Haris Subacius
Introduced to paddling in wooden row-boats by grandparents at an early age in his native Lithuania. Haris would row and explore for hours whenever he could. His first unsupervised multi-day trip was a 100-mile down-river float in a rubber rescue raft at the ripe age of 13. Haris subsequently graduated to folding 3-person kayaks for many similar trips on inland lakes and rivers. In high school he spent a couple seasons in a competitive academic rowing program racing in 4- and 8-person boats. Hours and hours in the stationary exercise pool nearly killed all enthusiasm for paddling. Upon coming to the US and Canada he was introduced to canoes and enjoyed multiple trips to places like the Boundary Waters and Algonquin Provincial Park. Canoes seemed nimble and fast compared to rubber rafts and huge open-cockpit kayaks. First exposure to open-water sea kayaking happened to involve 6' seas and 25 knot winds--an instant addiction! The mixture of speed, freedom in the vast bluelands, unlimited creativity and potential for development of technical skills, and the sheer might of the sea was just irresistible.
- ACA Level 3 Coastal Instructor