2008 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Michael Pardy

Michael Pardy is well known in Canadian paddling circles particularly in Western Canada where he has made a home in Victoria, BC with his wife Kari Jones and son, Rowan.

Michael’s career in paddlepsorts began in 1989 at Trailhead in Ottawa, Ontario.Trailhead is one of central Canada’s leading outdoor specialty retail shops. Michael worked the retail sales floor and when not educating Ottawa consumers about paddling he was introducing folks from around the world to the wonders of Baffin and Ellesmere Island in Northern Canada with Outdoor Adventure Company Black Feather. With Black Feather Michael has led trips not only on Baffin and Ellesmere Islands.

Michael moved to the West Coast in 1995 to work with Ocean River Sports in Victoria. After running a very successful Adventure Center – the outfitting and instructional sector of Ocean River Sport’s for 4 years. Michael along with business partner and friends Andrew Woodford and Piper Harris created SKILS, Sea Kayak Instruction and Leadership Systems. One of Western Canada’s leading outfitters.

Michael has worked in many facets of the paddlesports community but perhaps one of his biggest contributions is to the instructional side of the industry. Michael has put in countless hours on and off the water to improve our nation’s paddling curriculum and certification with Paddle Canada. Being on the water is a true passion for Michael and introducing other paddlers both young and old, experience and inexperienced to the lifestyle of paddling has been a gift.

In recent years Michael has dedicated himself to the trade side of paddlesports as current Executive Director of the Trade Association of Paddlesports. In this role Michael has influenced policy in the US and Canada and is working amongst industry leaders North American wide to create one single trade organization that will represent every and all aspects of our trade. Michael also oversees the largest and oldest sea kayak symposium in North America, the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium.

It should also be noted that Michael has also been a mentor to many outdoor industry professionals and has given his time and resources to non-profit organizations such as Power to Be, Adventure Therapy Society.