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Quick Bio

Hometown: Chico, CA

First boat paddled: Dagger Blast

Favorite boat: Dagger Kingpin 6.2

Accomplishments: 2003 US Freestyle Team member, 1st- American River Rodeo, 2nd-Canyone Creek Extreme Race, 3rd Maipin Daze Boatercross, 3rd Ottawa Rodeo, 9th 2003 World Championships. I can helix, donkey flip, and run the gnar at age 16.

Favorite river: My favorite river is the Futaleafu in Patagonia, Chile.

Favorite park & play spot: Garberator, Ottawa River. It has an eddy, it is spectator friendly and you can catch huge air.

Whitewater hero: I admire everyone who is pushing the sport-big air, huge drops/rapids, and big ocean surfing.

Best thing that has happened to you at Huge Experience: I made the USA Freestyle team, met an awesome girl named Jennifer, experienced tons of rivers, people, and climates around the world.

Scariest or biggest thrill in whitewater: Class III when I began kayaking, it was intense back then. Now, it is harder and harder to become adrenalized.

December 5, 2003 - Rio Manso Rodeo in Patagonia

In the Jr. Expert division Matt Fithian rose to the top of the field. Fithian said, "I feel really excited because it is the first rodeo I have won." Fithian's first place finish caused minor controversy among the cohesive group. Luke Schurman stated, "If I were not so sick, then I would have won." Logan Meyer said, "I think Grant Wildman should have won, he was the only person who stuck a blunt." Meyer, who placed second, and Fithian utilized their control and finesse to stay in the hole longer and accumulate off-vertical technical points.

Fithian and Simenc's first place prizes were free tickets to the "Matrix Revolution" that night in Bariloche. It would be the first opportunity for the group to watch a movie on the big screen in two months. Simenc stated, "I am glad I won, because I could not have gone to the movie otherwise." The rest of the group threw down seven and a half pesos, about $2.50 US, to see the movie.

November 6, 2003

We hated heating up under the Maipo Valley desert mountain sun. It was shining bright through the Chilean sky. The diverse green forest surrounding the river faded into shrub-grass as the climate turned to desert and the tall Andes surrounded us. The picturesque scene amazed everyone.

Huge Experiences, the name of our kayak high school, spent the night prior staring at the enclosing airplane seats in front of us. Sitting with arms glued to our ribs, and with nothing to do other than try to fall asleep or watch the Matrix Reloaded again. I had two hours of sleep and this must have been resented by my seat partners as I squirmed for comfort.

Now, we were sweating to paddle the Maipo. From the overlooking bridge it gave us an enticing sneak preview of grande waves and playholes. Just one problem haunted our progress, no kayaks.

David Hughes was at the airport aduanas, customs, attempting to retrieve 15 kayaks. Tatan, a Chilean friend, was eager to help. He was a necessity to Dave since he spoke both English and Spanish. One department would tell them to go to another department for an appropriate paper, then this department would send them to the next, and back again. After three hours of walking and $US160 in additional fees they were ready to pick up the kayaks at 2:00pm. Except, the dock workers were on their afternoon siesta until 3:00pm. Eventually, David and Tatan arrived with our crafts. Paddling our first day was not meant to be.

Meanwhile, the mountains around our Cascadas de Las Animas camp, which I think translates to "waterfalls of the spirits," were golden with the sun tucking behind them. The long wait under the sun evaporated the enthusiasm from most of our group. If the boats had came only an hour earlier, or if there were more light the bowling pins may have still been standing. But, as the time dragged on the ball came closer and closer. In the end only four pins remained upright.

The sun retreated and there was only a small glow on the canyon. We were going to put on the water anyway to wash away the feeling of fifteen hours of travel. I slid into the chocolate glacier water and the current led me away to another world. The flowing jet beneath my boat and the chill splashes on my hands and face was my medicine.

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