Basically, regarding my paddling, I spend about half my time running whitewater up to Class IV comfortably, and the other half wilderness tripping. I mostly paddle canoes, but I do own and paddle kayaks occasionally. Most of the people I meet on the river either run whitewater exclusively or wilderness trip exclusively, so I'm kind of a do-it-all go-anywhere paddler. I like variety, and flatwater is just as good as whitewater, depending on where I'm at at the time.

I am 43 years old and have been paddling since I was 10. I started off with canoes in boy scouts etc. and got into whitewater canoeing about the time I was 19. I started kayaking when I was 26. Now I do both but heavily favor the canoeing, especially for whitewater.

I presently own 17 different canoes and kayaks, and would have 20 but I sold 3 over the past several years. I paddle sea kayaks and whitewater kayaks, and any variation in canoeing possible. I have a C-1, 4 OC-1's (for lending to my friends), several tandems for tripping, and several solos for cruising, tripping, or just plain messing around.

I publish a Paddling Forecast every year that gets me out at least once a month on something significant. Destinations vary from year to year, but I typically organize a long wilderness trip every two years that puts you on a river for two weeks. I balance that with sojourns to whitewater runs in the Eastern United States, primarily in the Southeast. I round out the schedule with local day trips in my home state of Michigan.

I have run most of the significant Class IV descents in the Southeast. The most amazing thing about the RBP NG is that I have been able to continue contact with people I have met over the many years. Being from Michigan puts me at a disadvantage, but if you paddle a lot you have probably seen me at least once!

Play safe!

Jaybird