Francois Escorihuela
We're kicking off our very first Member Spotlight this month with a long time paddler who has been part of the club since the beginning, Fancois Escorihuela. He is one of the founding members of the RFKC, and, the idea for the paddling club is, in part, based on his experience growing up as member of CKLOM (Canoë Kayak Lyon Oullins La Mulatiere), a kayaking and canoe club located along the Rhone River, in Lyon, France.
Not only is Francois serving on the board of the RFKC, he is part of the programming committee and a consistent presence at many of the pool clinics, river clinics, Whitewater Wednesdays and other events. We are truly grateful for all the time he has put into sharing his love of kayaking with our community. If you have been a boater in our valley for a while, you probably already know him from the wave, Shoshone, or Slaughterhouse. You may not know he is also an avid backcountry skier and trumpet player, has an amazing wife, Gabriela, who is a kindergarten teacher in Basalt, and he can bake a delicious apple pie!
To get to know him better, I asked him the following questions:
How long have you been kayaking?
I started when I was 13 years old so it has been a journey of 27 years.
Any tips or advice for new kayakers?
Lots of basics to learn before your fist roll, like a good forward stroke and overall balance.
What do you like most about being a part of the RFKC?
Barbecues at the wave!
Who/what inspires you?
My kayaking mentor, Guillaume Grenier, transmitted to me an incredible passion that in part, brought me here and allowed me to meet true friends along the way.
Closer, my buddy Nate White for his strength of Mind, as well as Scott and Vida Dillard, for being awesome humans.
Do you have any other random hobbies?
Backcountry skiing, Bouldering, Slackline, RC cars (not sure still) , Drawing, Music Listening - in good settings, Trumpet...
What is a fun fact that people probably don’t know about you?
I am a Gemini, born the day of mother's day in France (May 27th 1984).
I played trumpet for 11 years at Lyon's Conservatory. (Solid excuse for never competing in kayaking when I was younger).
What is your favorite restaurant in the valley and why?
Home, because Gabriela and I love to cook.
White house for Pizza, La Placita/el Korita/ el Yaqui for Tacos.
Thanks, Francois, for sharing your experience and love of boating with others and being an important part of our local whitewater community!!
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