A Brief History of CCK
California Canoe & Kayak was founded in 1972 by Ann Dwyer as Canoe Trips West. Shortly thereafter Canoe Trips West was sold to Don Thoman, a retired USAF Captain and sailor. From 1975 to 1982 Don ran a low key retail operation, canoe , kayak and small dinghy sailing livery on the bank of Corta Madera Creek in Greenbrae, Marin County, California. In 1980 Keith Miller, a Red Cross Canoe Instructor, began teaching canoe classes at Don’s site. They became good friends and in the fall of 1982 the merger of Keith’s backyard/garage whitewater canoe, kayak and raft business in Novato and Don’s creekside store gave birth to Canoe Trips West/Marin Whitewater. Together they ran the business for three years.
Early on in their partnership Keith sold a beautiful wood canoe for $2,000 expecting to use the cash to purchase more inventory. Don had other ideas. Within days Don had purchased a Used Apple Computer much to Keith’s dismay. Little did Keith realize that this was the first computerized point of sale and inventory control system used in a paddlesports shop and at the time put their store on the cutting edge of technology.
In 1985 the shop moved to Pt Richmond and Don decided to retire a second time from the paddlesports business. He continued to come by and work in the shop part-time, fix boat trailors and share great adventure stories. The move prompted a name change to California Canoe & Kayak, Inc. For eight years the company grew in “the Point” focusing on it’s paddling programs. CCK was the first to invite the ACA to the West Coast and assisted in the development of a national sea kayak certification program. Many Northern California Whitewater instructors can trace their roots to California Canoe & Kayak ACA courses. CCK has always and continues to be a program driven paddlesports company.
In 1991, California Canoe & Kayak purchase Adventure Canoes & Kayaks and open a retail shop in Rancho Cordova.
In 1995, Our shop and program site opened it’s location on Pillar Point Harbor at the HMB Yacht Club.
CCK Staff
Tammy Borichevsky and Keith Miller
Of course any business is only as good as the personnel that run it and at CCK you will find some of the most passionate, committed and knowledgeable staff in the industry.
A team is only as good as it’s leader and Keith Miller is not only the President of California Canoe & Kayak, he is also a talented boater and tireless advocate for paddlesports. As President of the California Paddlesports Council (a non-profit dedicated to promoting paddlesports and increasing participation) he is the driving force behind such events as The Bay Area Paddlefest and the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium.
Tammy Borichevsky is the brains in the office, keeping the CCK machine running smoothly and as Keith’s partner, is responsible for keeping him (and the rest of us) on task! Tammy is also the inspiration behind our yearly Support Strokes benefit that has raised over $250,000 for four non-profit groups working to end or supporting women with breast cancer.
Kenny Howell became Program Director for CCK in 1996. When not scheduling the large crew of instructors for the busy CCK schedule of classes and trips across northern California, or gearing up for his “favorite trip” with a group of high school students, Kenny can be seen training hard for the next WaveChaser paddle race on his beloved Epic V12 surfski.
JT Whittaker has worked for CCK on and off since 1995. He began kayaking in 1988 when he bought his first kayak to go camping in the Sierras. Little did he know that original purchase would turn into a career and lifestyle. JT manages the Oakland retail store and nothing brings him more pleasure than passing on what he has learned over the years to others.
Jeff Martineau manages the Rancho Cordova store. While in the USAF serving at Vandenberg AFB Jeff became the lead guide and program manager for a new Whitewater Rafting Program and subsequently spent summers teaching week-long guide schools and running trips on the Class IV and V sections of the Kern River in Southern California. Jeff was also instrumental in bringing other paddler sports to the base program leading sea kayak excursions on San Luis and Morro Bays. In 2005, after almost 10 years in the USAF, Jeff left his military days behind and came to work for CCK to pursue a job that was more in line with his life philosophy of “do what you love”.
Lai Saephan has been working at CCK since the summer of ’04. His interests include whitewater kayaking, rafting, sea kayking, and kayak fishing. Lai prides himself as an avid outdoors man. Ask him about the best abalone diving/rock fish locations. Lai’s knowledge of all things kayak and canoe related makes him an integral part of CCK’s retail team. Lai claims that any one looking for him on a summer day need look no further then the South Fork of the American river.
As the Graphic Design/Marketing Assistant at CCK Andrea Zihar is able to combine two of her passions, art and the outdoors. Graduating Cum Laude in 2002 from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Media Arts. She majored in Photography and minored in Graphic Design and Psychology. Currently she is continuing her education by pursuing a Masters Degree in Art Therapy at NDNU. Andrea brings a combination of her education and six years experience in advertising and marketing to CCK. She worked for corporate companies as a graphic designer and photographer and has done multiple freelance projects. By using her graphic skills to maintain purepaddlesports.com she keeps customers aware of current sales and new products available online. You may speak to her if you call the 800 number and have questions or need assistance reserving your spot in one of the many classes or trips CCK offers. Andrea represents the average outdoor enthusiast. She enjoys doing anything outside, including hiking, skiing, or mountain biking. She has spent time on the water canoeing in Pennsylvania and wake boarding in Maryland. Learning the ins and outs of kayaking in California is her latest adventure. Among the multiple rewards, kayaking is an opportunity for Andrea to soak up sunshine and relax on the water while getting an excellent workout.
Tom Meinholz has been teaching on and off for CCK since 1994. He started paddling in 1985 and shortly after moving to California in 1992 started teaching for UCSF’s Outdoors Unlimited. There he met his wife, a student in one of his classes, and soon they began teaching together. His enthusiasm for the sport led to the encouragement by the CCK owner to become a certified instructor. Since his first days teaching he has taken instructor training from some of the best and most respected paddlers and instructors in the world. He has combined this knowledge to create an atmosphere where much of the guess work is easily removed from the student. Tom can often be found paddling the spectacular rivers of California and around the world and has several major first descents to his name. Tom’s wealth of knowledge, experience, strength, patience and calm nature quickly make the students feel at ease, gain confidence and truly have a great time.
Greg Meyer has been a naturalist and kayak trip leader since 1985, with extensive experience in the outdoors, from Alaska to Antarctica. His special interests are the biology of birds and mammals, and the natural history of the American West. An enthusiastic kayaker, he is an Instructor Trainer for the American Canoe Association. Greg’s trips to Elkhorn Slough in Monterey Bay, and the Black Canyon in Arizona are great for novices or experts.
Raised in the land-locked Midwest, Marcé Wise ran away to sea more than fifteen years ago, and found her true home. Now an Advanced Open Water Instructor Trainer Educator for the ACA, Marcé has owned her own kayak school, trained Eco-Challenge teams, organized expeditions in Baja and British Columbia, and has been on the California Canoe & Kayak instructor team for eight years. Marcé is tough to miss on the water, with her sunny smile, pink dry-top, purple kayak and matching fingernails. Don’t let the “glam” look fool you though – her “most favorite thing” to do is spend the day in the exposed rock gardens off the California coast, dancing and soaring through the salty spray.
Ben Carroll started paddling canoes with his grandfather on fishing trips. He enjoys river and sea kayaking as well as stand-up paddle boarding. Ben has been employed with CCK on and off since 200l. He has managed and taught the roll class for two years. In addition, he has competed in casual sea kayak races for two years. He’s surfed at Santa Cruz, Bolinas, Montara, and Pacifica. Ben has paddled numerous places including Lake Tahoe, Tomales Bay, Mokelumne River, Eel River, American River, Merced River, Mark West Creek, Marin Headlands, and Sea of Cortez in Baja.
Sou Saephan has been kayaking for 11 years. He started his kayaking career with CCK working on the dock and in retail. He has followed the natural progression toward becoming an instructor and has now been teaching for 6 years. Some of the classes he teaches at CCK are Kayaking Basics, Beginning Sea Kayak, and Sea Kayaking II. Sou’s longest trip was a 300 mile paddle from Redding to Oakland, although his favorite place to kayak is the Elkhorn Slough at Monterey Bay. Out of all the paddling gear, his favorite is his Carbon Paddle!
Marcus Choy started kayaking when he moved to the San Mateo coast from the Sierras at the turn of the century. He became an ACA sea kayaking instructor with CCK in 2003 and was awarded his Advanced open coast instructor’s certification in 2009. Marcus enjoys paddling in rough open coast environments where he loves to play in the rock gardens and sea caves. Marcus hasn’t restricted his paddling to Northern California. He has paddled up and down the west coat, the Eastern seaboard and gulf waters. Internationally Marcus has paddled in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Tibet and New Zealand. While on a 2 month kayaking expedition in New Zealand in 2006 Marcus was a guest speaker at Coastbusters, New Zealand’s national sea kayaking symposium. Marcus also enjoys surf kayaking and a little white water action as well. Marcus also loves sailing and is a sailing instructor for the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club.
Erik Vance is not so much a big kayaker as a big person who, well, often sits in a kayak. In real life he is a freelance science writer whose somewhat weak prose can be found in San Francisco Magazine, Bay Nature, Discover, Nature, and once in the New York Times. He teaches kayaking because he enjoys sharing his love for the outdoors with people and because working alone from home without any outside contact can make one a little odd. He enjoys mixing his kayaking instruction with trivia about the natural world – much of which simply isn’t true. He has been kayaking for 15 years and has been teaching for around ten.
Tyler Muntz has been working for CCK since 2004 when he was but a wee lad of 16 years. His primary focus in the kayaking world is pushing his personal limits on California’s epic whitewater rivers. Tyler has only been kayaking since 2003, but with through the mentoring of some of the whitewater kayaking’s top paddlers; Tyler has been able to progress very rapidly to become a great paddler in his own right. Tyler is a semi-pro athlete who enjoys official sponsorship from one of the worlds best helmet makers “Sweet” as well as being selected to be a sponsored pro-paddler for the legendary Pyranha kayak brand. Tyler can be spotted shralping local play waves or boofing big drops on Sierra creeks. He is also helping to pioneer new avenues for Stand Up Paddling by thrice taking an inflatable SUP down the Class III+ South Fork Gorge. Now a Fire Fighter for Cal Fire you will find him making the most of his rest days on the water or shredding Nor-Cals hollowed ski slopes.
Originating from the UK and now a resident of Marin, Sean Morley began kayaking at the age of ten with the Boy Scouts and often paddled alone, exploring the relatively sheltered waters on the south coast of Cornwall, England. Sean took part in his first kayak race in 1978 and has competed in many disciplines of paddle sport since then including white water slalom and downriver racing, marathon, sprint, wave ski, surf life saving and surf kayaking with success at national and international level. He began expedition sea kayaking in 1996 and in 1998 set a record for the fastest crossing of the Irish Sea. In 2004 he achieved his childhood dream by completing the first solo circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland by sea kayak; the first ever to include all of the inhabited islands. The 4500 mile expedition took 183 days and is the longest kayak journey ever undertaken in British waters. His achievement was featured in the DVD ‘This is the Sea 2’ by Justine Curgenven (Cackle TV). In 2005 Sean assisted British kayak manufacturer Valley Sea Kayaks with the design of a new High Performance surf kayak called the ‘Rush’. He began participating in kayak surfing competitions in 2006 as a way of promoting the new kayak and in 2007 became the World Masters Champion and gained 2nd place in the Open category of the High Performance Class at the World Surf Kayak Championships. In September 2008 Sean attempted to break the record for the fastest circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. He completed the 700mile (1000km) circumnavigation in 17 days, 4 hours and 49 minutes taking over 6 days off the previous record. Sean is an ACA Level 4 Coastal Kayak Instructor and Level 3 Surf Kayak Instructor. He is supported by Werner paddles, P&H sea kayaks, Kokatat Watersports Wear and Snap Dragon Designs spray skirts.
Charles Harris started paddling sea kayaks in 1996 when he moved to San Francisco and decided that he needed to do something with all this water. One thing led to another and he eventually obtained ACA certification as a Coastal Kayak instructor as well as a British Canoe Union 4-star paddler award. Charles started teaching for CCK in 2005 and has taught all the classes offered except rolling.
Matt Krizan had his first experience kayaking taking a Beginning Sea Kayaking class from CCK in November of 2005. He knew as soon as he sat down in the boat that he’d be doing it a while, and he began to chew through all of the classes that CCK had to offer. Later in the spring of 2006 one of the CCK instructors suggested he should teach which pushed Matt even further into the downward spiral of kayaking fever. As a marine biologist, Matt enjoys sharing his love of marine critters and the marine environment with anyone who’ll listen.
Steve Lidia has made it a point to live close to salt water over his entire life. He now calls Moss Beach and the San Mateo coastside his home. When he is not otherwise engaged in accelerating intense ion beams, Steve is likely to be found on the coast or in the Bay – attacking and riding lines of surf, playing in the numerous local rock gardens, flying along with the local currents, and learning exotic rolling techniques. Besides teaching for CCK, Steve is also active in local paddling clubs and frequently attends paddling symposia. Steve is an ACA Certified Coastal Kayaking instructor, holds Wilderness First Aid and CPR accreditation, and is excited to share his passion and safe enjoyment of the sport he loves.
Matt Parker has been whitewater kayaking for ten years and loves his time on the river. His favorite river is the Upper Animas near Silverton, Colorado. He has traveled to Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador to explore the whitewater gems there. Matt recently moved from Colorado to Oakland to continue his music career and explore the rivers of California. Matt is a certified ACA whitewater instructor and loves teaching kayaking.
Bryant Burkhardt is an avid kayaker. His paddling journey began a decade ago paddling the swells off Catalina Island in Southern California. He is an ACA certified Instructor Trainer in both Coastal Kayaking and Advanced Whitewater. Bryant’s paddling career includes former head instructor for the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center. In 2006 he captained the U.S. National Kayak Polo Team at the World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was California Canoe & Kayak’s Whitewater Program Director in 2007 & 2008. Bryant continues to remain involved as an Instructor for CCK in both our Whitewater and Sea Kayaking program. Currently Bryant is on a paddling Odyssey exploring the all the variety that paddlesports and the state of California has to offer. (We are all a bit envious) Bryant has put his paddling adventures and experience on film and has created a DVD Paddle California. This is the first of a series. You can follow his adventures at paddlecalifornia.blogspot.com Certifications: ACA Coastal Kayak, ACA Adv. Whitewater, ACA Swiftwater, Rescue 3 WRT, Wilderness First Responder.
Lisa Ouellette discovered kayaking in 1997 through an introduction to camping by kayak seminar. After finding out what a sea kayak was, she set out to find the right boat for longer trips and camping – and ended up building her own. Her first trip was an unsupported 10-day trip on west coast Vancouver Island with five men she’d never met. Since her first trip, she has week-long trips to the coast of Maine, Belize, Vancouver Island, and frequent shorter trips along the California Coast. Lisa frequently plies the waters of San Francisco bay, the northern California coast, and the Sierra Lakes and still prefers a night in a tent alongside the water to any night in a five star hotel. Lisa mixes her culinary skills with her planning skills to keep her fellow paddlers fed on longer trips. When she isn’t kayaking, Lisa is a Structural Engineer. Lisa loves to introduce new students to kayaking and getting to places by water while sightseeing by kayak. When the water isn’t freezing, she’ll do a little whitewater on the side.
Dave Jarrell is a lifelong paddlesports enthusiast. Dave grew up paddling the rivers of Virginia in the summer time. These days Dave can be found at CCK’s Sacramento Store helping paddlers choose the best gear for their own adventures. When not working in the shop Dave enjoys all aspects of kayaking. Well on his way to becomming a very well rounded paddler, Dave can be seen mid-week paddling the South Fork of the American River or out on San Francisco Bay somewhre between Alcatraz and Angel Island or just practicing his roll at the Sunday pool sessions. Dave is also a student of traditional paddling and boat building and has completed work on his second home-made boat: a very seaworthy Innuit design skin-on-frame.
Taylor Cavin has been paddling canoes since childhood and kayaks from his mid-adolescence to the late adolescence in which he currently resides. The switch to the kayak as craft of choice was made in 2002 once he realized its superior resistance to filling up with water. Having learned to kayak on the wild, rolling streams of the Southeast US, in 2007 Taylor moved to the climes of California to teach for CCK and enjoy the vast reserves of nature’s most precious resource: granite. He has also kayaked in six countries discovering that kayaks are as ungainly out of the water as they are elegant in the water, but finding that the hassle is well worth the opportunity to evangelize about the kayak along the way. Taylor is certified in First Aid and CPR.
By day, a kayaker. By night, a gentleman. Byron Saylors is one of the finest employees at California Canoe & Kayak. Byron has been a team player at CCK since 2007. He shares his kayaking expertise at our Oakland and Rancho Cordova locations on the sales floor and enjoys helping customers with questions about all kayak gear.
As a transplant from the East Coast over 10 years ago, Neil Pearl quickly developed a great appreciation of Northern California’s waterways. Taking his first kayaking courses in 2006, he has strived to expand his skills and knowledge of kayaking ever since. During that time, he’s paddled many miles, from local lakes, to white water, to the surf and swells of the ocean. Perhaps his favorite thing about kayaking is the great variety of experiences it presents. Neil is an ACA Certified Coastal Kayaking Instructor, and began teaching Sea Kayaking for California Canoe and Kayak in 2008. He looks forward to meeting you on the water.
Peter Hargreaves recently joined the CCK ranks and has been kayaking for about two and a half years. He discovered the joy of paddling first through kayak polo, but also loves being on the river and ocean. Peter made the US National Kayak Polo team and travelled to Milan, Italy this summer for the World Championships.
Andrew Walker fell in love with kayaking. He built his own sea kayak and mastered the eskimo roll . Andrew is always up for a new adventure and is willing to explore anywhere there’s water! At the CCK Oakland shop, you’ll most likely see Andrew close to the water helping with kayak rentals on the dock.
Kevin Walker was introduced to paddle sports during a two week Outward Bound kayaking expedition to the San Juan islands. In addition to his trip there, Kevin has paddled in various locations throughout the San Francisco Bay, High Sierra lakes, and the Broadway Plaza fountain in Walnut Creek.
Billy Zlotocha is a Renewable Energy Consultant, but loves to teach kayaking in his free time. He is a whitewater, sea kayak and Hobie Islander Instructor. Weekends when Billy is not instructing for CCK he is usually racing sailboats in the SF Bay or surfing in Bolinas.
