Kirk Eddlemon

Background

I'm a native East-Tennessean who calls Knoxville home, where I live with my beautiful and supportive wife Laura, and amazing son Alexander.  I spend almost as much of my time walking, paddling, and sometimes crawling through the wilder parts of the Southern Appalachians as I do in town.  I've always been intrigued by the call of the wild, and even before I started kayaking, I spent much of my time picking out interesting places on the map, and then seeking them out on foot with a compass and a little tenacity.  This drive flourishes in a freedom-based pursuit like paddling, and it was only a matter of time before I realized that a little plastic boat could facilitate one of the most expressive, grounding, and rewarding ways of connecting with nature.  

Down the Guidebook Rabbit Hole

Having always been infatuated with guidebooks and the secrets of explorers past, I've approached the last 25 years of kayaking with the goal to see and understand as much as possible about the rivers of the world.  As I began to see more and more of the Southern Appalachians, my respect and appreciation for these mountains in particular deepened, and my passion for sharing them with others grew.  From these seeds a series of guidebooks have sprouted.  The intent is to inspire, inform, and through the visitation of these places, hopefully instill a sense of duty to protect and promote the rivers and their connected environs as critical parts of the rich natural heritage we have in this part of the country.  

A Decade of Paddlesports Education

Though the guidebooks are now in their second edition, my passion for sharing river experiences remains. For the better part of a decade I have worked full time, year-round, as an ACA Level V instructor and guide. I’m both fascinated with the progression of the sport, the equipment, and the explosion of skill I see in our community, as well as with the raw day to day experience of being on rivers that rush through wild places. I strive to understand and pass on to my students the latest, most complete understanding of how to best paddle a kayak on whitewater, and at the same time, implore clients to connect with the natural world and it’s wonders, as taken in from the centerline of a river. So I am not just an instructor, I am a river guide. It’s my aim to inspire a holistic approach to being a paddler, and by extension a human being. The river teaches us how to focus and perform, and inspires creativity and excellence. Yet we can’t help but notice our insignificance as we move through places shaped by deep time and incomprehensible forces. Our place in it, perched precariously, depends on our respect of it. And our respect is best rendered collectively. Supporting humble organizations like American Whitewater, Outdoor Alliance, and American Rivers, is a great way to ensure that river health, as well as access for paddlers, is prioritized now and into the future. The river gives so much, and these organizations keep the tap running.

Ace Kayaking

Finally, working with Ace Kayaking School has allowed me to elevate my understanding of what it means to be part of a community. We as paddlers are a small, inconsequential bunch in many lights, yet we dream big, and the human solidarity found the river is inspiring and motivates me to strive for continuous improvement in how I show up for my students and everyone else in my life. The positivity is contagious, and the river makes us good people, or at least, a little better than we might otherwise be. I’m grateful for all the growth, fond memories, and relationships gained from being a teacher. Working for Ace allows me to help others find fresh passion, overcome mental and physical barriers, and follow their own path of self-improvement, every single day, and for that I am grateful!