Paddler Profiles
Here are just some of the great paddlers we have featured in our DVDs.
Jeff Allen, UK
Born in 1962, Jeff started paddling in 1978 whilst serving in the Armed Forces. Jeff has since paddled around Japan, South Georgia & parts of the Norwegian coastline.
Paul Caffyn, NZ
When not sea kayaking, Paul Caffyn lives on the edge of the Tasman Sea on New Zealand’s West Coast. He works as a coal exploration and mining geologist, a job which takes him deep underground in the local coal mines. Although Paul began canoeing at the tender age of 9 on the Brisbane River, he only took up serious sea kayaking in 1977. In the following 15 years he notched up over 30,000 miles on a series of pioneering expeditions. His Australian trip is regarded as one of the great small boat voyages of recent history.
Chris Duff, US
Chris Duff has quietly accomplished some amazing seakayaking journeys, including circumnavigations of Iceland, New Zealand’s South Island and the British Isles. He once said that to him, an expedition is more of a reprieve or a retreat. “Even some of the big trips are just time to think clearly”.
Shawna Franklin, US
Shawna Franklin was the first woman in the USA to be awarded her BCU 5 star seakayaking award (which means that she is qualified to lead expeditions all over the world). In 2003 she became the first woman to circumnavigate Iceland when she completed the epic trip with Chris Duff and Leon Somme’.
Hadas Feldman, Israel
Hadas has seakayaked 600km in remote Kamchatka, spent 6 months seakayaking around the 4 main islands of Japan, paddled around South Georgia, and around Newfoundland! When at home in Israel, she teaches kayaking!
Freya Hoffmeister, Germany
Freya Hoffmeister, the “Woman in Black”, lives in Husum, North Germany, when she’s not traveling for sea kayaking around the world. She’s either picking her van, tent or a rental car to sleep in, independence is her lifestyle. She’s currently paddling 15,000km around Australia.
Sean Morley, UK
Sean has been a kayaker for over 30 years who has represented his country at international level in four different disciplines and set several records in the world of sea kayaking.
Cheri Perry, US
Cheri has been paddling for over 20 years. She’s taught Greenland-style kayaking for four years at both national and international kayaking events. Cheri competed in the Greenland National Kayaking Championships in both 2004 and 2005, in events ranging from rolling to individual and relay races, winning a dozen gold medals.
Barry Shaw, UK
Barry could seakayak every day and never get bored with it. He’s paddled around Great Britain in an amazingly quick 80 days ( with Phil Clegg & Harry Whelan), paddled around Corsica, Sardinia & the South island of New Zealand, aswell as crossing the Irish Sea about 10 times in various different places!
Leon Sommé, US
Leon left home and school early becoming a runaway and drop-out. After a few lost years he became a ships diver on a fast attack submarine at the age of 20. Four years of being confined to the interior of a submarine, he vowed “to never work indoors again.” He went from the Navy to University, to study Biology.
Greg Stamer, US
Greg Stamer is the president and founder of Qajaq USA, the American chapter of Qaannat Kattuffiat ( the Greenland Kayaking Association). He’s a prolific writer of Greenland-style technique & travels world-wide to teach. Greg paddled around Iceland in 2007, and paddled solo around Newfoundland in 2008.
Doug Van Doren, US
Doug Van Doren began sea kayaking in 1990. Prior to that he was an avid outdoorsmen, and enjoyed kayaking and mountain hiking. Once becoming interested in sea kayaking he began researching various types of sea kayaks and paddling techniques. “Traditional” paddling was then only done by a very few people outside of Greenland…
Mark Scriver, Canada
Mark Scriver is one of the world’s top open canoeists. He was OC world freestyle champion in 1997 in Ottawa, and came 2nd at the 1993 world championships. In the mid 90s, he was one of the first open canoeists to shorten canoes and adapt them for running harder whitewater, and he’s been instrumental in the design of several canoes, including the Esquif Taureau ( which he can be seen paddling in “This is Canoeing”).
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