Speaker Biographies - Canoexpo 2008, 16th

Our expanding line up of speakers will feature paddlers from all branches of canoeing and kayaking. Some are experienced expedition paddlers with a tale to tell, others have a wealth of knowledge and expertise on their subject. More to be added over the coming months.

Name: Jeff Allen
Presentation: Japan and South Georgia, Two Ends of the Extreme

Jeff Allen is a BCU level 4 coach. In 2003 he established Sea Kayaking Cornwall, as an expedition and instructional based business, teaching and guiding around the South West Peninsular. In the same year Jeff decided to put some experience into his teaching and set off to the Far East, to attempt a circumnavigation

of the Islands of Japan. Jeff was a member of the first British team to successfully circumnavigate the remote Antarctic Island of South Georgia. Returning to Cornwall Jeff entered into partnership with Simon Osborne and between them they run now Sea Kayaking Cornwall, hosting expeditions and running courses in sea kayaking all around the world. In March 2008 Jeff will be setting off on an expedition to attempt a circumnavigation of Scandinavia, this will also serve to highlight the needs of two charities, the ‘Ovarian Cancer Action’ and the ‘Children’s Hospice South West’ www.seakayakingcornwall.com.

Name: Gordon Brown
Presentation: Ummannaq Fjord NW Greenland 2004
A Taste of Salt Sea kayaking off Scotland’s coasts

Gordon is a level 5 sea and inland kayak coach, he is also an ACA advanced open water instructor. He has written the sea kayaking chapter in the most recent BCU Handbook as well as having written his own book

‘Sea Kayak’. Paddling experience has been almost all over the world including: Scotland, the rest of the British Isles, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Nova Scotia, Canada, USA east coast, Sri Lanka, Tasmania, New Zealand and Nepal. Now mainly known as a sea paddler he spends his working hours in a kayak on the sea around the Isle of Skye where he, along with his wife Morag, run Skyak Adventures. As one of the main organisers of the Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium, Gordon’s job is the programme. He lives for his family and all are involved in kayaking in some way.

Name: Ashley Charlwood
Presentation: Why the WCA have torn up access agreements
Ashley is a keen boater who started when sea kayaking let him get closer ton the water that the sail boats he was used to, he ened up with ‘ the worst job in canoeing’ in 2005. He enjoys his own paddling and pushing limits, but is not a ‘gnarly boater’. Kayak surfing caught his interest in the last couple of years and has just got an open boat to start exploring touring rivers with his daughter.

Name: Lowri Davies
Presentation: Kayaking with the Cossacks

Lowri Davies is best known as one of the World's top female freestyle kayakers, including being current European Champion. However freestyle is not her only paddling proficiency and she is quick to note that it is just a part of her passion for all elements of white water kayaking. Last year, Lowri was selected as the only

female in an 8-strong team of top white water paddlers for the British Universities Kayak Expedition to

explore some of the wild rivers of Siberia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Such adventures have taken Lowri across the globe with a visited list that includes 5 continents - not bad at just 23 years old! Aside from her personal paddling, Lowri enjoys passing on her love of the sport through coaching and has recently set up FlowFree coaching and guiding with her brother. Between all this, Lowri somehow finds time to study for a Masters degree in Software Engineering at Aberystwyth University.

Name: Nigel Dennis
Presentation: Trips and Tips for Intermediate Sea Kayakers
Nigel Dennis is world famous for his expeditions and kayak designs. In this talk he shares some of his favourite trips nearer to home.

Name: Chris Eastabrook
Presentation: Young Men Old Mountains – A Kayak Adventure In Tibet
Chris started his last year of university in October 07, having been kayaking in seven different countries, on three continents in five months, he was broke and poor but had had some hilarious times. Seeking adventure has fuelled his enthusiasm for kayaking and having had such a great time, he wants to tell everyone else to get out and have their own fun!

Name: David Fairweather
Presentation: Tales From the Thule Bheri
David has been a keen whitewater kayaker for over ten years and in the past few years has developed an enthusiasm for remote multi-day trips and a love of the unexpected experiences and adventures that come with those trips. Recent kayaking destinations have included Kyrgyzstan, India and Nepal. When not having an adventure of some kind, he can think of no better way to spend my time than swapping tall tales of rivers, people and mishaps in foreign parts.

Name: Franco Ferrero
Presentation: Technical Rope Work workshop
Presentation: Reflections

Franco is the managing director of Pesda Press and still occasionally manages to fit in some freelance coaching (he is a BCU Level 5 Coach). His interests are white water and sea kayaking, rock and ice climbing, and ski-mountaineering. His current passion is a 29 foot yacht called ‘Firebird’. He has paddled throughout

the UK and in many parts of the world including Nepal, Scandinavia, the coast of Brittany in France, the European Alps, Peru and Western Canada.A canoe, white water and sea profie.

Name: Sam Forrest
Presentation: Have Kids: Will ~~Travel~~ Paddle!

For Samantha, life as a paddler started at Edinburgh University. Scotland’s classic white-water and surfing, combined with Slalom and the odd White Water Race and game of Canoe Polo to fill life outside study. Trips to Europe set the scene for adventures further afield – ‘girlies’ river running in Nepal; 600 km of wilderness

open boating in Canada; and sea kayaking down the remote fiords of SW New Zealand. Samantha now lives in Wales with her two children, aged 3 and 7, and supports her husband Chris behind the scenes with running his guiding and instructional business ‘Inspirational Coaching’ (www.inspirational-coaching.com). Before he turned four the eldest child had wilderness canoe trips in Scotland, Finland, Norway and Sweden and Canada under his belt, proving that the arrival of children opens the door to a whole world of new adventures.

Name: Derek Hairon
Presentation: Sit on Top Kayaking - Safety & Rescue for Beginners
Author of Sit-on-Top Kayak a Beginner's Manual. British Canoe Union Level 5 Sea Kayak Coach and Director of Jersey Kayak Adventures Ltd, one of the leading specialist sit-on-top kayak outfitters in the United Kingdom. Derek has kayaked for over forty years. He first learned to kayak around the incredible coastline of Jersey in the Channel Islands (which has some of the largest tides in the world) after his father built him a sit-on-top kayak. He has undertaken many kayak expeditions, most notably a circumnavigation of Ireland in fifty-eight days and expeditions to Alaska, Canada, as well as whitewater kayaking in Nepal. Closer to home he has paddled extensively in the Channel Islands including thirty-five mile open crossings. He has kayaked most of the best coastal spots in the UK. In his younger days he was a member of the Jersey surf kayak team and has been active in coaching sea kayaking in Jersey. Active in other sports too, he undertook a 12,000 mile cycle tour in 1984 and also is a keen skier and walker. In 2004 he set up Jersey Kayak Adventures to offer tours and courses to cater for the growth in this popular sport."

Name: Leo Hoare
Presentation: Fresh Fish & Icebergs - A humorous account of a kayak expedition to South East Greenland.
Presentation: Rio Grande & Easter Island - A canoe, white water and sea profile.

Leo is www.getafix.com, a level 5 coach and loves paddling. Leo is the co-creator of the sea kayak safety dvd and has contributed chapters to the canoe kayak handbook and the coaching handbook. He has had fun

paddling in Greenland, Tasmania, New Zealand, Scandinavia, China, Africa, Chile, Mexico, Europe, Canada and the States.

Name: Steve Horvath
Presentation: Cutting Edge Paddle Design - Learning what to look for in your new paddle.

A prolific designer, Steve has been the driving force behind many of the most unique product offerings seen in the paddlesports market. He is currently Project Manager for H2O Paddles and is not only responsible for all aspects of the H2O brand but is also the designer behind this unique product line. With over 13 years

industry experience in development and design, for various projects from paddles to boats, Steve has become a leader in innovation within the community. Driven by a passion for boating spanning almost 15 years his enthusiasm for the technical aspects of paddle gear will provide you with a deeper understanding of how various products work the way they do.

Name: Terry Kinsella
Presentation: Grand Canyon of the Zanskar Youth Expedition
Terry Kinsella, is Paddlesports Manager at the West Reservoir Centre another London Youth Boating Centre. Both have been working in the outdoor industry for many years.

Name: Andrew 'Jacko' Jackson

Presentation: Video Analysis - Things to make you a better Whitewater Paddler

Andy Jackson is well known around the world for coaching freestyle and whitewater canoeing. His accolades include being on the British team, coaching the British National freestyle team, coaching the Swedish National freestyle teams and bringing through many internationally recognized paddlers including world champions. Jacko has been involved with heaps of whitewater paddling around the world. He is a BCU Level 5 Coach and works as lead coach at top coaching and trip providers Kayakojacko. He runall courses to develop

paddlers from beginner to advance as well as coach education programs

Name: Terry Jackson & Kevin Ashton - North Wales Kayak Fishing

Presentation: Fishing from a Sit on top Kayak - Getting started
Presentation: Outfitting your Sit on Top for Fishing
North Wales kayak fishing the UKs biggest and oldest kayak fishing Website and forum .The aim of the website and forum is to share information on all aspects of kayak fishing, the kayaks the kit and the safety.

So whether you are a novice or experienced kayak fisherman you will find much to interest in both the website and forum. It is our aim to make kayak fishing as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Name: Pete Knowles
Presentation: Warm Water, Vin Rouge, and Easy Rivers

Peter Knowles is one of Britain’s most experienced expedition white water kayakers and has led over 50 expeditions and first descents in many different countries. His first big expedition was an early descent of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado where he was run over by a huge 33ft motorised rafts on one of the big

rapids. Then in 1979 he led the first reconnaissance expedition to Canada’s Grand Canyon of the Stikine He is the acknowledged authority on Himalayan rivers, author of ‘White Water Nepal’, and a consultant on rafting and adventure tourism. Pete modestly says he just enjoys paddling rivers – In the last three years he has led paddling trips to Tibet, Sikkim, Nepal, the North West Territories, Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan – he says a personal high point was paddling the Rombuk Chhu from Everest Base Camp at 5100m.

Name: Ben Lawry
Presentation: Dry Land Rolling

Teaching, racing, or playing on the water, Ben does it all – kayaks, canoes Ben travels the US from FL to WA teaching and helping paddlers develop their skills and styles in Sea, White Water and Surf kayaks. He has been paddling and racing for over 30 years, teaching over 20. Ben is an ACA IT in three disciplines and

Chairman of the Surf Committee. Ben races kayaks and canoes when his schedule allows, this year winning the Adirondack Challenge. He aids P&H with their kayak designs, planning and outfitting. When not paddling he enjoys running and biking.

Name: Dave Manby
Presentation: Dudh Kosi - Relentless River of Everest
Dave Manby arrived on the 1976 Dudh Kosi expedition late when he made an innocent phone call asking Mike Jones if he was going to the Austrian Alps again. Mike's replied by asking if he wanted to go to Nepal as

well. An answer of "Yes" meant that Dave's life changed completely and Kayaking took over and expeditions to Venezuela, Pakistan, British Columbia, Morocco, Turkey and Iran followed. After Mike's death on the

Braldu River in Pakistan, Dave set up and ran the Mike Jones Rally in Llangollen for ten years. Dave is chair of the BCU Safety and Expeditions committees. He also edited and published a book of white-water kayaking stories "Many River's to Run." and has recently re-mastered, added bonus tracks and re-released the original, award winning film, "Dudh Kosi - Relentless River of Everest".

Name: Danny Mongno
Presentation: Low Angle vs High Angle Paddling

The role of Field Marketing for Werner Paddles allows Danny Mongno plenty of time on the water. Based on the east coast of the United States living out of the Werner Paddles R.V., he travels extensively teaching from symposium to symposium and working with paddlers to better understand the magic a Werner Paddle

can create on the water. A paddler for over 16 years it was not the search for a career that landed Danny where he is, it is his passion for paddling and the outdoors. An amazing lifestyle and the chance to be a part of the Werner Paddles family.

Name: Keith Morris
Presentation: Sailing your Canoe - The options

Messing about in boats is very much part of Keith’s life. He has paddled and/or sailed boats as much as he can, in roughly equal measure, both in his professional and recreational life, in the UK, Europe and the USA. A BCU Level 5 Coach as well as a Royal Yachting Association Senior Instructor he is a founder member of the Open Canoe Sailing Group, which is a club started in 1990 for those interested in adding a sail to their canoe. He is currently OCSG Training Advisor as well as Commodore and contributed the “Canoe Sailing” chapter to

the BCU ‘Canoe and Kayak Handbook’. He also nurses a 25 year old VW campervan along to get to nice parts of the UK and Europe as well as doing a bit of running and biking.

Name: Duncan Murrell
Peresentation: Paddling with Humpback Whales in Alaska

Duncan is an award-winning nature photographer who specialises in using a sea kayak to explore and photograph some of the wildest regions on earth. He has spent over twenty years photographing humpback whales in Alaska, earning him the title of “the Whaleman”. His work has appeared in many publications

including BBC Wildlife Magazine and National Geographic, and one of his whale photos won the mammal category of the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition in 2002.Recent trips include kayaking up the exposed east coast of Madagascar and around the beautiful island of Palawan in the Philippines. The main focus of his work now is to use his photos for environmental presentations in schools to educate children about the urgent need to protect the marine environment, coral reefs, mangroves, rainforests etc.

Name: Dennis Newton
Presentation: Mental Rehearsal for Whitewater
Dennis is Kayakojackos coaching director and lives for white water. When he's not exploring for the ultimate run, he's sure to be coaching other paddlers. Dennis is a leading coach in both freestyle and riverrunning and has coached numerous freestyle athletes home and abroad. Some have gone on to be successful on the European and World circuit. He's is a pioneering river coach who has developed cutting edge steep creeking courses for age 13 upwards that insure our new generation of young guns make it to be big guns.

Name: Mark Nichols
Presentation: The Nahanni or The Mountain River - which is Canada’s Best Open Canoe trip?
Award winning photographer, Mark Nichols takes us on a light-hearted look at two of Canada's top white water open canoe trips.

Name: Simon Osbourne
Presentation: Circumnavigation of Madagaskar - The story so Far
Simon has just returned from the first attempted circumnavigation of Madagascar – 2000 miles of tropical seas, crocodiles, sharks, and some amazing adventures! He has led numerous expeditions.

Name: Eddie Palmer
Presentation: Best Open Canoe Trips in Scotland
Since 2004, Eddie has been responsible for access on the board of directors in the SCA. Completing
several cross-Scotland trips by open canoe in the last 10 years, and co-writing and editing “Scottish Canoe Touring 2005, and wrote “Scottish Canoe Classics” published 2007. Currently working on “Irish Canoe Classics”.

Name: Deb Pinniger
Presentation: Paddling in Darkest Africa

Deb Pinniger has been kayaking for over twenty years and has spent the last twelve years guiding and competing throughout the world full time. Twice world freestyle champion, European and British Champion. Deb has also competed in many extreme races all over the word. Deb has participated in dozens

of wilderness and whitewater expeditions all over the word in places like Iran, Patagonia, Alaska, Gabon and New Zealand, thus making her one of the world’s leading female expedition paddlers. Deb also works as a kayak teacher and guide and is a BCU level four coach and a wilderness EMT, she takes great interest in increasing her knowledge in wilderness medicine and safety and sharing it with others. Deb also works with groups of youngsters, taking them to places like Africa and Europe on kayak expeditions. Deb is also a photographer, writer and author, having contributed to many outdoor magazines, newspapers and book publications.

ollie-square%20new.gif Name: Olly Sanders
Presentation: Expeditioning around the World

A B.C.U L5 sea coach and a A.C.A Open water instructor, Olly has been guiding and coaching for over 20 years running courses and trips all over the world. He worked for 10 years at Plas –y-Brenin the National centre and ran the Rescue department working on the sea and in the mountains. Olly also holds the highest

British Mountaineering qualification and was Nominated in 2003 for the Piolet D, Or mountaineering most prestigious climbing award for first ascents in Alaska. He has been expeditioning for over 20 years be it on the Sea or Mountains and has had success and failures in India, Greenland, Patagonia, Alaska, Nordkapp, Peru and Canada.

Name: Simon Westgarth
Presentation: Dynamic Lines for White Water Kayaking

Simon is Gene17’s founder and mission director. Don’t take that to mean he’s a desk-jockey, though, as Simon’s happiest when he’s out on the water teaching the modern dynamic paddling style for white water kayaking. Hailing from Devon, Simon’s travelled the world and visited every continent (except Antarctica!) in the search of the perfect river. Freestyler, adventure paddler and one of Europe’s most progressive coaches,

he’s also made a number of critically acclaimed paddling videos. And, of course, he makes a top notch Tortiglionoi del pomodori.

Name: Simon Willis
Presentation: The Canoe Boys - Then and Now
Presentation: Across the Arctic Circle
Thousands of sea kayakers around the world know Simon's voice from his podcasting website SeaKayakRoutes.com, and through his work as a correspondent with the BBC. While tackling a series of unclimbed peaks in Alaska, Simon met his wife Liz and together they hiked the 2,500 mile wilderness Pacific Crest Trail in 2002. Then they turned to sea kayaking and became passionate advocates for the sport. They live and kayak on Scotland’s west coast.

Name: Stuart Woodwood
Prsentation: Sun, Fun and Easy White Water in the French Alps

Stuart Woodward brings with him many years experience of boating in Europe and around the world, having taken part in Expeditions and trips to the Himalayas, North America and North Africa. However Stuart’s first boating experiences were far from the mountains. For many years he paddled in racing K1 and K2. He completed the Devices to Westminster race three times, plus a whole host of other races such as the Exe

Descent and the Waterside Series before discovering the fast flowing rivers of Dartmoor and North Wales.

After many trips to the French Alps he set up his own alpine kayak school - Canoe Control. Along with Rob Hind, Dave Mamby and Mike Hewlett he helped train the British Youth Team (innovated by Ben Love) for their trip to the Colorado Grand Canyon in 1992. He gained professional Alpine Guide status in 1995 and became a BCU Level 5 coach and Level 5 Assessor in 1999. In 2001 he was pleased to be invited to become a member of the AKC (Alpine Kayak Club). All together he has racked up some 20+ years of coaching experience. He

says his greatest kayaking adventure to date was the first complete descent of the Tuhli Berhi and Berhi River in Nepal in 1996. His favourite rivers in the world are the Guil (French Alps), Karnali (Nepal), Karli Sadha (India) and the Upper Dart (UK). His most favorite place in the world still is the Southern French Alps, where he has spent the last 17 summers.

Name: Jed Yarnold
Presentation: Tarpology

Jed has a background in forestry, as a National Park Ranger and is well travelled as a result of a military career, serving in the Parachute regiment, Ghurkhas and the RAF Regt. His company True North Outdoor provides tailor-made canoe journeys at home and abroad for people from all walks of life, from novice to expert. Jed is a dedicated outdoorsman, coach and wilderness canoeist and has led numerous expeditions. These include guiding a number of trips in Canada, a raft expedition in Brunei with a ramble up Mt Kinabalu, exploring the Florida mangroves by canoe and taking part in a descent of the infamous South Nahanni in

the Canadian NW Territories. During his varied career, an abiding theme has been a fascination with the natural world, low-tech skills, canoeing, wilderness living and survival.