddling Instructor, and a BCU 4-star paddler. Alison does a great deal of teaching in the DC & Northern VA area and is well known for her teaching ability. She is a lead guide and instructor.
Alison also runs a small non-profit kayak school to teach Greenland kayaking skills to individuals with disabilities. Visit www.SoaringSpiritsPaddleCompany for more information about the school.
Alison is also an EMT, Wilderness EMT, CPR instructor, and teaches Wilderness First Aid for: • Wilderness Safety Council (throughout the mid-Atlantic region)
 Pat Welle, kayak instructor and guide, Richland, WA
Pat Welle is an ACA Level-4 Instructor and ACA Level-3 Instructor Trainer who has been kayaking for over 10 years and teaching most of those, including 3 years full time as a tour guide and instructor. She’s paddled off northwest Scotland and southern Chile, but spends most of her time along the Columbia River from Portland to the mouth. Her teaching passion is to help paddlers see the ease that comes from proper technique and find exercises that help teach a stroke without concentrating on it. Of course, all while having fun!
 Mark Whitaker, kayak guide
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.
 Helen Wilson, Greenland kayak competitor, Arcata, CA
Helen Wilson is a sea kayaker out of Arcata, California. She enjoys open ocean paddling in her skin-on-frame qajaq and can be found playing off the Northern California coastline and in the nearby lagoons several times a week. She is never far from water and enjoys being underwater as much as being on the surface.
Helen specializes in traditional paddling skills using traditional equipment. She competed in the Greenland National Kayaking Championship in 2008 (Qaqortoq, Greenland) and 2010 (Nuuk, Greenland).
Helen performs rolling demonstrations, presentations and instructs at events worldwide. She has written skills articles for several publications including Sea Kayaker magazine, The Masik and Ocean Paddler magazine, in which she has an ongoing feature. In 2010 she released an instructional DVD, Simplifying the Roll with Helen Wilson. For more information about Helen, visit, www.greenlandorbust.org.
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Peter Gengler, kayak instructor 