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Coach Biographies:
Danny Mongno - Taking 2012 off see Danny in 2013!
Werner Paddles is more than a career to Danny Mongno; it offers a lifestyle and a family. Traveling in his house on wheels and paddling most every day in the US and around the world has allowed him to add a constant flow of new thinking to over 19 years of experience. Coaching from event to event it is helping paddlers develop a love for the sport that keeps him coming back year in and year out. “I’m not picky, simply being on the water makes me happy. However not to type cast myself, but nothing gets me more excited that playing in the surf in a sea kayak. Figure out how to control a kayak that long, it silly conditions, and you can’t help but become a better boater.” Danny is 35 years old and resides in the mountains of Asheville NC when he is not in the house on wheels. Keep an eye out for him in your town on the running trail, white water take out, lake, local surf spot or any where else the paddlers gather. Bar stools not excluded
Paul Kuthe
Alder Creek Programs Director Paul Kuthe, started his paddling career as many before him have; Cruising down the river with his father in a Grumman Canoe. It didn't take long before he and his Dad discovered kayaks. Realizing he was losing his bow partner, Paul's father never looked back and bought two Perception Dancers, took their first whitewater class, and for the next couple years, paddled the Class III and IV rivers both in their home state of Missouri and all over the East. As a kid, Paul always felt an eq ual on the water, crediting paddling with bolstering motivation, self-esteem, and maturity all while keeping him too busy to cause much trouble. Tragically, at the tender age of 12, Paul lost his father to a heart attack on the Arkansas River in Colorado. Teaching kayak classes and going on trips with the Missouri Whitewater Association became both a necessary outlet for teen angst and an amazing opportunity to start a professional coaching career at an uncommonly young age. Paul came to Alder Creek in 2004 at age 20 as an ACA certified whitewater instructor and worked his way up to the busy job of Program Director. He credits the BCU (British Canoe Union) for most of his modern coaching abilities. He recently became a Level III BCU Inland Coach and a 5 star sea trainee. He brings 20 + years of participating, teaching, and promoting paddle sports to the diversified job of planning, organizing and directing the educational realm of Alder Creek. Building and nurturing ALL paddling communities by studying many diverse disciplines and improving safety awareness has been a career goal for Paul. Whether creek boating, canoeing, slalom racing, or sea kayaking, he feels a kinship to those who share his passion for our waterways. Paul can be found slaving at his desk at the Jantzen Beach location, teaching classes, or paddling his favorite local run – The Little White Salmon River.
Karl Andersson
Karl loves to have fun. Surf, games, coaching... we think he likes grinning at least as much as he likes kayaking, which is a lot. Karl is a BCU coach 4 * Sea and has been working with kids in competitive paddlesports in Portland for many years.
Jason Self
Jason Self began sea kayaking in 2001 when he relocated from Austin, Texas to the beautiful coast of far Northern California. Since then, Jason has relocated to Portland where he has been guiding and teaching sea kayaking for the last several years. Jason is a recent addition to Alder Creek, where he acts as Assistant Product Manager, Basic Skills Kayak Instructor, Guide, and our in house kayak fishing specialist. Jason currently holds the BCU 3 Star Sea award, and is currently working towards the 4 Star and Coach 2 awards. Aside from paddling, Jason is earning a degree in Environmental Science, with specializations in Fishery and Wildlife Science, and Ecology and Resource Management, and expects to graduate in 2009. If you can’t find Jason at the Jantzen Beach shop or teaching a kayak class, he’s probably out at the Oregon Coast surfing long boats, or attempting to land a salmon or steelhead in a Pacific Northwest coastal river.
Steve and Cindy Scherrer
Paddling a canoe at age 10 got Steve hooked on watersports and he has been an enthusiast ever since. Cindy started paddling when she met Steve in 1983 which launched a love affair with paddling that continues to evolve. Whitewater, flatwater, kayaks, canoes, creekin’, squirt boats, competition, cata-rafting, sailing, kayak surfing, sea boating… it’s ALL good. They were co-founders of Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe in Portland, OR and worked the retail/ instruction/ guide scene for nearly 20 years. They sold the shop in 2004 and now work as an integral part of the Confluence Watersports team. Working closely with R and D fine tuning and testing the design of boats and gear allows them plenty of opportunity to paddle. Steve is an ACA Instructor Trainer Educator in Advanced Open Water and Cindy is an Open Water Instructor and is excited to share her experiences of the mental and physical challenges women face. Making their home in Ocean Park, Washington allows them to paddle year ‘round in one of the countries finest paddling environments.
Sean Morley
Originating from the UK and now a resident of Marin Co. CA, Sean began kayaking at the age of ten with the Boy Scouts and often paddled alone, exploring the relatively sheltered waters of St Austell Bay on the south coast of Cornwall, England. He was always curious to see what he would find beyond the horizon and dreamt of a continuous journey around every headland and across every bay until eventually he had paddled all the way around Great Britain. Sean took part in his first kayak race in 1978 and has competed in many disciplines of paddle sport since then including white water slalom and downriver racing, marathon, sprint, wave ski, surf life saving and surf kayaking with success at national and international level. He began expedition sea kayaking in 1996 and in 1998 set a record for the fastest crossing of the Irish Sea in 11 hours 6 minutes. In 2004 he achieved his childhood dream by completing the first solo circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland by sea kayak; the first ever to include all of the inhabited islands. The 4500 mile expedition took 183 days and is the longest kayak journey ever undertaken in British waters. Sean raised over £10,000 for charity and was nominated as the Royal National Lifeboat Institute’s ‘Individual Supporter of the Year’. His achievement was featured in the DVD ‘This is the Sea 2’ by Justine Curgenven (Cackle TV). In 2005 Sean assisted British kayak manufacturer Valley Sea Kayaks with the design of a new High Performance surf kayak called the ‘Rush’. He began participating in kayak surfing competitions in 2006 as a way of promoting the new kayak and in 2007 became the World Masters Champion and gained 2nd place in the Open category of the High Performance Class at the World Surf Kayak Championships. In September 2008 Sean attempted to break the record for the fastest circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. He completed the 700mile (1000km) circumnavigation in 17 days, 4 hours and 49 minutes taking over 6 days off the previous record.
Rob Avery
Rob Avery has been messing around in kayaks for over 40 years! Starting in the UK as a boy scout then a K1 racer, Rob now enjoys paddling with his wife Kris, expeditions, kayak surfing and coaching for both open canoe and kayak. Rob loves to share his passion for sea kayaking and our natural environment; he is a BCU Coach, ACA Coastal Instructor, Wilderness First Responder and Leave No Trace Trainer. In 2003 he left the corporate world and jumped head-first into the big wide world. He owns and operates Kayak Kraft (www.KayakKraft.com) from Bainbridge Island, WA.
Christopher Lockyer - Taking 2012 off see Chris in 2013
Christopher grew up on the North Atlantic in Newfoundland has been paddling since 1994. He has been fortunate enough to paddle with many of the worlds best sea kayak coaches. He owes a great deal to the mentorship mentality of the sea kayaking community. Chris is currently the owner and driving force behind Committed to the Core Sea Kayak Coaching www.committed2thecore.com He holds certifications with the British Canoe Union and Paddle Canada, Outward Bound Instructor, KANAWA magazine’s “Ask a Pro” Columnist and Co-chair of the Atlantic Paddle Symposium. When not working as a GIE Tech you can find him covered in mud on the Shubie tidal bore as featured in Eastern Horizons.
Jodi Wright
Jodi is an avid kayaker who has been actively paddling since 2003. She prefers paddling active water like the Columbia River Gorge on a windy day, or extended paddles around Washington State's San Juan Islands . Jodi started practicing Hatha, Power Vinyasa, Vinyasa, and Yin in the Portland area five years ago. She completed her intensive yoga teacher training in Bali, Indonesia this summer. Her approach is to keep the spine long and the breath steady during practice. She also likes to pass along postures that invigorate the mind and build confidence; keeping it fun on and off the water!
Matt Nelson
Matt has been learning from the ocean for most of his adult life. In his late 20’s he and his girlfriend, Djuna sailed their small, engineless sailboat from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico, out to Hawaii, and back to Orcas Island, WA—a voyage of about 7000 miles. After their landfall on Orcas, Matt eventually met Bryan Smith, Shawna Fraklin and Leon Somme at Body Boat Blade and within a year began coaching for BBB, progressing as a coach and paddler, fueled by the passion for blending his growing knowledge of the marine environment with the enthusiasm for a very physical and exciting way to interact with the water. Since then, he has delved into whitewater, surf kayaking, rock gardening and expeditions. In 2008, he and his wife Djuna circumnavigated the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, while raising funds for an environmental non-profit. Matt has also appeared in Bryan Smith’s “Pacific Horizons”, has been involved with other kayaking films, is a P&H Team paddler, and teaches at symposiums across North America. Matt is a coach level 3 and holds the 5-star Sea leadership award, and has been coaching with for 6 years. Matt now coaches independently via The Fluid Life… Matt’s coaching philosophy (in 5 words or less): Blending Understanding with Action.
Chris Bensch
Chris is just returning from the Surf Kayak Worlds where he is participating as a member of the US team. He will surely have the latest moves ready to show and teach at this years Lumpy Waters short kayak surf sessions.
Teresa Flodin
Teresa Flodin discovered her love for kayaking after taking an Alder Creek Basic Skills Kayak class in 2000.. She then joined OOPS (Oregon Ocean Paddling Society,) and in 2005 she discovered the magic of paddling the open Oregon coast with a private surf zone class. She began working for Alder Creek in 2007. Recognizing her love of teaching others, she started increasing her coaching skills in August 2008 with the British Canoe Union's 4-day "new" Coach Level 1. In 2009, Teresa attained her B.C.U. 3 Star - Sea Kayak award as well as the B.C.U. 3 Star Canoe. October 2009, Tybee Island, GA was where she underwent the 4 day training for the new B.C.U. Coach Level 2. Five months later, Teresa successfully passed the Coach Level 2 assessment in San Diego, CA March 27, 2010 Teresa is now pursuing her B.C.U. 4 Star - Sea Kayak Leadership award. She paddles year round and, as the Columbia is in her backyard, she has tackled it in all kinds of weather. Teresa has also paddled off Gulf Islands near Vancouver, Canada; San Juan Islands, Deception Pass; God's Pocket - Vancouver Island, as well as Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana lakes. You'll often find her paddling her beloved Columbia or teaching a class for Alder Creek. Teresa may be reached via email at: teresa@aldercreek.com
Nick Jacob
Nick Jacob has had a love affair with paddling his whole life. For Nick paddle sports began in the bow of an aluminum canoe with his father on Michigan lakes and streams, however his independent spirit translated into solo canoeing at an early age. Whitewater piqued Nick’s interest in his teens, and he guided his first commercial trip on his eighteenth birthday. Commercial guiding enabled Nick to spend plenty of days on the water surrounded by great paddlers that pushed him to explorer whitewater in both kayak and canoe. After four seasons guiding, Nick headed west to pursue greener pastures. Upon his arrival in Portland Oregon, Nick discovered a great new community of paddlers and great new boats; those designed to travel on the sea. While working for Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe, Nick has pursued sea kayaking along with whitewater kayak and canoe. He has also entered the BCU coaching track. Being in such close proximity to the sea has enabled Nick to make a quick transition to sea kayaking in conditions and made him a well rounded paddler. For Nick paddlesport is not only about recreation, it is a way of life. He is most content wet and worn from consecutive days on the water.
Annette Pearson
Our previous program manager at Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe, Annette now splits her year between Portland in the winter and Guiding multiday sea kayak tours in Alaska in the summer. Compassion, communication, leadership skill and a warm smile are her teaching and personal trademarks!
Mark Whitaker
Mark Whitaker has been leading kayaking trips and coaching kayaking skills on the Lower Columbia River and the Oregon coast since 2004. He is a part owner of Columbia River Kayaking, LLC in Skamokawa, WA. He is an avid Greenland stick user and builder of skin-on-frame kayaks, as well as a BCU 4 star sea kayak leader, and a UKCC L2 coach.
Jon Walpole
Jonathan is a BCU Level 4 Sea Coach with a BCU 5 star sea leadership certification. He is also an accomplished expedition paddler. On his latest expedition earlier this summer he paddled almost 1000 miles from SE Alaska to Olympia, WA. His earlier expeditions include a solo paddle down the Outside Passage, a circumnavigation of the Lofoten Islands in Arctic Norway, and a journey along the Strait of Gibraltar from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean with a crossing from Europe to Africa. He has also paddled extensively in Alaska, British Columbia, Baja Mexico, the UK, Norway and closer to home in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. He has been an invited coach as several International sea kayaking symposiums. Besides sea kayaking Jonathan also likes to paddle canoes on white water rivers and lakes and has completed numerous open canoe expeditions. His latest project is to pole a canoe up the John Day River - the third longest undammed river in the lower 48 states. He is happy paddling solo or tandem in open canoes, decked canoes, or sea kayaks. He kayaks white water and has rowed a raft on a 25 day journey through the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. If he's boating he's happy.
Richard Davis
Richard Davis has been paddling since he was a youngster in both open and decked boats. He has an extensive background paddling whitewater, swift tidal rapids, and exposed open coastlines. As an avid boater/climber/skier Richard has participated in expeditions around the world, returning from each with epic tales of adventure and close calls. The rough-water conditions he routinely paddles have allowed him to try lots of different techniques and strategies and really dial in those that work for challenging environments. Richard currently lives in Portland, OR where he designs and builds paddles for Saltwood Paddles ( saltwoodpaddles.com).
Ron Wright
Ron seems naturally drawn to water. He has been windsurfing for decades; starting on lake boards, and quickly graduating to the speed and jumps of high wind sailing in The Gorge. He started kayaking in '03 to paddle with his wife Jodi (who didn't take to windsurfing). He quickly progressed from flat water to active water due in part to his affection for wind and waves. Both Ron and Jodi have added white water canoeing and nordic skiing to their outdoor fun in the last few years. You might have seen Ron and Jodi at Alder Creek's Paddle Festivals providing safety patrol and assisting with the rolling/rescue demos. Now they’re looking forward to participating in the Lumpy Water Symposiums.
Bryant Burkhardt
Bryant has been an avid kayaker since his first day on the Pacific more than a decade ago paddling the swells off Catalina Island in Southern California. He is an ACA Instructor Trainer in both Whitewater and Coastal Kayaking. He has headed the UCLA Sea Kayak Program and currently is the Valley Program Manager for California Canoe & Kayak based in Sacramento. In 2006 he captained the U.S. National Kayak Polo Team at the World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2010 Bryant produced his first paddling DVD entitled Paddle California. Bryant brings his multi-discipline experience to every class that he teaches to make his students into well-rounded paddlers.
Jeff Laxier
Jeff Laxier is a patient instructor, guide and mentor. Since 1996, Jeff has taught and guided kayaking and has fallen into a passion of teaching many kayak disciplines. In 2005, Jeff started Liquid Fusion Kayaking – a company providing instruction and guided adventures in sea, whitewater river, rock gardening, and surf kayaking. Jeff is a BCU Coach and ACA Whitewater Instructor and former member of the San Diego Mountain Rescue Team and the U.S. Marine Corps. Jeff currently resides on the Mendocino Coast where he has developed rock gardening adventures that are fun and accessible to paddlers of all skill levels and abilities. When it rains don’t look for Jeff on the coast. In the rainy season, Jeff rallies whitewater boaters and migrates off the coast to run Northern California’s creeks and rivers.
Kate Ross
Kate Ross is a picture of paddling and outdoor enthusiasm. Her life is about water with her work at Willamette Riverkeeper and her spare time as a sea kayak and whitewater kayak enthusiast. She is an extraordinary event organizer and has managed 150 people on the five day Paddle Oregon tour for the past few years.
Ben Lawry
Ben has been paddling for over 35 years, and teaching/guiding for over 20. He has taught paddling on five continents and competed on three. Presently he works as head instructor and owner of Kayak Camp with his wife, Elizabeth. WWW.KayakCamp.net and www.BenLawry.net Ben presented at both the US WW symposium and the National ACA Conference. He has led trips and traveled extensively in South America, South Africa, Europe and North America. Ben splits his time now teaching paddling and working with stores. His teaching also takes him to symposiums, shows and paddling rendezvous all over the United States. As a brand ambassador, he is involved with kayak design in sea, light touring and racing kayaks. All of which has led to an in-depth knowledge of instruction/guiding practices and procedures, strong commitment to quality service, as well as excellent organizational and problem solving skills. He enjoys competing in sprint, sea kayak, slalom, rodeo, marathon canoe and kayak, outrigger, surf ski and wildwater events.
Gregg Berman
Though mostly found on cold exposed coastlines these days, Gregg started his paddling career in the warm waters off the Florida Keys nearly 20 years ago. Despite some initial trepidation at the confined spaces of the closed cockpit boat, within minutes he was hooked. Since that time he has taught and guided extensively in Florida, Alaska, California, and Lake Superior including leading expeditions in the Everglades, Prince William Sound and Isle Royale. His love for big seas brought him to California where you can kind find him in the rock gardens, playing in the tidal races in San Francisco Bay or surfing the ocean waves in both long and short boats. Gregg has camped on remote California and Oregon coastlines with the Tsunami Rangers and is a member of the soon to be infamous, California based Neptune's Rangers kayaing tream. He has written a number of articles for both California Kayaker Magazine and Sea Kayaker Magazine on topics from outfitting to surfing. He is a Level 5 ACA Coastal Kayak Instructor and has trained extensively in the BCU system as well. He has instructed with several kayak companies around California as well as the local San Francisco Bay area. In addition to kayaking, Gregg is an emergency room nurse and a tide pool and marine naturalist.
Matt Palmariello
Matt Palmariello is an independent event planner and avid sea kayaker, canoeist and stand up paddleboarder. He is the Golden Gate Sea Kayaking Symposium Event Manager and part-time instructor at California Canoe & Kayak. Born and raised in New Hampshire, he made his way west and landed in Berkeley in 2008. He has been planning/producing events for 12 years and works on all types of projects from tradeshows to television shows. In addition, Matt has been guiding and coaching paddle sports for over 10 years and maintains ACA & BCU coaching certifications as well as consistent personal training.
Andrew Romanelli
Andrew is a canoeist from the bountiful and calm waters of Wisconsin. The prospect of mountains and ocean has been a draw since his wee years sprouting across the pitch in the North east. Now amidst the dynamic landscape of the Pacific Northwest Andrew is loving the plethora of paddling opportunities and developing his sea and whitewater kayaking skills. Fresh or Salt, Flat or White, getting on the water is always and adventure!
Jamie Klein
Jamie began boating in WV in 1990 and got his role in Feb 91. WVU Bachelor of Science grad in 95. Started boat hauling business in 96. Married Cindy in 04, daughter Caroline in 05, Moved to the NW in 06. After a million + miles around the great USA began working solely for Pyranha as the western sales and distribution manager in 08. Since then I have been inspired by the sea kayak talent I have been able to meet and paddle with. Now in a sea kayak I feel the urge to just keep going and going...There is so much to explore and Surf! See you all at Lumpy!
Amanda Cantal
Amanda began paddling in the rivers of northern Wisconsin and began guiding in the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior. Over the past decade, she has focused primarily on expedition kayaking through the National Outdoor Leadership School which took her to remote locations in Alaska, Patagonia and Baja. Amanda moved to Portland in 2007 and has since worked on-water coures for Alder Creek. Within months of being in Portland, she found a new passion when introduced to surf kayaking by fellow Alder Creekers. She loves to teach and attributes her growing abilities as a coach to the British Canoe Union, with whom has her Coach 1 certification and is a 4 star trainee. She spends as much time as possible outdoors and when not paddling, enjoys fly-fishing, sailing and exploring the NW.
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