We’re a merry band of paddling professionals, teachers, and guides who are committed to providing you with a fun and well-run river experience; your success is our delight. We love seeing familiar faces and bringing new paddlers into our whitewater community.

A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.

The DAK Core Crew

Sami Hawkins
If you’ve ever been on the water with Sami, you’ve experienced her infectious joy in sharing the river. Not one to be left out, she chased her big brother to the river life and started kayaking in 2011. While at Chico State the next year, Sami came to Mary DeRiemer as a participant in an ACA Instructor Course. She started teaching kayaking in 2012 with her college outdoor program and continued building her teaching resume with Sundance Kayak School in 2014. She began her DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking career teaching and guiding on the Rogue in 2017, and the hook was set after her Grand Canyon trip with Mary that same year. In 2024, Sami began her journey as the heir apparent to the DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking operation in preparation for the retirement of Mary and Phil. In 2026, Sami officially settled into her position as owner of the rebranded Dreamer Adventure Kayaking outfit. Sami is certified by the ACA as an Instructor Trainer for whitewater kayaking and packrafting. This expands her already impressive qualifications as a decade-long Wilderness Medicine and River Rescue instructor for Sierra Rescue. When not showing you down the river, Sami can be found paddling for fun, mountain biking, climbing, ski patrolling at her local Mountain, or galavanting in the wilderness in search of another adventure. 

Mark Kieran

Mark’s single-minded focus on whitewater sports and his ability to find joy in even the mildest of rivers are a testament to his love of paddling.  He was introduced to kayaking in 1990 by his father, also an avid paddler.  In 2021, Mark left a desk job and began instructing as a way to share his river perspective with a wider audience, becoming an ACA certified whitewater kayak instructor. He’s currently hooked on racing/competition, downriver play, steep creeking, and multi-day expeditions. You can search him out on the Ocoee for a private lesson with Ace Kayaking. There are no other aspects of river time he doesn’t embrace. On the water, Mark’s adherence to best practices and sound safety principles set the scene for properly goofing off and paddling all day. Yes, Mark wants to stop for a while at that wave over there.

Jason McClure

Jason grew up paddling canoes on the rivers of the Ozarks, which led him to kayaking. In the early 2000s, Jason moved to North Carolina and began teaching kayaking and guiding adventure travel trips, then paddling around the globe. His journey has taken him to rivers all over the U.S. and beyond, with significant time spent paddling and guiding in Ecuador. With years of experience on the water, Jason has developed a true passion, not just for paddling rivers, but also for sharing the adventure through guiding and instruction. His vast knowledge and keen eye speak to his experience. You can see this on the water in the way Jason embodies a calm, cool, collected, Jedi style that instills confidence in those around him.

Hailey Thompson

Hailey is the sort of guide who consistently brings the sunshine and stoke with her to the river. She grew up in a whitewater family and began competing on the US National Slalom Team when she was just a teenager. For about a decade after she left competitive paddling, she served on active duty in the Coast Guard. Her vast knowledge of whitewater and technique, paired with her clear and calm communication style, makes her a joy to paddle with and learn from on all types of whitewater.  When Hailey isn’t leading folks downstream, she is a professional artist/designer, you can see her work in our logo! She loves spending time paddling wild rivers around the world, ski touring in big, beautiful mountains, and pulling out her watercolors in the most unlikely places to paint the magic of everyday life.

The Founders

Mary DeRiemer
At one time, Mary was a nurse working in labor and delivery. Then she started kayaking. Before very many months had passed, she moved her kayak to North Carolina and began to teach with the NOC. She is amazing at helping paddlers move beyond perceived limitations, coaching with the empathy of one who’s been there. “I know that as a paddler, you can do anything I can do. My goal is to help you know that.” By creating a fear-free and open learning environment, she coaches in a way that grows self-confidence. Mary spent years certified at the highest level by the ACA (American Canoe Association) as an Instructor Trainer Educator for white water kayaking before retirement.

Phil DeRiemer
Thinking he would try guiding for a year or two (while he planned his next career move) Phil discovered the joy of combining kayaking and teaching. His students appreciate his ability to motivate and instill confidence while weaving his good humor into a day on the river. “Whether it’s working on the roll, improving technique or facing new challenges, I really enjoy helping paddlers break through to the next level.”  He is known for his fun teaching style and his clean, straightforward explanations. 

Phil has made it a point to avoid a more “traditional” career path so he can work outdoors. He’s been a product designer for a number of outdoor companies including Kokatat and Patagonia, tried his hand at editorial photography, and surveyed the desert for gopherus agassizzi. 

Bhutan Guides

Thinley Tobden

We’ve worked a good many trips with Thinley since our first meeting in 2008. We feel like proud parents at times, having watched him grow to become both a solid paddler and a superb kayak guide. Thinley is hard working and heads up both on and off the water.

He lives in the Punakha Valley, not far from his good friend and fellow guide, Chencho.

Chencho
Quiet and polite, Chencho is always ready to help on land or the river, from a raft or a kayak. Along with Thinley, he manages the rafting operations for our outfitter in Bhutan.

Chencho lives in Punakha Valley along the banks of the Mo Chu (Mother River) with his wife and three daughters.