Team Wet Planet
What do a classical pianist, a ballet dancer, a Dutch model, a member of the British junior table tennis team, a computer programmer, and a Princeton graduate all have in common?
They are all now professional whitewater guides for Wet Planet.
We are a group of motivated, educated, and energetic individuals who have come together to share a passion for whitewater and river travel. We are also the most experienced and highly trained staff in the region...period!
Combined, we have commercial whitewater rafting and kayaking experience in eight countries and on over 100 sections of river, have been the first to descend rivers or explore mountains around the globe, have led expeditions further north than the Arctic Circle and as far south as the remote regions of Patagonia, and can do it all in five different languages.
Interested in becoming part of the Wet Planet Team? Check out our Employment Opportunities.
Staff Beginnings
The name Wet Planet was first spoken in a beat up Suburban while bouncing down a jungle road in Costa Rica. At the time, co-founders Todd Collins and Jaco Klinkenberg were discussing their vision for the ultimate whitewater company. Both are instructors for the National Outdoor Leadership School, ACA certified whitewater kayak instructors, Leave No Trace Educators, Wilderness First Responders, and veterans of the whitewater industry.
They envisioned a company that would:
- Combine elements of outdoor education and river instruction with traditional guided trips to provide a complete, well-rounded river experience for guests both on and off the river.
- Attracted the industry's most energetic and skilled professionals by rising above current standards in place at other rafting companies.
- Encompass more than a single geographic region; rather the company would take advantage of the amazing rivers found around the globe.
We are river enthusiasts, extending our passion for the water to the greater community and to each other.
We have organized and sponsored the White Salmon Symposium, a community event, since 2006.
We participate in local events such as the Big Air Bonanza.
We volunteer for First Descents kayak camps, helping cancer victims gain support.
We support and aid in the Northwest's river conservation issues.
We raise money and compete in the Total Vertical Challenge
We cook incredible meals together at Saturday Night Dinners.
We enter stories of our adventures into local film festivals.
As the Wet Planet Kayak School has continued to grow, we have created a Wet Planet Kayak Instruction Staff page. Learn about our team of instructors and come out and play with us!
If you have any doubt that team WET PLANET is one of the industry's leaders, check out some of our key staff:
Tyler Houck
Todd Collins
Tobias Johansson
Susan Hollingsworth
Steve White
Sara Cohen
Ryan Copenhagen
Nicki Lynch
Melissa Wilder
Lori Turbes
Lance Reif
Jonathan Blum
Joanne Gallagher
Jacomijn Klinkenberg
Heather Herbeck
Gynner Coronel
Giani Benevento
Drew Parker
Drew Austell
Dogs at Wet Planet
Devin Platt
David Sacquety
Curt Joyce
Christopher (Hootie) Boucher
Brian Lee
Andy Round
Alexa Williams
Aleson Rietow