The PaddlerUK magazine March 2015 issue 1 | Page 60

ThePaddler 60

What are your goals for the next
12 months?
Have you ever been scared and
if not – what would it take?
I get scared on the river all the time, its all part of
the fun!

Any advice for those starting
extreme kayaking?
Get with a good crowd of competent boaters and
get amongst it as much as you can!

Competition or river running –
which gives the most
satisfaction?
Winning a competition for sure! Nailing a rapid is
sweet but nailing a rapid quicker than everybody
else is super satisfying.

When preparing for an
expedition to a far away place in
challenging conditions – what
are the qualities you look for in a
fellow kayaker?
They have to be good mates, good paddlers,
organized and quick at getting ready. Faff is the
enemy!

West coast camp

I’m aiming to hit the Little White Race this year and
spend more time in the States, improve on eighth
place (from 2014) at the North Fork Race and
another Sickline title.

Where do you see yourself in
20 years?
Hopefully still getting at it and living the dream –
possibly with a family.

Besides kayaking, what other
sports do you pursue?
I still ride MTB and love to surf. I’ve been getting
into SUP surfing – it’s epic!

Can you talk about your training?
Greatest inspiration? Who/what
kept you motivated?
My old man is a great inspiration to me, he’s still
super fit and trains pretty hard. I get a kick out of
pushing myself physically and love competition so I
find it easy to be motivated. I guess I just want to
beat everyone – all the time.

I’m a paddler and looking for the
perfect river, where would you
recommend?
That depends on what kind of water your into, big
volume? Steep? Gorge? Scenic? I’d probably say get
yourself to Norway, there is so
much good stuff, huge variety and
compact!

What river would be
on your bucket list?
I really want to get down the
Zam – before the damn dam!

Chilling down under