The Coaches

LEON SOMMÉ
BCU 5 Star Sea, 4 Star Surf, 4 Star Inland, 2 Star open canoe, Coach Level 5 Sea (aspirant)

Leon has been paddling and teaching paddle sports for close to 20 years. He has logged thousands of coastal and river miles around the world. Most notably, in 2003, Leon successfully circumnavigated Iceland with Chris Duff and Shawna Franklin, a trip of over 1600 nautical miles in 81 days. in 1998, Leon circumnavigated Vancouver Island, B.C., and most recently in 2007 Leon circumnavigated the Islands of Haida Gwaii, B.C., with Shawna Franklin and award winning film maker Justine Curgenven. Screwing around in small human powered boats is Leon's passion. He has spent countless hours trying to understand and master the skills of paddle sports. In doing so, he now believes a mastery of this sport is one of the many pathways to enlightenment!

SHAWNA FRANKLIN
BCU 5 Star Sea, 4 Star Surf, 4 Star Inland, 2 star Open Canoe, Coach Level 5 Sea (aspirant)

Shawna is the first woman in the United States to gain the BCU 5 Star Sea Award, a test of skills and leadership in advanced sea conditions. Putting these hard earned skills to test in 2003, she was the first woman to successfully circumnavigate Iceland with famed solo paddler Chris Duff and Leon Sommé, a trip of over 1600 nautical miles in 81 days. In 2007 Shawna circumnavigated the Islands of Haida Gwaii, B.C., with award winning film maker Justine Curgenven and partner Leon Sommé. As an artist, she is drawn to the sea for inspiration. Her paddling skills allow her a deeper artistic inspiration and in turn many feel her paddling skills have become a form of art. Shawna has been paddling and teaching for over 17 years, she wants to share her enthusiasm for teaching and paddling, and sense of adventure with you!

MATT NELSON
BCU 5 Star Sea, 3 star Open Canoe, Coach Level 3 Sea

Growing up in South Central Alaska has given Matt an appreciation and respect for the power of the natural world. Four years ago, Matt and his wife Djuna sailed a small engineless sailboat from Bellingham, Washington to Mexico, out to Hawaii, and back to the San Juan Islands. During that trip they both discovered their love of kayaking - the ability to exist and be mobile in the zone where the sea meets land. Since then, Matt has been progressing as a paddler and BCU coach, enjoying tidal races, white water, and surf as well as expeditions on the West coast of Vancouver Island. Matt and Djuna's most recent adventure was a circumnavigation of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, with which they raised funds for an environmental non-profit Cook Inlet Keeper. Future expeditions are always on his mind, coupled with the goal of benefiting others through his adventures. Matt is a coach at Body Boat Blade, teaches at kayaking symposiums around the country and appears in Bryan Smith's recent film "Pacific Horizons."

"My personal quest with paddling is to move ever closer to becoming a water creature. My ultimate task as a coach is to help students realize their paddling goals- making it fun, challenging and safe along the way."

DJUNA MASCALL
BCU 4 Star Sea, 2 star Open Canoe and Level 1 Coach

Djuna and Matt landed on Orcas Island in 2003 aboard their 28 foot sailboat, on the final leg of a journey from the Northwest to Mexico, to Hawaii and back. Ready for smaller boats, they discovered paddling in Alaska. Djuna has become a proficient paddler - learning the skills to enjoy a variety of sea conditions- with Shawna and Leon at Body Boat Blade. In May of 2008, Djuna, Matt and teammate, Matthew Wendell, paddled 500 miles around the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska to raise funds for Cook Inlet keeper. The team has spoken about their adventure to several local paddling clubs.

Djuna's other career is co-owner and teacher at Orcas Mandala Yoga studio. She has combined her two passions and published a "Yoga for Kayakers" article in Sea Kayaker magazine and has taught yoga at several symposiums on the West Coast. She also appears in Bryan’s Smith's film "Pacific Horizons". Her yoga practice gives her the strength and serenity to attempt managing the shop at Body Boat Blade.

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