Columbia River Kayaking LLC member-owners

Ginni Callahan
Mark Whitaker
 Andrew Emlen
 Josh Phelps
 Katie Vegvary


Ginni Callahan
 Columbia River Kayaking founder, instructor, and guide Ginni Callahan has built a life around her passion for sea kayaking and coaching. Ginni is certified as an Advanced Open Coastal Instructor by the American Canoe Association and Level 4 Coach, 4-star assessor, and 5-star leader by the British Canoe Union. Since 1998 she has taught and guided during summer on the Lower Columbia River and winter in Baja, Mexico.

Ginni is also a wooden boat builder, and a published writer. Very involved in the Northwest paddling community, Ginni has volunteered on the Lower Columbia River Water Trail Committee since its creation and organized the On-Water Instruction at the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium for several years. She created and ran the Lower Columbia Kayak Roundup (LoCo) for 5 years.

Lately she has been spending more time in Mexico running Sea Kayak Baja Mexico. She also travels about the globe coaching, paddling, and promoting kayak sailing.

Read Ginni's blog at kayaktravel.blogspot.com.

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Mark Whitaker
Mark has been paddling primarily with a Greenland paddle since late 2004. He has built three skin on frame kayaks, carved many paddles and made a Greenlandic seal hunting harpoon. He has about a half dozen of the Greenland rolls down cold and is working with several more on the list. BCU 4 star paddler and a BCU level 2 Coach with a Moderate Water Endorsement. He organized the on-water instruction at the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium for some years, and volunteers on the organizing committee for SSTIKS. Mark is also an avid fisherman and knows the lower Columbia River well from that perspective as well.

Mark's blog is here.

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Andrew Emlen
What can't he do? He can talk to the birds, play anything with strings, roll a kayak, and recite Lewis & Clark journals. Any day on the water with Andrew is an education and an adventure. Andrew has his teaching degree and runs educational programs, including Elderhostel, at Skamokawa Center.
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Katie Vegvary
Don't say SURF, or Katie will be there! Katie and her husband run a small farm in Skamokawa, WA with sheep and a garden. Their son Rownan arrived in late 2009. Lookout, kid! You're gonna have fun in this life! 		Katie paddles so fast she can't be seen
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Josh Phelps
Josh is such a dedicated paddler that he'll even paddle in the rain... Josh is studying nursing in Longview these days, but still makes his way to Skamokawa to guide trips on weekends.

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