Niceto “Nice” Jose Yalan Quintana – Program Director and Spanish/History Teacher

I was born in the small town of Chosica at the foot of the Andes in Peru. When I was nine, I was playing at the beach with my dad and saw my first kayak. I begged him for one, and later that year he finally gave in and I instantly fell in love with kayaking. When I was 14, I was introduced to white water kayaking, and by 18 was honored to paddle for the Peruvian National Kayak Team, participating in the World Cup and World Championships. When I returned from Europe to South America, I participated in several first descents (waterfalls that have never been run) and expeditions in Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, India and Nepal. My love for kayaking was set! I studied at the University of Lima and got a degree in journalism. I started working in a small news paper when I decided to travel and kayak for a little bit .  After spending some time working as an english teacher in a small town in Bahia, Brazil, I was fortunate to be invited to work for Kumsheen Rafting in BC’s interior where I spend my summers During the school year I teach at World Class Academy.  On a personal note, I love to travel,  and am very passionate about photography.

Andy McMurray – Head Coach, American History, Video Production

Andy bought his first whitewater kayak on a whim after a climbing trip in Mount Rainier National Park. Curious about a new outdoor pursuit, he strapped it on his car and drove back home to Minnesota quickly taking to the creeks of Lake Superior’s North Shore. Knowing nothing of the sport, he relentlessly bothered any and all paddlers he came across in hopes to learn how to use his new toy. Under the guidance of a dedicated group of caring and passionate boaters, his curiosity turned to obsession, where he quit his career job a year later, sold what he could and took to the rivers.

Since then, his nomadic journey has taken him and his kayak to places such as Africa, Asia, the America’s, and the South Pacific. To afford both the time and financial means of such travel, he began working seasonally as a guide and outdoor instructor. These experiences have primarily focused on river work but also climbing, trekking, and sea kayaking. Andy has worked in the mountains and waters of Alaska, Idaho, and the Pacific Northwest. This Fall, he now joins the World Class faculty as a head coach, in addition to teaching Biology and American History.

Andy graduated from St. John’s University in 2006 with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Business Management highlighted by studying abroad in both Spain and Chile. In addition to his various World Class roles, he is currently perusing another bachelor’s of science degree in Nursing. Andy has called the Columbia River Gorge home since 2010 and is ecstatic about this new role with such a unique program.

Sandra Hyslop – Science and Math

Having travelled around the UK and briefly to the US as a child Sandra’s family finally settled in the market town of Hexham in the North-East of England.  This is where she completed her secondary education and also learned to kayak with the local canoe club.  After completing high school she started studying a BSC in Natural

Sciences at Durham University, UK.  The flexible style of the degree course allowed her to study modules in physics, maths and philosophy as well as her favourite subject, chemistry.  Graduating with a 1st class honours degree but not much idea of what to do Sandra began a 1 year teacher training course (PGCE) to become a qualified chemistry teacher.  Whilst she enjoyed the year she found the English public-school system very restrictive so began looking for alternative ways that she could share a passion for both Chemistry and kayaking.  World Class was the ideal solution!

Sandra started kayaking with the rest of her family at age 10 on the River Tyne.  After about 3 years of general-purpose paddling, building skills and confidence on local rivers, she started whitewater (or downriver) racing.  This exciting and physically challenging discipline requires athletes to race down a 12-20min section of Grade 3/4 whitewater in fast yet unstable racing kayaks.  Sandra dedicated most of her time in high school to training and racing whitewater which led to her becoming both Junior World and European Champion in the discipline.  Such successes allowed her to attend Durham University on a sports scholarship so that she could continue to be competitive at a senior level whilst studying for her degree.  While studying at University, she started doing more creeking and playboating enjoying trips to the French Alps, Norway, Uganda and an exploratory expedition to Venezuela during school holidays in addition to the competitive racing.  World Class is the perfect opportunity for her to expand her own paddling horizons and share what she has learnt so far in her paddling career, in particular a highly competitive approach and a great love of whitewater paddling.

Anna Bruno – Literature and Budget Director

Anna first fell in love with kayaking during a trip to the Ottawa River in 2005. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Colby College in 2007 with a degree in French Language and International Relations, Anna watched her friends head off to cubicles in various east coast cities before boarding a plane to the White Nile with her kayak for a 10 week trip.

Anna left Uganda one year later, having fallen in love with the Nile River, the luxury of kayaking everyday, and the surprises of working from an unconventional office. Since that initial trip, Anna has spent two additional seasons on the Nile as the Operations Manager for Kayakthenile.com, two summers working on the Ottawa River as the head of Wilderness Tours’ infamous Keener Program, and a year teaching Literature and Government for New River Academy. All of these have only further cemented her passion for teaching, kayaking, travel and the outdoors.

The time she spent on the Nile has continued to shape her life in surprising ways. It was in Uganda, in 2007 where Anna first encountered World Class Academy, and again in the fall of 2009.  Five years later, Anna is excited to join the World Class family, and to continue to learn, teach, laugh and grow with them. When not in the classroom or her boat, Anna can be found reading in her hammock, behind a camera, hoola hooping, or on her yoga mat.

And… INTRODUCING, New River Academy alumni, esteemed graduate from BSU, for his first term with World Class Academy:

Tom Simenc – Math and Science

Northern California native Tom Simenc began kayaking with family at the age of eight and has since paddled rivers in the Pacific Northwest, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Alaska.

In May 2012 Tom graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boise State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. While attaining his undergraduate degree, Tom worked as faculty for the College of Idaho and for Boise State University teaching rock climbing. An outdoor enthusiast, he also worked at the BSU Outdoor Program as a student manager and guide on a variety of rafting, climbing, and other outdoor adventure trips.

Tom was first exposed to a kayak high school when in 2004 his dad worked as a science and math teacher for New River Academy. Tom attended NRA as a student during a semester in Costa Rica.

Other hobbies that Tom enjoys are backcountry skiing, reading, and cooking. Tom looks forward to sharing his love of teaching, whitewater, travel and science with the next generation of kayakers.

Day 1

Loaded and ready for the 20+ hour drive to the Karnali River (Andy McMurray)

Ziggy wakes up looks around and says, “Where are we at?” It’s 6:45 in the morning and nobody answers him. We have been driving for about 16 hours and have entered the Karnali Zone, the largest district in Nepal at roughly 5,000 square miles and the country’s most un-inhabited and remote region. We stop at a small village, the first we have seen for some time, and rub the sleep out of our eyes. Joints creak to life. Weariness gets lifted from bodies and floats away with each successive movement. We eat chickpea curry, hardboiled eggs, fried bread, and black tea with milk. We are four more hours from the put-in.

Experiencing flat tires on the way to the put-in

As we near the river the road becomes steeper and steeper. After cresting a ridge, we look down at a ribbon of blue-green water. This is our first glimpse of the Karnali. Moments later the bus lurches to the side; our first flat tire. We walk for a while as the tire is repaired and examine the snakes, frogs, and unidentifiable bugs that are smashed on the road, crouching low to get a better look to at the florescent colors and black blood of the road kill.

Switchbacks leading to the river

We follow the switchbacks in the road for several more hours until we get to the put-in, a sloping beach of white sand that we drive right onto. The small village greets us as if they had been expecting our arrival. Kayaks, rafts, and gear gets pulled off the bus and rigged for the first time.

It is a short paddle down to our camp on river-right and spirits are high as we take our first strokes on the Himalaya’s most notorious river.

Day 2

We awake to tea and coffee as we watch the sun rise over the rocks of the canyon wall, which stretches slowly towards us. We are getting our systems in place, beginning the rhythm for the trip. A substantial amount of dew makes everything quite wet and today will be the first of many mornings where the team pulls tents and sleeping bags out to dry in the sun. Luckily the days are hot. Maila, our Nepalese coach for the semester and owner of GRG kayaking, the company helping us organize this trip, is pacing the sand near the river. He points out paw tracks. “Tigers?” I ask, knowing that this is a notorious zone for these endangered kings of the forest. “Maybe a small one,” says Maila.

A small village of 10-15 houses provided us some nice afternoon tea

We rig up and hit the river, which starts out with fun warm-up rapids. Towards the afternoon we come up on our first big rapid and we get out and scout from river right. Everyone has good lines and it is the first time we get to feel the real power of the waves and holes that will become so familiar by the time the trip is over.

Day 3

The Karnali is the longest river in Nepal, stretching from its source, the glaciers of Mt. Mapchachungo, which feeds into Lake Mansarovar located on the Tibetan Plateau, to Brahmaghat in India. Here it confluences with the Sarda River, eventually becoming a tributary to the Ganges.

An excited group of Nepalese kids eager to test the gear

On day three we awake to a crowd of children who have come out of the hills to watch us go about our morning. We conduct classes under watchful and curious eyes, eyes that have not had much opportunity for learning. In 1971 the Karnali basin had a literacy rate of 7.5%. While significant change has taken place, that percentage today is somewhere around 50%. I wonder what these locals think about us, with our books and notepads, sipping coffee and discussing apartheid South Africa and graphs in Algebra.

Tristan Gentry showing good technique and avoiding a big hole

Day three has some of the most consistent whitewater on the entire run and the smiles are permanently drawn on all of our faces. We break up the action by stopping in a small village for tea and suddenly become transformed to what life was like 100 years ago.

Holding on tight in Gods House

Day 4

Today we get to some of the biggest rapids on the section. Around the corner we encounter Gods House a notorious rapid with a big hole in the middle that is best to avoid…. by anyone’s standards. This is a big test for our team and we spend a while scouting it and discussing the lines, safety, and best angles for video. We run it in three pods and everyone styles it… that is accept for a pretty epic gear boat flip.

Whitewater continues on this day until camp, giving us some of the best canyons and rapids on the entire trip.

Day 5/6

We take a layover day on a beautiful beach under a rock cliff. A few of the students and staff become sick with a 24-hour stomach bug. Classes are conducted under the sun and we catch up on some sleep, laundry, and bathing in the river.

Andy Hatch goes feet first off this jumping rock on a warm-water tributary

Our Nepalese guides fish with nets from the kayaks, but only manage to catch a few sardine-like specimens that soon get dissolved into the dhal bhat. The next morning we slowly make our way down river to the next camp. We pull our kayaks onto shore and begin unloading the rafts, laying dry bags and gear out onto blue tarps so they don’t become encrusted with sand. Some students begin setting up the kitchen, while others start digging a hole for the communal outhouse. Just like that we realize we have hit full-Karnali mode and all of us have think hard to remember what life was like before.

Day 7/8

We have three gear rafts and 5 Nepalese guides + Joe from the UK. They are extremely competent, hard-workers, great cooks, and big personalities. Besides Mailia our host coach for the semester there is the trip leader Gothan, Uttar, Ganesh, Santos, Sahja. They are wonderful people to share this experience with and extremely thoughtful, often times directly translating Nepali metaphors into English. One morning while discussing teamwork on the river, Maila’s advice for the group was, “it takes two hands to clap,” and to re-iterate his point claimed, “there is a reason that we fry both sides of the bread.”

These days find mellow class II-III whitewater with great camping and thick Himalayan sub-tropical jungle. On day 8 we are able to hike up a side creek to a small waterfall with a jump rock. Nestled away in the jungle foliage, it feels like a scene out of a Kipling story.

Day 9

We are beginning to feel the effects of being on a river for so long, but spirits remain extremely high. We have emerged from the deeper canyons of the river into a wider, more open environment with big beaches and hot afternoons. Villages are becoming more and more frequent and it feels like civilization is much closer. For the past 4 days we had been asking villagers for either potatoes or onions. None were to be found, an indicator of how difficult it is for these villages to grow food.

On this night we held a memorial ceremony for Peter and Max, carving their names into a pumpkin before launching it into the river. Both would have enjoyed this trip and we still don’t understand why they had to go.

Maila examining a scorpion that was crawling in his kayak

Day 10

On the morning of the last full day on the water, we take our time with breakfast and packing, enjoying the pink hue of the mist over the river. On this day we are the big attraction around here and the villagers have arrived early to observe us and then see us off. We have now reached an area with a denser population and even some signs of modernization (we can hear an engine of sorts… tractor?).

Students take turns rowing the raft as we are cheered on by excited youth on both banks as we make our way down to camp. The Thule Bheri confluence adds some flow to the river and we coast on down to stop in an area with steep rock walls leading down the river. It is a spectacular spot for the last night.

The Nepalese guides go into the village and get us a goat, which they set about making curry with. This is our first fresh meat in some time and the feast they prepare is glorious: Goat curry, rice, lentils, pasta, white sauce, and fruit. Sitting around the campfire we swap stories of our favorite moments on the canyon and enjoy the stars, the people, and the night around us.

One of the best parts of the trip were the Nepalese guides; here Santos fries us up some fish-flavored snacks

Day 11

Taking off a river after a long multi-day trip is an indescribable feeling. Those who have felt it many times should feel lucky. It is a mixture of relief, sorrow, reflection, anticipation, and usually quite anti-climatic. One minute you are operating under the systems that we call river life and the next you are crossing a street where Russian tourists in army-green safari outfits follow you with their eyes as they sip bottled water and wait for their ride to the nearby Bardia National Park. There is trash under foot. Suddenly there are cars. A policeman directs traffic with a whistle. Here there are no waves, no holes, no jungle beaches, no bend in the river.

We un-rig the rafts and carry them up a flight of concrete stairs that leads to the town. We pass under a giant sign denouncing poachers and encouraging us to protect our “friends,” depicted by colored images of a rhinoceros, tiger, Asian elephant, and of course the endangered Gangetic River dolphin, the largest freshwater mammal found on the India subcontinent.

Alex and Sebastian paddling under terraced fields

The process of loading the boats begins and electronics are dug out from the bus. Everything gets tied onto the roof and we change into “street” clothes. Suddenly the pivotal moment occurs, which firmly, definitively, and un-gracefully pulls us out of whatever river trance we may still be in, and that sweet, delicious feeling of having escaped the frantic motion that is the outside world comes crashing down as Chase receives a bar of Wi-Fi on his cell phone. Without warning it comes: Obama has been elected, Detroit got swept in the Series, a hurricane devastated New Jersey and the Ducks won a shoot-out against a very talented USC team.

We snap a group picture and literally jump onto the bus as its moving away, avoiding some law about not stopping on the bridge while still delivering a final team photo. And just as the river grew larger and larger upon our arrival, so too did it become smaller and smaller during our departure.

After a 19-hour bus ride, students and staff made it back to Pokhara for the rest of the journey. The Nepalese guides spent another nine hours getting back to Kathmandu. This is the first time World Class has run the Karnali River.

What is Beauty? Well, this is...

Greetings from World Class Academy! The school is off to Nepal now for the second quarter of the fall semester. Andy McMurray, our Head Coach sends us this update from the quarter in British Columbia. Enjoy!

Big water, waterfalls, wave surfing, steep-creeking, British Columbia has it all. The variety of whitewater mixed with the geographical beauty of such an inspiring place made our first quarter in Canada one to remember.

The Thompson River drainage was the first stop in our quarter spent in British Columbia.  In addition to refreshing and honing our swift water rescue skills, the team managed to run three distinct sections of whitewater that included the Stein, Nahatlatch, and the Thompson. With each river maintaining its own unique identity ranging from big water to creek, the variety and style of each run was perfect for getting us back on the water. Alternating from our playboats to creekboats we intermixed various swift water skills, mock downriver races, and focused our freestyle technique on the big waves of the mighty Thompson.

Squeezing in a service-learning project, WCKA students taught local native children the basics of whitewater at the Lynton community pool during the Lynton River Festival. Many thanks to Kumsheen Rafting for the wonderful hospitality and allowing our tribe to get off to a wonderful start. [More about this in an upcoming post]

Heading North to the Clearwater drainage, we left the comforts of the raft resort and settled into interior BC, complete with wonderful mountain views and classic river running. The little known Clearwater hosts a solid amount of quality whitewater ranging from the some of the student’s first waterfall in the upper sections to the technical big water rapids of the lower portions. It’s a beautiful drainage and allowed us to further hone our swift-water rescue skills in a solid environment.

Whistler is synonymous for snow sports, but it also hosts some of the best steep-creeking in the providence. Waterfalls, technical boulder gardens, and impressive gorges entered the mix providing the students with a classic example of Coast Range whitewater. With unusual low water, we made the most of our experience focusing our river time on the Cheakamus River and incorporating a true “park and huck,” which still continues to be the largest waterfall run by the majority of our students. Time off the water in addition to academic responsibilities included paintball, a true team building experience.

Tristan Gentry scouts the park 'n' huck in BC.

Skookumchuck tidal rapid is arguably one of the best surf waves in the world. Guest Coach Tyler Fox was instrumental in providing both the students and staff top-notch daily freestyle instruction. The stunning camping on Klein Lake, an awesome wave, and perfect weather of the Sunshine coast made the end of the quarter one to remember.

Both Tyler and I witnessed great gains in all of the students’ paddling abilities over the quarter amongst the various styles of whitewater. Molding a team out of twelve different paddlers, all with different backgrounds is a challenge, but I’m proud to report that our crew is representing the rich tradition of World Class well. I look forward to Nepal and its amazing rivers in developing the next generation of the best paddlers around.

-Andy McMurray, Head Coach.

The cool and juicy rivers of British Columbia

Flowing from the more arid Eastern side of the British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, the Nahatlatch is one of many tributaries that drains into the mighty Fraser River. Fed directly from Lake Frances and from annual snowpack, the Nahatlatch sees ample flows well into the summer and boasts quality grade III-IV whitewater while other area runs have gone dry. A classic for not only the local paddling community but for the entire providence, the Nahatlatch was an easy choice as one of our school’s first river objectives.

With just over a week in country, World Class has been fortunate enough to get two solid days in on the Nahatlatch, shaking off the rust from summer vacation, getting reacquainted with our boats, and fine-tuning our river running skills. Consisting of a fun upper section and ultra scenic yet committing canyon stretch, our entire class labeled the Nahatlatch a classic.

"Rope!" WCA students practicing swiftwater rescue techniques. Photo by Alex Muck

In addition to the Nahatlatch’s excellent whitewater, much of our focus has been on swift-water rescue training amongst the river’s sections. With safety in mind first and foremost, much of these first few weeks in British Columbia have been devoted to further developing our rescue skills. With such a great variety of whitewater at our fingertips, British Columbia will be an excellent stepping stone for our upcoming trip to the great waters of Nepal.

Thanks to everyone in the WCA Family! And congratulations to our seniors, Ben Mackenzie and Josh Holmes-Sullivan! You both have demonstrated exceptional growth over the years that you’ve spent with us; thanks for sharing the journey!

Just got back to Vancouver and I will go kayaking this afternoon, It’s been 2 crazy months on the States for the first time paddling some of the most amazing rivers I seen (Cali, Washington, Idaho) Thanks to everybody who make this amazing thing call World Class Academy possible, thank you students for your positive aptitude, fanny jokes and good lines. Thank you WCA Staff for teaching me so much and your friendship, thank you Tribe riders and pro paddlers for welcome us on your playground and teaching us so much about your rivers, thank you river Gods. This Peruvian is so happy…
Acabo de llegar a Vancouver y me voy a kayakiar en la tarde, Han sido 2 meses locos en los Estados Unidos por primera vez remando algunos de los rios mas increibles de mi vida (Cali, Washington, Idaho)Gracias a todos los que han hecho posible este increible proyecto llamado World Class, Gracias a los estudiantes por su actitud positiva, sus bromas y buenas lineas. Gracias WCA equipo por ensenarme muchas cosas y por su amistad. Gracias Tribe Riders y pro paddelers for recibirnos en su campo de juego y ensenarnos acerca de sus rios. Gracias a los dioses del rio. Este Peruano esta muy feliz.

- Niceto “Nice” Yalan Quintana

Nice, pronounced ‘knee-say’, joined the WCA family in March to teach Spanish and travel with us up the west coast USA and Idaho. Thanks Nice!

Last day with World Class!! I dont have too much to say but thanks for be[ing] the sickest family ever…. and we paddled, and we cried, and we laughed… and I swear to God I will remember this moment for the rest of my life…

- Oscar Arguedas B

We first paddled with Oscar in Costa Rica, fall of 2011. We knew from the beginning that he would be a perfect addition to the WCA family.

Just over two months ago I was in this amazing town in the middle of China. I am trying to sit back and take this whole experience in. Words can’t describe how amazing this has been.

- Liam Fournier

Liam hails from Canmore, Alberta and has been a major asset to the student body here at WCA. Keep charging, Liam! See you in the fall!

Thanks again to all of the WCA Family. We’re looking forward to one of our best years ever!

A few years ago, Outside magazine published an insightful analysis of just ‘what happened’ to the sport of kayaking. There are many factors that guide the growth or decline of the outdoor industry and we all have our own roles to play in those efforts. Certainly we need to focus on accessibility to the sport and get more people loving class II, III, and IV. However, growth happens at the core and the periphery.

For a growing number of top paddlers around the world, steep creek racing is the answer. It’s not a new thing that we’re doing – we’ve been bombing down creeks with stopwatches for over three decades. This time, however, it’s the international coordination, dedicated leadership and grassroots members all committed to paddling the hardest and steepest rivers that promise a lasting and meaningful future for this aspect of the sport.

The Association of Whitewater Professionals (AWP) is the organizing body for the extremely successful Whitewater Grand Prix and the AWP World Cup, of which the Little White Salmon Race is the first in the six race series. Extreme kayak racers from all over the world then flock from one event to the next: The North Fork Payette, Voss Extreme Week in Norway, Devil’s Extreme Race in the Czech Republic, Sickline Championships in Austria and of course the Green Race in North Carolina.

The Little White Salmon is one of the world’s classic class V river sections, testing kayakers’ technical creeking skills and mental toughness on continuous, consequential whitewater. Each two-person team races from Getting Busy to the pool below Wishbone Falls. The run is a little longer than two miles dropping a total of 516 feet. Spacing the teams at three minute intervals using wristwatches works well for an athlete-orchestrated event and keeps things simple. The time stops when the second paddler hits the pool at Wishbone.

It isn’t just an exhausting and rewarding sprint to the finish line; it is a pure expression of skill and grace with no room for error. The event is held not only for the sake of competition, but to appreciate the unique waterways of this world and to celebrate our own special river section.  Local paddlers refer to this river as the Church of the Little White Salmon.

World Class Academy Executive Director, Aaron “Capo” Rettig had his hands (and house) quite full putting this race weekend together. Over 50 paddlers competed from a half-dozen different countries. NRS and local paddle shop, The Kayak Shed lent support and prizes. All of the volunteers proved that with passion, community and coordinated action, amazing things happen. This is the world stage for what’s next; it’s up to everyone here to push it forward.

Credits:

Event Coordination: Aaron “Capo” Rettig, World Class Academy

Photos: by Adam Mills Elliott and Ethan Smith
Video Cameras: Adam Mills Elliott; Matt Baker; Ryan Scott of Columbia Gorge Productions
Editing: Rush Sturges of River Roots.
Text: Adam Mills Elliott

For full race results visit www.littlewhitesalmonrace.com

Check out the official race site.

See you on the river!