| People |
Your HostsThe New Zealand Kayak School is run by Mick Hopkinson and Pam Weiss. Mick is originally from Britain where he raced kayak slalom for ten years before putting his energies into exploratory boating. Mick was a member of a small team that made first descents of the river Inn in Switzerland and Austria, the Blue Nile in Ethiopia and the Dudh Khosi in Nepal. He was also a member of the Karakorum Kayak expedition, The Karnali expedition and the "Taming the Lion" team which made the first descent of many of the huge rapids on the river Indus in Baltistan. More recently he has been getting his thrills in the backblocks of Wyoming and on the heli trips on the West coast of New Zealand. Pam is a native of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and for many years was a member of the US Cross country and Biathlon ski team. When she retired from competition she took up kayaking and climbing as therapy and has paddled the Grand Canyon, much to her satisfaction. But a far greater challenge for both Pam and Mick has been the advent of Liam. Liam is the blond headed kid, now nine years old. He is just going through the Lego phase but has paddled the Middle Matakitaki river a couple of times! The Instructors
New Zealand has a professional instructors association... The New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association. This governing body sets very high standards and all our staff hold NZOIA kayak Two instructor awards. Mick and Peter Kettering have worked as national assessors for NZOIA. They also both commute to the USA each year - Mick to Wyoming, and Peter to California, where he works for Otterbar Lodge and Tarkio Kayak School out of Missoula, Montana. Both Mick and Peter are ACA (American Canoe Association) Qualified. Ashley Cheeseman (aka Cheese) is currently on loan from Christchurch Polytechnic for the summer whilst training for his NZOIA level 2. Zak Shaw is also a Kayak Two and just back from an two month expedition in Tibet which involved lots of hard, big water class 5 kayaking including a first descent of the Parlung Tsangpo. Throw in his trips to Bolivia and Africa and his role in the first circumnavigation of South Georgia and voila..Zak is our expedition man!
This season’s “boatslaves”, aspiring to become operations managers are Leeann Leadbetter from Rotoiti Lodge and Matt Shearer who has come back for another season. Trying to keep tabs on this motley crew is Janette Kear. Janette lives in Christchurch and takes all our mail and telephone bookings and provides the organization that makes it all happen! |