TRAK Pilot Ambassadors
My introduction to paddling started at the age of 7 when my parents dropped me off at Camp Hurontario in Georgian Bay. This was several days before the other campers arrived. The councillors needed to find ways to keep me busy so they taught me how to paddle and stern a canoe.
Alex is happiest in the seat of a kayak, driven by a deep passion for paddling and adventure sports. Whether navigating local rivers and coastlines or exploring waterways around the world, he’s always seeking new paddling experiences. As the owner...
Mick Hultz, founder of Asobi Master® in Hokkaido, is an ACA kayak instructor trainer, adventure travel specialist, and outdoor educator with over three decades of paddling experience across Japan and North America in canoe, SUP, and kayak.
Cory Jones is a Paddle UK endorsed guide and runs kayak and canoe expeditions in Scotland where he lives. He blogs about his travels on Wee Wild Adventures. Cory is an experienced canoe and sea kayak expedition leader having paddled in Mexico, Rwanda, Philippines, Canada,...
I was born and raised in the southeast of the Netherlands, and I’m the proud dad of two kids (and the lucky bonus dad of another two).While on a holiday in the western part of Canada, my wife and I...
Brad Atchison is a retired senior business CEO, Certified Management Consultant, entrepreneur, university professor, and post-graduate Biologist. He has spent countless hours in Nature as a pioneering outdoor recreationalist and environmental activist to honour and help heal our planetary ecosystems...
Mark Fingerhut began his paddling journey growing up 20 minutes from the confluence of the two longest rivers in North America in St. Louis, MO. He enjoyed the pristine waters of Ozark streams, looking out across the endlessly flowing waters...
Anthony co-owns Kayak ANT with his wife, Renée, in Tarpon Springs, Florida. After growing up in Maine and serving as a U.S. Marine for over 20 years, he was looking for a way to combine his love for the outdoors with his background in teacher education and leadership. He found his calling in outdoor experiential education.
Patrick's goal to complete all the Great Walk in New Zealand had him face the reality and risk of outdoors sports. When on a solo multi-day trip through Whanganui Journey turned into close call on day 2.
Meet Oğuzhan (Osi) Durmuş—a passionate paddler, adventure guide, and nature lover from Kaş, Turkey. With over 16 years of sea kayaking experience, he has devoted his life to exploring the water and sharing his love for paddling.
Greg Weiss has been sea kayaking since 1990 and a guide since 1994, running trips throughout all of the USA and Baja Mexico. He fell in love with 'skin on frame' kayaking living on the west coast while apprenticing at a kayak building school. In fact, after building his first kayak he sold his trusty Valley boat. "It felt more alive."
Jake is an adventure sports coach, outdoor educator, and all-round outdoor enthusiast. He is a multi-disciplinary paddlesport instructor along with climbing, sailing, wilderness medicine, LNT, and expeditioning.
My paddling story began in my youth, with scouts and family camping trips sparking an early connection to the water. Those formative experiences created the foundations for a meaningful interest in paddling, although the rigors of life pulled me away for a while.
Robert is a Coastal sea kayak and Greenland paddling instructor based in Seattle, WA. His core focus falls into two areas - working with paddlers at all levels to help them grow their skills, confidence, and personal passion for the sport and his passion for teaching Greenland paddling skills.
My name is Tibor Kozak-Korbelek. I first paddled in 1993, but have been doing it pretty intensively since 2004. I'm lucky to be a kayak guide as my second job. I've guided for the last 15 years mainly with the same company in Hungary. As a Hungarian, I'm paddling mainly inland waters but go to sea as often I can.
I got my passion for paddling when I went canyoning in Austria in 1997. From then on, I became enthusiastic about various outdoor sports, which was not so easy as a Berlin citizen, Berlin was still the center of my life.
I love the capability and utility of the TRAK kayak and LOVE to talk about the boats and the company with anyone who is interested - and the kayak always bring interested folks around. Work moved me away from the ocean to Colorado for a few years from 2020-2023 where I expanded my water based activities into white water rafting.
For me, Kayaking is all about connecting with the elements, particularly water and having a mindful inner journey while having a great time paddling and connecting with Nature. The TRAK portable kayak allows me to do this.
Our love for kayaking began over 20 years ago. After purchasing our recreational
vehicle in 2018, we were looking for a way to combine our passion for kayaking
and RV travel without compromising the pleasure of paddling a high-performance
sea kayak, of excellent quality and navigable on various bodies of water.
vehicle in 2018, we were looking for a way to combine our passion for kayaking
and RV travel without compromising the pleasure of paddling a high-performance
sea kayak, of excellent quality and navigable on various bodies of water.
Ambitious and dedicated to adventure, Antonio loves that touring with a TRAK can get you anywhere. Antonio spends a good chunk of his time in the great outdoors and is always planning for his next big expedition; in his beloved Spain or somewhere farther afield.
Peter Schoedl & Nathalie Marik
It can be hard to walk away from a good thing, but that is exactly the path that Peter and Nathalie have chosen. They've sold their successful sports medicine practice in their native Austria to be able to embark on an "indefinite departure" starting in April of 2023.
For me, kayaking offers incredible flexibility, allowing me to seek both peaceful retreats and exhilarating adventures. It’s the perfect way to immerse myself in nature while enjoying the comfort and protection of a kayak, especially during long journeys where I can carry more gear compared to hiking.
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, I live in Berlin, Germany. I first kayaked as a teenager on a school trip to the west coast of Ireland and began regularly kayaking about 15 years ago upon moving to Berlin, in no small part due to the 3000+ lakes in the region.
With a strong background in media, Tapan has seamlessly blended his passion for kayaking with his expertise in photography. As a kayaker and kayak guide, Tapan emphasizes the importance of sports tourism in the Philippines, believing it can significantly enhance the country's appeal to visitors.
I live in Wicklow town on the east coast of Ireland. Having always lived within sight (or sound) of the sea I have been a lifetime sea swimmer and more recently a kayaker. My family bought me a kayak for Christmas 2006 which I took to with great enthusiasm. Subsequently I enjoyed doing a combination of skills training and outings around the Irish coast in both plastic and hard shells. My TRAK Seeker arrived in late 2014 chosen for portability and on the gamble that I might enjoy the skin on frame experience - which I truly have done. I have come to enjoy tidal races and the calmer sightseeing along the coast. Now looking forward to further exploring the Atlantic west and northwest coast and islands. With my new TRAK 2.0 and my older Seeker, I look forward to meeting anyone interested in trying out a TRAK kayak and sharing the enjoyment I have been having so far!
Eliet hails from the edge of the Atacama, but now calls Patagonia her home. Based out of Puerto Natales, Eliet spends half of her year guiding clients from all over the world in Chile before spending the (Northern!) summer on Vancouver Island.
I have had the pleasure of working directly with TRAK Kayaks for almost a decade now, and am not shy in saying that I possess the deepest understanding around these unique kayaks. I've toured and paddled them extensively, and I know where both their strengths and limitations are - on and off the water!
Born and raised completely landlocked in former East Germany I have always been drawn to the water, feeling the strong need to be in it and on it. With that keenness I took every opportunity to get out on the water ideally for multi-day trips and first set out sailing and canoeing.
Dave has an extensive history in the kayak industry ranging over 35 years going back to his early days at the Necky Kayaks factory where he found his passion for kayaking which has included touring, whitewater, surf and racing. Fast forward to the present and he is a well respected paddlesports sales rep in Western Canada for an array of reputable brands.
Simon is a water athlete, educated as an Army Aircraft Engineer who transferred into the Royal Army Physical Training Corps and developed into an adventurous training and resilience leadership professional.
Ramon was born in Mulege Baja California Sur, México. As a child Ramon spent more time in the water than on land. Always fishing and diving. With a short traditional education, Ramon followed his passion.
Rita is one of the lucky born and raised in Victoria B.C. on Vancouver Island. In middle school she had the opportunity to try sea kayaking during field trips and decided to participate in elective adventure-based leadership classes in high school that had a large focus on sea kayak touring.
From childhood, Leo has been enjoying time on the water swimming, kayaking, sailing, free diving and eventually becoming an accomplished diver specialising in free diving as well as mixed gas and rebreather diving.
Jordan's journey with kayaking began on the Canadian prairies over 10 years ago and has come to bear fruit since moving to Vancouver Island. The TRAK 2.0 was his first kayak and he was drawn to it for its portability and compact storage profile.
When pondering what would be my new direction after a career in software development and having only dabbled in many outdoor activities for much of my life I decided to take the plunge into a new career in outdoor adventures. After some intensive outdoor leadership training (the 3-month COLT program) on Vancouver Island in 2017, I began kayak guiding and instructing and then alpine ski instructing in Vancouver.
My first memorable paddling adventure was in fifth or sixth grade. My school friend had acquired this old folding kayak that we used for going down our very first “rapid” on the creek that his dad had dropped us off at. Unfortunately, my great hopes for more of such adventures did not come true at this time.
Thomas hails from France, but now resides in and paddles out of Toronto. He was looking for a solution to the compact lifestyle that goes hand in hand with living in a major city, and landed on the TRAK 2.0 as the solution.
Bethany Hughes has been writing, speaking, and advocating for the importance of international connection through Slow Travel for over 20 years and across 22,000 human powered miles. Most recently, she created and led the Her Odyssey Expedition, a women-focused traverse of the Americas, connecting the story of the land and its inhabitants.
My love for the outdoors and water (and an idea of my girlfriend!) brought me to try kayaking for the first time during Covid. Not even a couple of months later and I was already taking lessons to improve my skills, and searching for my very own kayak.
Duncan lives in North Vancouver and has supported numerous new TRAK owners at various events over the years, and enjoys taking his TRAK into the Gulf Islands and Desolation sound for his own adventures in order to take a break from his responsibilities as a healthcare professional.
As an avid outdoor person I am constantly looking for new ways to enjoy life outside. For me it started off with hiking in the mountains. My very first hike was in Indonesia, only for a few days but it got me hooked.
Drawn to the water, the peaceful exploration from the seat of his TRAK and satisfaction of seeing his skills improve keeps Kaz moving forward as life goes on.
Wendy is an adventurer, photographer, writer and inspirational speaker who has paddled around Haida Gwaii, the Bahamas, Vancouver Island and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In 2006, she became the first woman to solo circumnavigate Newfoundland and has paddled around all 5 Great Lakes.
Brian and Liz hail from the USA, but have been living and working as educators and mentors for seven years at the University of Maastricht, NL. In 2023, they set out upon their epic “Bike x Boat” expedition project - an ambitious combination of two human-powered modes of travel.
Kerry Alleyne is a Dominican kayaker who started paddling in his teenage years. Back then, Dominica had a popular kayak race scene with sit-on-tops and traditional canoes. He has always been a force to contend with when it comes to speed on a kayak.
Rodolfo was working his life away, time passing him by, and wondering how to pursue a more fulfilling life. As a sound engineer in the Santiago film industry, Roldofo had both the tools and the talent to produce art that could shift perspectives, but he was lacking the subject - then. Rodolfo discovered sea kayaking.
