Daniel Stewart started his journey with the USNWC last summer in the Guest Services department. We quickly saw his potential, not only as a phenomenal paddler but also in his ability to share the sport he loves with others. Daniel has quickly become one of our most requested kayak instructors due to his patience, keen understanding of the physics of kayaking and level of maturity. Daniel is moving on to a new adventure. This year he will be travelling with Academy of Huge Experiences kayak school to Canada, China and Chile. Daniel wrote a brief overview of his upcoming trip:
Most teenagers aren’t looking forward to going back to school this August. But, then again, most will simply be settling back into the routine I’ve been a part of for the last three years. For my senior year, however, I will be attending The New River Academy/The Academy of Huge Experiences, a high school program that travels the globe in pursuit of whitewater. For the last three years whitewater kayaking has been a huge part of my life, and attending this school is a great opportunity for any young kayaker. For the fall semester, we will be in Canada and later on, China kayaking the numerous rivers these countries have to offer.
In addition to focusing on my own kayaking and improving my skills, I will also be involved with video work connected with LVM, a paddling video magazine. I have been interested in video for some time, and was lucky enough to receive a video scholarship in conjunction with attending Huge. Two of my classes will be dedicated to video and video editing, a tedious and time-consuming process, but also a rewarding one. Video is a great way for our sport to receive exposure and continue to grow; the increasing numbers of videos released in recent years provide an easy way for people to become interested in the sport.
Attending Huge will allow me to paddle overseas and experience new culture and countries, as well as allow me to attend competitions and make videos that otherwise would have been impossible. I am an avid freestyle kayaker but enjoy steep creeking and downriver races the most. Living in North Carolina allows for many opportunities to creek, which I take advantage of as much as I can. There are freestyle opportunities, but creeks are much easier to be found. Now that the US National Whitewater Center has been built, however, I have been able to practice freestyle while we have been in this summer drought! Attending Huge will allow me to do all of this, with quite a bit of video on the side.
To learn more about Huge Experiences, check out their website at http://www.huge-experiences.com/
We all wish Daniel the best of luck on his new adventure and cannot wait to see him back next summer. Should we ever miss him we'll just have to look on any one of the numerous USNWC brochures, posters, banner ads, etc. because that kids face is plastered on everything around here.
