Why Kanu!? Panel Discussion

This Take Out Talk will be hosted by club member Will Gehr and features three of the Southeast's most accomplished canoeists. It’ll be run as a panel discussion with plenty of time for questions from the audience. Given the time difference between the west coast and east coast, this talk will start at 5 pm PT.

Panelists include:

Eli Helbert - known as the canoe guru, Eli is a 3rd generation canoeist who spends his free time canoeing into the most pristine and spectacular valleys of the world. He has taken top honors at two World Championships, a World Cup and a World Extreme Race, as well as numerous National and Regional Canoeing Titles.  

Wayne "Wayner" Dickert - qualified for 10 U.S. Olympic Teams in C1/C2 slalom and downriver racing, and competed in C1 slalom in the 1996 Olympics. He also was OC1 & 2 National Champion several times and was director of the NOC Paddling School for 10 years. In addition, Wayne is the author of one of the definitive guides to canoeing, “Basic Canoeing: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started.”

Nolan Whitesell - is well-known for having designed and manufactured the eponymous Whitesell canoes. He’s also famous for, among many other feats, being the first and still only open canoeist to run the continuous explosion waves, up to 30-feet high, of the Niagara Gorge.

If you missed this talk you can watch the recording here.

Nolan Whitesell

Eli Exiting the Eddy Below the Notch, Green River Narrows, NC, Copyright Chris Bell

Wayne Dickert, Photo by Mike Dubose