The Global Paddling Community

A short interview with Ken Whiting.

This interview was originally produced for the Portuguese web site 'kayaksurf.net' and is published exclusively on Playak in english to make it available to a wider audience. The portuguese version of the interview, with larger versions of some of the photos, is available here.

Name: Ken Whiting.
Occupation: Author, Producer, Professional Kayaker.
Location: Canada.
Track record: 1997 World Freestyle Kayaking Champion, 5-time Canadian Freestyle Champion.

When did you start kayaking?
I've been kayaking for 16 years.

And when did you start kayak surfing?
I started kayak surfing when I first visited the ocean 14 years ago. I surfed along the coast of Maine and fell in love with the ocean.

Maine Coast

Do you think that river experience is essential for a kayak surfer?
I wouldn't say that river experience is essential for kayak surfing, although there's no doubt that it helps.

Your favorite boat for kayak surfing?
My favorite surf kayak is the Wave Sport Flyer. It's fast, responsive and fairly forgiving.

Do you compete a lot?
I actually stopped competing in kayaking about 3 years ago. After winning the World Championships in 1997, I lost a lot of my competitive drive, as I had reached my ultimate goal.

You recently launched 'Whitewater Kayaking with Ken Whiting'... Have you ever considered producing something similar for kayak surfing?
I've thought about doing a kayak surfing video, mostly because it would be a great excuse to go surfing in some exotic locations, but it hasn't happened yet. I am still looking forward to doing so!

The best spot you have ever surfed?
I would say that the best surf spot I've found was on the North Island of New Zealand, in the Raglan area. They have a bunch of great breaks, including reef, rock and beach breaks.

Your scariest moment at sea?
The biggest scare I've had on the sea came while squirt boating at Long Beach in the winter of 1995. It was cold, and we were paddling in big, unpredictable beach break, and it was one of my first experiences in the ocean. My buddy and I were in our squirt boats because we felt that there was less chance of us getting stuck in the break. To make a long story short, I got my ass handed to me in a big wave, my skirt popped and I swam. In those days, I didn't have good gear, because I couldn't afford it. So, instead of a wetsuit, I was wearing a big, one-piece fleece, which acted like a big wet and heavy towel when I was in the water. I felt like I weighed 1000 pounds, and was very fortunate to make it to shore. Needless to say, I learned from that experience, and got myself a wetsuit before going out in the surf again that winter.

Where do you usually surf?
Unfortunately I now live about 2000 km's away from the closest coast, so my surfing is nearly all done on the rivers.

Thanks for all and keep riding!

Interview: Luis Pedro Abreu

PS. Some links to Ken's websites:

• The Heliconia Press
• playboat.com
• Paddle Press Magazine