2024 Special Guests
Delmarva Paddlers Retreat continues its commitment to reaching out across borders to people who are making a difference in the paddling community, especially the traditional community.
Dr William Fitzhugh
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DIRECTOR, SMITHSONIAN ARCTIC STUDIES CENTER, CURATOR, DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
William Fitzhugh is an anthropologist specializing in circumpolar archaeology, ethnology and environmental studies. He first became interested in the North through canoeing in Ontario and his anthropological studies at Dartmouth College. After two years in the U.S. Navy he attended Harvard University where he received his PhD in anthropology in 1970, and thereafter took a position at the National Museum of Natural History.
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As director of the Arctic Studies Center and Curator in the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History, Bill has spent more than forty years studying and publishing on arctic peoples and cultures in northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Scandinavia, and Mongolia. His archaeological and environmental research has focused upon the prehistory and paleoecology of northeastern North America, and broader aspects of his research feature the evolution of northern maritime adaptations, circumpolar culture contacts, cross-cultural studies and acculturation processes in the North, especially concerning Native-European contacts.
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As curator of the National Museum of Natural History's arctic collections, Bill has produced five international exhibitions, Inua: Spirit World of the Bering Sea Eskimos; Crossroads of Continents: Native Cultures of Siberia and Alaska; Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People; Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga, and Gifts from the Ancestors: Ancient Ivories from Bering Strait. His public and educational activities include the production of films, including the NOVA specials, “Mysteries of the Lost Red Paint People”, “Norse America”, and several other Viking films. He served as Chairman of the Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology from 1975-80 and again in 2002-2005, has been an Advisor to the Arctic Research Commission, represents the Smithsonian and arctic social science in various government councils, served on the Smithsonian Science Commission and holds various other administrative and advisory posts.
Tim Gallaway
Tim began his kayaking career as a guide and ACA instructor at Woods & Water Ecotours in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan when he was in college. He cut his rough water teeth on the rocky shores of Lake Superior and Lake Huron and quickly took to Greenland style paddling. After teaching himself a majority of the traditional rolling list he was bitten by the Greenland Rope Gymnastics bug and is now one of Qajaq USA‘s ropes gurus. In the summer of 2018 Tim traveled to Greenland to compete in the National Qajaq Championships and has a completed vlog series about his travels. In 2021 he completed a personal goal of a paddling expedition along the Michigan shoreline of Lake Superior and Lake Huron and has his sights on bigger expeditions in the next few years.
Dubside
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We kind of claim Dubside as one of our own. We saw him in Philly practicing rolls in a wide folder back in 2000. A quiet kind of guy back then, he couldn’t convince Robin to let him come to Delmarva that year. But he’s now been with us since 2001 (yes that’s him in the photo circa 2001). Who knew this mild manner sound man would become Super Roller Man. He’s still Dubside to us though. Visit the website he helps with, Qattaarneq.
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TIPS had him described best so we will just pass on their bio: On instructional DVDs, on the internet and especially in person Dubside makes kayak rolling, traditional Greenland rope gymnastics and kayak yoga look unbelievably easy. His one-of-a-kind persona, infectious enthusiasm and unpretentious demeanor have become an annual feature at numerous padding events and gatherings for many years. He started competing at the Greenland Championships in 2004 and has been a competition judge since 2010. He has also taken his unique folding kayak to Japan, Spain, Sweden, and Greenland
Don't miss
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Anders Thygesen
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Anders Thygesen is Danish, but has lived in Norway since 1992. He founded Kajakkspesialisten in 1996 and since then has worked on building traditional kayaks, teaching others to build traditional kayaks and giving kayak technique courses. Anders was educated as an outdoors guide at Hagskolen-i-Telemark, and spent 3 years studying as an arts & crafts teacher. He has been involved with the Norwegian Canoe Association since 1998 as a member of Technical Committee for Sea Kayaking. Among other duties he has been responsible for the sea kayak instructor education program in the Norwegian Canoe Association. Anders has helped create numerous great videos, including this one with perhaps the best explanation of why we use the Greenland paddle we’ve heard. It’s really worth a view: The Greenland Style Paddle. Also, don’t miss his A 1000 Hands Ago Video.
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Jannie Heegaard​
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Jannie is danish but lives in Norway with Anders where she also works for Kajakkspesialisten. She is a BCU4 leader, the first women to become a danish sea kayak level 3 coach and is also an open canoe instructor. Recently she started SUP paddling and is currently building her first SOF SUP board. A sea kayak instructor since 2004, and since 2008 she has worked in Denmark, Norway and Italy to create sea kayaking symposia and workshops directed specifically toward women. She build her first SOF Qajaq in 2004 and has also built an iqyax. She loves working with the Greenland paddle or the Aleut paddle and has a great passion for traditional kayaking in general. She loves to roll, to teach rolling and to teach others to teach. She has a unique talent for teaching in creative ways with class titles such as “Fun with the Greenland paddle” and “Kayak Ballet”. She holds a bachelor degree in sports science and outdoor life and holds a major in general education.
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