Let's Paddle!
Laura’s first foray into kayaking was a month-long sea kayaking trip through southeast Alaska in high school. She left Alaska with an awkward PFD tan, hundreds of bug bites, and an insatiable addiction to paddling. Now with over 15 years of coaching experience, Laura is an ACA-certified Level 5 Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructor—the youngest woman to earn this level of certification—and an L4 Whitewater Kayaking Instructor.
In addition to sea kayaking, she teaches whitewater kayaking, canoeing, surf kayaking and rolling. As a coach, Laura draws upon this multidisciplinary approach to give students the skills and confidence needed to experience the waves, rocks and swell of California’s energetic coastline as a playground rather than a battleground. To that end, she is grateful for the opportunity to work with paddlers at every stage of their development. She’s the Saltwater Program Director for California Watersport Collective, an organization designed to cultivate a diverse and supportive network of paddlers.
In spring of 2017, Laura and Kelly Henry embarked on a 6-week adventure in Taiwan in which they paddled the entire East Coast of the island nation and taught classes through Formosa Kayak School.
When she’s not on the water playing in waves and around rocks, she leads marketing and partnerships for an educational travel company. She’s honored to be on the P&H Kayaks Pro Team and a regional ambassador for Kōkatat.
Coaching Philosophy
Enable Fun (Both Type I and II) - Gone are the days when we must depend on kayaks for hunting and travel. Now they are 100% vehicles of fun. I believe students learn best when they’re inspired and naturally motivated to achieve; when they can see that the result of pushing oneself physically and mentally is pure joy.
Paddling & Personal Growth - When I reflect on instructors who impacted me the most, the best lessons they imparted were ones I needed to learn both on and off the water. There’s something magical about how developing as a kayaker shines a light on your strengths and weaknesses in environments beyond kayaking. It’s all connected. As an instructor, I strive to remain aware of those connections between developing paddling-wise and personally and how to frame feedback in a way that implicitly or explicitly furthers both.
Balancing Risk vs Reward - Developing your skills as a kayaker, you must explore the edges of your comfort zone in order to improve. I strive to find situations that encourage students to explore those edges (literally and figuratively). The constant balancing of risk versus reward is a skill unto itself.
Planting Seeds for Autonomous Growth - I believe in experimenting, challenge common knowledge, pushing self-imposed limits, and developing a keen sense of awareness. What works, what doesn’t, why isn’t it working, why does it work for them and not you? Try it and see what happens! Empiricism and a playful willingness to try something new is what will help both students and the entire sport progress in the long-run.
Certifications, Expeditions & Achievements
Certifications
ACA Level 5 Advanced Open Coastal Kayaking Instructor
ACA Level 4 Whitewater Kayaking Instructor
Swift Water Rescue Certified
Red Cross Association CPR & First Aid
Expeditions: Fearless Formosa
In spring of 2017, fellow coach and frequent collaborator, Kelly Marie Henry, and I embarked on a 6-week adventure in Taiwan in which we paddled the East Coast of the island nation. Learn More!
Achievements
2019 - SeaTrek Regatta: 3rd Place Women’s Elite Course Solo Surfski
2019 - Santa Cruz Paddlefest: 3rd Place Women’s Expert HP Surf Kayak
2018 - Santa Cruz Paddlefest: 1st Place Women's Intermediate Surf Kayak
2013 - Cal100 Endurance Race: 1st Place Kayak Relay
2010 - Tybee Island Challenge: 1st Place Women's Sea Kayak, 7th Overall
2009 - ACA Collegiate National Championships: 1st Womens Downriver Canoe