|
|
2010 Instructor List
 GUEST SPEAKER
Allison Sigethy,
Greenland kayaking instructor
Topic: Canadian Arctic Kayak Trip
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)
 |
| Picture is courtesy of Paul Lalonde |
SSTIKS 2010 CHAIR
Gene Kraft, coastal kayak instructor
Gene has been kayaking for almost 9 years. He started by building a Pygmy Coho and learning to do most strokes and maneuvers incorrectly on his own. Attending SSTIKS 2005 started him on the ‘straight and narrow’; paddles that is.
Since then he has attended development workshops and sought out instruction in traditional and modern paddling techniques. Gene built a Shearwater stitch and glue for his wife, Karin, carved a handful of traditional Inuit paddles and started building a West Greenland style skin on frame kayak as well. Completion of that boat is stalled due to their work completing a new home and starting a small farm in Olympia.
Gene was recently certified a Level 3, Coastal Kayak instructor by the ACA. He has instructed at SSTIKS, OOPTIKS, and the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium and instructs privately on occasion in the South Puget Sound. Gene has led multi-day trips in Canada and the Puget Sound and while he enjoys instructing, especially beginning paddlers, his favorite kayak activity is playing in rough water: surf, current or Dead Fish Polo!
 2010 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 Award; he is also a Coach Level 2 Trainee.
When he is not paddling his next favorite thing is to teach kayaking skills. In addition to teaching classes for the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society (OOPS), Bob recently instructed basic Greenland Paddle Strokes and Rolling at the South Sound Traditional Kayak Symposium (SSTIKS) ’08.
Joanne Barta, ACA Level 3 certified instructor, Wilderness First Responder certified
 Joanne began kayaking six 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.
Like many other paddlers, Joanne enjoyed building a pygmy boat, a skin on frame kayak and carving paddles. She enjoys rolling, learning to chuck a harpoon, camping and fishing. She has kayaked with the Forest Service as part of an archaeological survey in SE Alaska.
When not kayaking, Joanne is an enthusiastic middle school science teacher in Portland.
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.
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.
 KAYAK PADDLE CARVING CLASS
Ken Durbin, paddler and paddle-maker
After a lifetime canoeing on and off Ken began sea kayaking about six years ago by building three Pygmy kayaks in the dining room for himself, wife Heather and step-daughter Erin. He enjoys all kinds of water, from placid marshes to open ocean. For him the sea kayak is primarily a connection with nature on travels which have taken him to Mexico and British Columbia as well as northwestern states.
He joined the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society early on, taking advantage of the fine instruction provided through the club and has since become an active instructor for OOPS. He has studied with Nigel Foster, Body/Boat/Blade and other accomplished instructors in the northwest. Several years ago he learned Greenland paddle carving from Don Beale, then helped him teach a number of carving classes, and last year taught the carving class at SSTIKS. Ken is following the BCU paddling skills path and is working toward his 4-star.
 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.
Back to Top
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."
Alex Pak, Greenland kayaking instructor, Minneapolis, MN
 Alex has been paddling and teaching for the last seven years primarily in the Midwest. He is active in the local paddling community and is a member of the Rapids Riders (whitewater), the Inland Sea Kayakers (sea kayaking), and the Northern Lights Qajaq Society (Greenland style kayaking). A fan of kayaking in all its forms, Alex loves playboating, Greenland style rolling, and kayak camping on the Apostle Islands.
Growing up with a strong fear of water, which he still carries to this day, Alex has used this fear to push himself to become a better paddler and a more understanding coach. He is an ACA certified Whitewater Instructor and in his spare time he works at General Mills in Logistics.
Marcel Rodriguez, instructor, Portland, OR
 Marcel has been paddling on and off for the last 14 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 fourteen 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 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.
McKinley Rodriguez, instructor, Portland, OR
 McKinley began paddling at the age of seven when her dad built her a Greenlandic-style kayak. She first attended SSTIKS in 2003 and has done so ever since. She first learned to roll when at a whitewater kayaking camp and has from then on been taught mainly by her father with a Greenlandic focus.
In July of 2009, she spent a month in the town of Ilulissat, Greenland, with her family and competed in the Greenland National Kayaking Championship. She enjoys playing a spirited game of dead fish polo, teaching people to embrace the ocean (and other bodies of water), and coexisting with the Earth. In addition to SSTIKS, McKinley has taught at WCSKS and OOPTIKS and has participated in rolling demos at Delmarva and WCSKS.
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.
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 has been kayaking for the last nine years; teaching and guiding for five. From her desert home on the Upper Columbia she has paddled extensively throughout the Northwest, including the Hanford Reach, and the Lower Columbia River.
Pat is a Level-4 ACA Coastal Instructor with a BCU 4-Star rating, who took to Greenland paddling two years ago. She loves to share her knowledge, sense of discovery, and the beauty of out-of-the-way paddling places with people of all ages and abilities.
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 first picked up a Greenland stick in December 2006 and never looked back. She enjoys open ocean paddling in her skin-on-frame qajaq and can be found playing off the northern California coastline and in the lagoons several times a week.
Helen is an organizer and judge for a traditional skills kayaking competition taking place in the United States in 2010. She provides instruction and performs rolling demonstrations worldwide. She has written articles on traditional kayaking for publications such as Sea Kayaker magazine and The Masik. Helen has made an effort to learn the names of the rolls in Greenlandic, and her son, Alex, often calls them out for her during rolling demonstrations.
Helen competed in the 2008 Greenland National Kayaking Championship, and received first place medals in individual rolling, group rolling and the distance harpoon throw. She found her experiences in Greenland to be life changing, and wishes to share them with others. For more, visit www.greenlandorbust.org.
|
