A Few Competitor Biographies for the 2003 Kayak Surf Festival

Open Expert Category

Group A: Surfers Who Have Already Made the US Team

WOMEN

@2001 Gary Luhm

Gina Troiani of San Francisco, is a Firefighter/Paramedic with the San Francisco Fire Department. After only two years of surf kayaking, Gina won the women’s 2001 World Championship title for International Classic and took second in High Performance. She is currently ranked first in the women’s west coast standings for both High Performance and International Classic. She elected to take her 2003 US West Team position in the High Performance event.

 
(Not entered in contest as of 3/2/03) Rachel Smith of El Granada, California, is a resource specialist teacher in Half Moon Bay and also teaches kayaking. Rachel was a member of the 2001 U.S. Surf Kayak Team and took fourth in the world in the International Classic category. Rachel is an avid sea kayaker and also enjoys river kayaking and boardsurfing. She is currently ranked second in the women’s standings for International and third for High Performance. She has earned a spot on the team in the Women’s International event.

MEN

Pacific Fleet

Dick Wold of McKinleyville, California, teaches kayaking at Humboldt State University, and designs, builds and sells his own line of WoldSki kayaks and waveskis. He began kayaking in 1979 and has competed in many waveski and kayak events, claiming the World Surf Kayak Champion title in 1993. Dick has been on the U.S. Surf Kayak Team since 1991. For the past six years he has organized and hosted the Mad River Surf Kayak Festival in September, which was one of the qualifying events for the 2003 U.S. Team. Currently, Wold is second in the standings for International Classic and fifth in High Performance. He has earned a spot on the 2003 team in the Men’s International category.

@2001 Gary Luhm

Jeff Burlingham of Arcata, California, is a cameraperson and runs his own video business. He was a member of the U.S. Surf Kayak Team in 2001 and helped the team to a second place finish. Jeff is currently ranked second in the west coast standings for the High Performance category, and has earned a spot on the 2003 team for this event.

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Dave Johnston, owner of Venture Quest Kayaks in Santa Cruz, has already secured a place on the U.S. West Team in the International Classic category by garnering the highest points from his top four finishes in surf kayak contests held in San Diego, Ventura, Arcata, Pismo Beach and Santa Cruz during 2002 and early 2003. Dave is also the 2002 National Champion in the International Classic event. Dave took third place in High Performance in the 2001 Worlds and was the International class world champion in 1999. Johnston has been a member of the U.S. Surf Kayak Team since 1993.

Group B: Surfers Who Are Not Competing for Spot on Team

@2001 Gary Luhm

Ken King of Mill Valley, California, is the reigning world champion in both the men’s High Performance and International Classic events, having won both individual events at the 2001 Worlds in Santa Cruz. He also won the men’s High Performance world title in 1999. Ken is a computer programmer and enjoys traveling to surf. He has competed as a U.S. Team Member in Costa Rica, Scotland, Brazil and the United States. Ken is currently ranked fifth in the International Classic west coast standings and ninth in High Performance. He is not competing in the team trials this year, but will be the one to beat in the open events.

Team Trials Competitors

MEN

@2001 Gary Luhm

Vince Shay of Shell Beach, California is a landscape contractor and accomplished photographer. Vince is two-time winner of the National Paddling Film Festival for his surf kayaking adventure documentaries. He is currently ranked first in the men's west coast standings for High Performance. He has earned a spot on the team in the in the Men's High Performance event.

@ - Adventure Sports

Dennis Judson of Santa Cruz is owner of Adventure Sports Unlimited in Santa Cruz and is the sponsor and organizer of the Santa Cruz Kayak Surf Festival. Dennis is currently third in the International standings and eleventh in High Performance. He placed third in the Master’s International class at the 2001 Worlds and was a member of the 1995, 1997 and 1999 U.S. Teams.

@ - Adventure Sports

Rick Starr of La Selva Beach, California, is a marine biologist and Sea Grant Marine Advisor for Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. He is currently sixth in the International Classic standings and twelfth in High Performance. Rick placed second in High Performance and third in International Classic at the 2001 Worlds and has been on the U.S. team since 1995.

@ - Adventure Sports

Dan Crandall of Lotus, California, owns and operates Current Adventures, a kayaking school in Lotus. He began surf kayaking in 1989 and soon expanded to whitewater boating, then to competing in slalom, flatwater sprinting and distance racing. Dan has been a member of the U.S. Surf Kayak Team since 1991. He is currently in seventh place in the International Classic standings and sixteenth in High Performance.

@1997 - M. Weyerhaeuser

Kim Sprague of Lotus, California, has worked in the kayak industry for many years, as a manufacturer’s representative for boat and gear companies. He has taught whitewater kayaking for Current Adventures and other schools, and coaches youth in the sport and in whitewater rodeo competitions. Kim was on the 1999 and 2001 U.S. Teams. He is currently fourth in the west coast International Classic standings and thirteenth in High Performance.

@ - Adventure Sports

Mark Pastick of Santa Cruz is co-owner of Kayak Connection in Santa Cruz and Moss Landing. He has surfed in all seventeen Santa Cruz Kayak Surf Festivals. Mark is currently ranked eleventh in the International class for the west coast team trials.

@2001 Gary Luhm

Kevin Tinney of McKinleyville, California was an alternate on the US West Team for the 2001 Worlds. He is currently ranked tenth in International and seventeenth in High Performance in west coast standings. Kevin plans to compete in both team trial events.

@2000 Grace Iannotti

Randy Phillips of Lompoc, California, owns a tile and masonry business based in Lompoc. He was a member of the U.S. West Team for the 1999 World Championships in Brazil. Randy loves to combine surf kayaking with travel, which has taken him to Indonesia, Panama and Fiji. He is ranked seventh in High Performance in the west coast standings.

@1997 - M. Weyerhaeuser

(Not entered in contest as of 3/2/03) Kris Soderman of Santa Barbara, California, works as an ASE Master Auto and Truck Technician specializing in transmissions. He has been kayaking since 1993 and enjoys whitewater slalom racing, rodeo competitions and surf kayaking. Kris has also taken up videography and enjoys capturing surf kayakers in action. He was a member of the 2001 U.S. Surf Kayak Team. He is currently ranked eighth in the men’s High Performance standings.

WOMEN

@ - Diane Bacon

Diane Bacon of San Jose, California, retired last summer and has spent the winter skiing in Sun Peaks, B.C. She is an avid downhill skier and enjoys SCUBA diving. Diane teaches kayaking for Adventure Sports Unlimited in Santa Cruz. She started kayaking in 1990 and was a U.S. Surf Kayak Team member in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2001. Diane took third in the women’s 2001 High Performance World Championships in Santa Cruz. She is currently ranked third in the west coast standings in International Classic and fourth in High Performance.

Morlee Griswold of Ventura, California works in catalog development for Patagonia, Inc. She is currently ranked second in west coast High Performance standings, and fourth in International class. She will compete in both events at the Santa Cruz Team Trials.