Ken Whiting
Encyclopedia
Ken Whiting was the 1997/98 World Freestyle Kayaking Champion, the 1998 Japan Open Champion, and a five-time Canadian National Champion in freestyle or whitewater kayaking
.
Since 1998, Ken has started an industry-leading kayak school, founded the Canadian Freestyle Kayaking Association, coached the Junior Freestyle Kayaking Team, produced both the US and Canadian Freestyle Team Trials events, written and produced a best-selling and award-winning series of whitewater kayaking instructional books and videos, and was nominated in 2006 for an Everest Outdoor Achievement Award.
In 1998, Ken wrote and published The Playboater’s Handbook: ISBN 1-896980-06-6, a reference for freestyle kayaking technique. Following the great success of the book, Ken teamed up with Chris Emerick, a talented American videographer, and began producing instructional videos. These publishing efforts evolved into the creation of The Heliconia Press, which Ken runs with his wife Nicole, producing best-selling and award-winning instructional books and videos about whitewater kayaking and other outdoor pursuits, including sea kayaking, canoeing
, and camping.
Ken has become one of the most active whitewater professionals in the world. In addition to his publishing house, he regularly appears on the covers and writes articles for virtually every paddling magazine in the world. In 2000, he co-founded Kayak Futaleufu, an adventure kayaking travel company with a base camp in Chile
’s Patagonia
region. In 2001, he co-founded the world renowned Liquid Skills Kayak School in Canada, which led the new school movement of kayak instruction. Ken’s various whitewater projects have taken him to over 200 different rivers in fifteen different countries, including Japan
, Honduras
, Guatemala
, Chile
, Peru
, Argentina
, New Zealand
, and Australia
, as well as throughout Europe
and North America
.
Ken, his wife Nicole, and their dog Jake live in the small, rural town of Beachburg, only minutes from the put-in for the Ottawa River
. Beachburg is located in "Whitewater Region, Ontario
".
Whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...
.
Since 1998, Ken has started an industry-leading kayak school, founded the Canadian Freestyle Kayaking Association, coached the Junior Freestyle Kayaking Team, produced both the US and Canadian Freestyle Team Trials events, written and produced a best-selling and award-winning series of whitewater kayaking instructional books and videos, and was nominated in 2006 for an Everest Outdoor Achievement Award.
Early days
Ken was 14 years old when he picked up a kayak paddle for the first time while taking a five-day kayaking course on the Ottawa River in 1989. Little did he know this would ignite a passion for the sport and change the course of his life. By the time he was 18, he was so committed to paddling that he postponed his university plans to pursue excellence in whitewater kayaking instead.Championships
In 1994, Ken began attending and winning freestyle competitions across the continent. Three years later, in 1997, he reached his ultimate goal by winning the World Freestyle Kayaking Championships. Winning the World’s was a major turning point in Ken’s life, and shortly afterwards he made the decision to develop a career that would keep him involved in the world of whitewater that he loved so much.Promoting whitewater paddling
Ken has become one of the most recognized and respected whitewater athletes in the world and was recognized as such by Paddler Magazine in 2000 as one of their "Paddlers of the Century".In 1998, Ken wrote and published The Playboater’s Handbook: ISBN 1-896980-06-6, a reference for freestyle kayaking technique. Following the great success of the book, Ken teamed up with Chris Emerick, a talented American videographer, and began producing instructional videos. These publishing efforts evolved into the creation of The Heliconia Press, which Ken runs with his wife Nicole, producing best-selling and award-winning instructional books and videos about whitewater kayaking and other outdoor pursuits, including sea kayaking, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, and camping.
Ken has become one of the most active whitewater professionals in the world. In addition to his publishing house, he regularly appears on the covers and writes articles for virtually every paddling magazine in the world. In 2000, he co-founded Kayak Futaleufu, an adventure kayaking travel company with a base camp in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
’s Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
region. In 2001, he co-founded the world renowned Liquid Skills Kayak School in Canada, which led the new school movement of kayak instruction. Ken’s various whitewater projects have taken him to over 200 different rivers in fifteen different countries, including Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, as well as throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Ken, his wife Nicole, and their dog Jake live in the small, rural town of Beachburg, only minutes from the put-in for the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
. Beachburg is located in "Whitewater Region, Ontario
Whitewater Region, Ontario
Whitewater Region is a township located within the scenic Ottawa Valley, in eastern Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River in Renfrew County. Whitewater Region is made up of the former municipalities of Beachburg, Cobden, Ross and Westmeath, which were amalgamated into the current township on January...
".
Awards and honors
- 2008: National Outdoor Book AwardNational Outdoor Book AwardThe National Outdoor Book Award was formed in 1997 as a US-based non-profit program which each year honors the best in outdoor writing and publishing. It is housed at Idaho State University and chaired by Ron Watters. Awards are presented in ten categories. The award is announced in early November...
(Instructional), Whitewater Kayaking: The Ultimate Guide