Port Austin Kayak Symposium 2018 Coaches and Instructors
British Canoe Union Level 5 Sea Kayak CoachRowland Woollven started kayaking whilst at school and progressed through the disciplines of down river touring and racing, canoe polo, slalom, sprint, marathon and long-distance racing before settling on sea and surf kayaking as his main interests. Rowland has worked on a large number of kayaking symposiums in the UK and USA, both as an on-water coach and as a principal speaker and lecturer. His main area of interest for sea expeditions is South East Alaska and the west coast of British Columbia, where he has led several major trips, including a 6 week circumnavigation of the Queen Charlotte Islands in 1998. Other expeditions in the past have taken him to Norway and France. Closer to home, in 2008 he paddled three-quarters of the mainland British coast. He finished the circumnavigation in 2012 – having taken rather longer than planned! Rowland lives near Oban on the west coast of Scotland and will be the guest coach at Port Austin Kayak Symposium for the 2nd time. We are very excited to have him and his smile return.



BCU 5 Star Leader on the Sea
UKCC Level 3 Sea Coach
BCU 3 Star Assessor
ACA Level 4 Instructor Trainer
Paddle Canada Level 2 Instructor
Wilderness First Responder
Bonnie Perry is a sea kayaker based in Chicago who paddles, coaches, teaches and explores all over the world. Nothing makes Bonnie happier than coaching and paddling with people in ALL sorts of conditions. She has had the opportunity to paddle and teach in the Midwest, Maine, Canada, Baja, Scotland, England, Wales and New Zealand.
Like her on Facebook at Bonnie Perry Paddling.
Photo: Alec Bloyd-Peshkin
David Johnston
Paddle Canada Level-2 Instructor Trainer
Paddle Canada Level-3 Instructor
Paddle Canada Level-4 Skills
The best part about teaching kayaking is working with people and help them discover new or better ways to do something. For me, I think that one of the most important things about teaching kayaking is to make sure that everybody is having fun. Nobody signs up for a lesson hoping it will be scary and serious; so if it is then you are doing something wrong. Besides, everybody (including me) is on vacation from work so it better be fun or what’s the point?I’ve been introducing people to the world of kayaking for 17 years. I’m also involved with volunteering for Paddle Canada where I’ve been the chair of the Sea Kayak Program Development Committee for the past 7. The committee is responsible for the development, maintenance of the sea kayak instruction syllabus. It’s a pretty nerdy group of instructors who are in the group.I teach for four different paddling schools in Ontario jumping and usually covering their advanced skills or instructor courses. I teach for Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Centre (Toronto) on Lake Ontario, Ontario Sea Kayak Centre (Parry Sound) on Georgian Bay, White Squall Paddling Centre (Parry Sound) on Georgian Bay and finally, Naturally Superior Adventures (Wawa) on Lake Superior. Lake Superior always has a special place in my heart for paddling and doing trips. When I’m not there I’m mainly paddling on either Lake Ontario (Toronto area) or Georgian Bay. My favorite conditions to paddle in are rough water and surf.
When I was 15 my father gave me this advice, “Make sure you always take risks and not be afraid of failure. The best learning is often found in failure because until you fail, you will never look for a better way to do something. The important thing is to step back, figure out what went wrong and determine how to do it better so you don’t repeat the mistake. If you do then keep working on it.” Being a typical teenager at the time, I rolled my eyes but I’ve thought about it a million times since and learned the value of that piece of advice.
I work and play on Lake Superior near Wawa, ON. I am a Paddle Canada Level 3 Instructor and Level 1 Instructor Trainer, as well as an ACA Level 4 Coach. I offer beginner to advanced sea kayak instruction in Paddle Canada and ACA systems.I especially love rough water paddling. I also do a lot of other outdoor stuff that you might see here: running, adventure racing, mountain and road cycling, cross country skiing. I’m based in Wawa, Ontario, and travel all over the place to paddle and instruct.Find Me At: Stingray Paddlesports
Paddle Canada Level 3 Instructors from Lake SuperiorPatti would love to work in the Kids Program this year!



John Tatro
ACA Level 4 Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructor
BCU 4 Star Paddler



ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor with Rolling and Adaptive Endorsement
UKCC Level 2 BC Coach
ACA Level 2 Essentials of Canoe Touring – Solo and Tandem Instructor
ACA Level 2 SUP Instructor
ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor
ACA Level 2 Essentials of Canoe Touring – Solo and Tandem – Instructor Trainer
ACA Level 3 Freestyle Canoeing – Solo – Instructor
ACA Level 1 Introduction to SUP Instructor
Lynn Dominguez is an Associate Professor in the Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Department at Central Michigan University and the chairperson of the West Michigan Coastal Kayak Symposium. She is a strong advocate for “Leave No Trace” recreational use of our rivers. Lynn is certified to instruct kayak, canoe and SUP has been instructing at the Port Austin Kayak Symposium since 2010.
Photo: Lenore Sobota
ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor, with Adaptive Paddling Endorsement



ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor
Kathy Spitler Herd
ACA Level 2 Essentials of Kayak Touring Instructor, with Rolling Endorsement
BCU 3 Star Paddler
I grew up around water and have always enjoyed water sports. I can’t remember the first time I kayaked, but I would rent a kayak whenever I was around water on vacation. In 2004 I spent 3 weeks in Alaska and went on an amazing kayak day trip. I had been wanting to buy a kayak, but didn’t know anyone who would paddle with me. After Alaska I came home and immediately started looking for my first kayak. I found the perfect used kayak, joined an online group and never looked back. Now most of my friends are kayakers and I have had amazing experiences that I never dreamed of having.I have really great friends who have shown me the ropes of back country kayak tripping. I’ve learned to love camping, as it allows me to unplug and be away from everything and really get up close to nature. Once I met my husband, Thorsten, a white water kayaker, I couldn’t wait to show him all the amazing things he could do in a longer kayak. In turn he introduced me to white water, which just made me a stronger paddler.
I prefer to paddle with a greenland stick and have actually built a skin on frame kayak, although I rarely paddle it. Although it is pretty cool, it was meant to just be a rolling kayak, and for that I made it too big. However, I enjoy the traditional element of kayaking and the philosophy of mentoring others. Thorsten also comes from a mentoring mentality in the white water kayaking world, so it was a natural progression for us to become kayak instructors. After attending symposiums and becoming a BCU 3 Star paddler I started working on becoming a kayak instructor. I am an ACA Level 2 Sea Kayak Instructor with a Rolling endorsement. Along with Thorsten I teach rolling and other classes for RKC and teach at various symposiums around Michigan.
ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayak Instructor, with Rolling Endorsement
BCU 3 Star Paddler
ACA-Certified Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor
Denison Falls taken by: Lee Brothers.
Eric Slough
ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayak Instructor
Eric Slough is a Level 3 American Canoe Association (ACA) Coastal Kayak Instructor. Eric has paddled the great lakes for more than 20 years and is the coordinator/host for the South Bass Island Kayak Rendezvous, one of the premier kayaking weekends on Lake Erie. At the state level, Eric is the secretary for the ACA Ohio State board of directors and holds a board position with the Toledo River Gang paddling club. He is a volunteer instructor at symposia, the club level and for the Toledo Area Metroparks. If asked about his favorite paddling destination his response would be anywhere on Lake Superior, especially long-distance touring trips. He’s most proud of his expedition to the little visited Michipicoten Island along the remote short of Pukaskwa, Ontario Canada.
ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor
BCU 3 star paddler
ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor
Chris has been an instructor in outdoor sports for more than thirty years and has been instructing at the Port Austin Kayak Symposium since its inception in 2010. Chris recently relocated to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and is guiding kayak tours in Sault Ste. Marie.
Pam Palmentera
ACA Level 2 Instructor; BCU Three Star in Sea Kayak, Whitewater and Canoe. Did BCU 4 star (leader) training and FSRT
My two favorite places have been in Maine and Scotland and my favorite paddling conditions are lumpy and bumpy.
Teaching kayaking should be FUN – we do this for recreation and I prefer to mitigate risk so that I can do it again! Kayaking is an activity that feeds the mind, body and spirit. I’m constantly learning and meeting wonderful people.
Assistant Rolling Instructor



Assistant Rolling Instructor, and Aluu Paddles Paddle Builder