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| Ron Smith |
Suzie Smith |
Laurie Levknecht |
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Co-founder of Black Parrot Paddling, LLC., Ron
is an ACA Flatwater, Moving Water and Coastal Kayaking Instructor. He is
also one of a half dozen ACA Coastal Kayaking Instructor Trainers in the
Midwest Region of the ACA. A BCU Coach 3 (Senior Instructor), Ron started
kayaking in 1992 in Alaska. Ron and his wife, Suzie, migrated from
backpacking, to whitewater rafting, wilderness canoeing, and long distance
cycling before adopting sea kayaking as a mutual passion.
While Ron still does just enough white water paddling to keep his
skills reasonably sharp his passion has become long distance sea kayaking.
An ocean racer since 1998, Ron has won 9 medals in as many races over the
past three years. This includes three first place finishes in 2001 and a
second place finish in the grueling 2001 Rum Runner Challenge, Key Largo
to Key West, 105 mile race. Ron & Suzie have paddled in Alaska, parts of
all five Great Lakes, the coast of the Yucatan, Mexico and the Florida
peninsula. |
Suzie
is co-founder of Black Parrot Paddling, LLC., and an ACA Flatwater Coastal
Kayaking Instructor. Suzie is one of our instructors in our women’s
programs and enjoys teaching students in a variety of situations. Suzie
along with 9 other women completed a 100 mile Canadian North Shore
expedition of Lake Superior in 2000. |
Laurie is an ACA Coastal Kayaking Instructor and a BCU Coach 2. Laurie has
been with us since the start of Black Parrot Paddling, LLC., and provides
senior leadership in our Women’s Fundamental’s of Coastal Kayaking
Programs. Laurie has done a number of journeys throughout the Great Lakes
and enjoys sharing her love of sea kayaking with enthusiasts of all ages
and fitness levels. Laurie is one of our key instructors in our ACA
Instructor Development and Certification Workshops. Laurie was one of the
participants on the 2000 Canadian North Shore Trip. |
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Wendy Beckwith |
Jim Palermo |
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Wendy also participated in the Canadian North
Shore trip, is an ACA Coastal Kayaking Instructor and holds the BCU 3 Star
paddling certification. Wendy is also one of our veteran instructors and
has experience in all of our programs. Wendy has rough water experience on
the Great Lakes and is extremely effective in conveying her love of the
sport and the consequences of over estimating personal skills and under
estimating sea conditions. Wendy also is a leading instructor at the West
Michigan Coastal Kayaking Symposium and the Great Lakes Sea kayaking Club
Symposium each year. |
Coming originally from a background in wilderness canoeing, Jim is an ACA
Open Water Coastal Kayaking instructor, and has a BCU 4 star award. Jim
has taken part in trips from the Everglades, to coastal Maine, to extended
routes along Lake Superior's shoreline. Jim is new to the Black Parrot
staff, but is sure to infect students with a love of the sport, and a
desire to improve their skills. |
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Rob Taylor |
Mark Hubbard |
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Parrot with over 15 years of wilderness canoeing, 9 years of whitewater
kayaking, and 5 years of sea kayaking experience. He has been on extended
open water trips in Alaska, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron.
Rob is an ACA Flat Water Kayaking Instructor who has recently joined the
Black Parrot Staff. He shares his love of the sport and the desire to help
others develop their skills, so that they too may enjoy the sport in a
safe and effective manner.
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Mark
is our "ace in the hole" when it comes to river and white water paddling.
Mark is an ACA Flatwater, Moving Water and Whitewater Instructor and will
soon fulfill the requirements of an ACA Instructor Trainer. Mark has many
descents on rivers in the eastern United States. Mark is also a lead
instructor at Eastern Michigan University’s IMREC Kayaking Program. Mark
is a key instructor in our Eskimo Rolling Clinics and co-leads, with Ron,
the Annual Sierra Club Winter Paddle of the Huron River. As you can tell
Mark takes his paddling seriously and there is a rumor that he has spent
way too much time in a low oxygen environment. |
From time to time, Black Parrot Paddling, LLC., will call upon other
experienced paddlers in the Midwest area to conduct programs for our clients. In
every case, each instructor will be ACA and/or BCU certified and will posses a
paddling resume commensurate with their individual credentials.
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