This month, as we are about to dive into pool clinic season again, we are happy to spotlight our amazing pool clinic head coach, Eliot Taft.
Eliot brings a ton of positive energy, a passion for kayaking, and years of teaching experience to our pool clinics and his role coaching kayaking at Colorado Rocky Mountain School.
Eliot began coaching for the club three years ago, and quickly became a cornerstone of our pool clinics. Eliot brings a sense of community and fun to the whole operation. “I love the mission of RFKC and how it provides an accessible entrance to an otherwise inaccessible sport,” he shares.
Growing up in Massachusetts, Eliot’s love for rivers started early, though he didn’t discover kayaking until college. In high school, he explored rivers in a fishing kayak he bought with lawn-mowing money. It wasn’t until he joined Bowdoin College’s outing club that he tried whitewater paddling, learning from Director Mike Woodruff. While his early paddling involved plenty of swimming on the Kennebec, he loved every moment.
As Eliot explored more rivers in his early days, he, like a lot of boaters, experienced some pretty strange moments. One summer, while camping near Jackson, WY, Eliot woke up to a guy tapping on his truck window. The stranger invited him to run Fall Creek Falls, which goes into the Snake River. Eliot was nervous because it was his first ever waterfall to run. The guy boldly assured Eliot he could easily rescue him if it went bad. The run went well for Eliot, but he could not say the same for his new friend. The guy swam multiple times and then accidentally broke Eliot’s windshield with his kayak at the takeout before taking off with some other boaters. Inspite of his sub-optimal boating partner, Eliot still smiles when he thinks of that day, especially running Fall Creek Falls, but he'd love to ask that guy for a new windshield if he ever sees him again.
When asked about his favorite rivers, Eliot gives a shoutout to his paddling crew, “Team Fear,” and names the Upper Fryingpan as his favorite local run. He also holds fond memories of rivers in Vermont and the White Mountains and dreams of paddling Chile’s Futaleufú or Scandinavia’s serene waterways.
Eliot says he feels most connected to the local paddling community during the winter pool clinics. “Instructing alongside amazing paddlers and bringing more people into the sport is the highlight,” he says. His favorite moments are spotting familiar faces from the pool at the put-in or around town.
As an 11th-grade English teacher, Eliot's approach to coaching is creative and friendly. He's great at taking brand new kayakers and putting them in a boat for the first time, teaching them the paddling technique they need to more the boat through the water smoothly.
He also enjoys helping newer boaters work through their anxieties around being upside down and rolling, and celebrating the joy of someone’s first successful roll. With experienced paddlers, he focuses on refining techniques, always finding something new to add to their paddling flat water resume.
Outside of kayaking, Eliot and his wife, Clare, who were married last June, enjoy mountain biking and skiing together. They are also working on their R2ing skills with hopes of tackling Slaughterhouse soon. When not playing on rivers or mountains, Eliot enjoys reading, slaying monsters in fantasy games, and hanging out with Clare and his dog.
Eliot’s tip for paddlers? “As you float into a rapid you’re nervous about, put on a big smile. It’ll relax you, flush some brain chemicals your way, and help you focus on the fun ahead.”
We are grateful to have Eliot as part of the RFKC family and looking forward to another pool clinic season with Eliot as head coach. Thank you, Eliot, for sharing your positive energy, passion for kayaking, and coaching expertise with us!
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