With over 20 years of combined experience coaching for the Jackson Hole Kayak Club, these whitewater professionals know how to teach paddling in a way that focuses on fun, safety, and will keep paddlers engaged in the sport for years to come.
Ethan McLeod
Executive Director
Ethan enters his first season as Executive Director for the 2023 season. Raised in Boise Idaho, Ethan started kayaking in a kids club program and has been whitewater kayaking for 20 years. Ethan has competed and paddled all over the world, using kayaking as a vehicle to express himself and explore hard-to-reach places. Ethan graduated from the University of Idaho where he studied Finance with a Minor in Accounting.
Cortland Fischer
Cortland grew up paddling with his family in the northeast; family vacations consisted of canoe trips on the lakes and rivers of Maine and Vermont. In the years since he has fallen in love with whitewater and spent just about all his free time and money to travel the country to chase rivers. Cortland is fired up to explore the waters around Jackson and share his passion with the next generation of paddlers !
Izzy Lidsky
Izzy grew up in Colorado rafting some of the state’s desert rivers. It wasn’t until college that she discovered kayaking through University of Puget Sound’s Kayak Club. Since then, she’s run rivers all over Washington, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. This is Izzy’s second season with JHKC and she could not be more fired up to coach the kids again. When she’s not kayaking, Izzy can be found working as a freelance photographer and writer, mountain biking, or cooking whatever’s left in her fridge.
Benny Drew
Ben grew up in the Appalachian foothills of North Georgia and learned to kayak on the Chattooga River. He’s been paddling for close to a decade now and haven’t looked back. When he’s not coaching, Ben teaches swiftwater rescue classes and works as an arborist. This will be his first year with JHKC and he’s so stoked to get to go boating with the young Jackson shredders!
Ian Rubrecht
Ian joins us as a local Jackson paddler, raised by the JHKC. In over ten years Ian’s passion has allowed him to paddle rivers across the Intermountain and Pacific Northwest, exploring the world via his kayak. Ian is a rockstar with young athletes, working as a youth ski coach in the winter. Ian excels at working through tough decisions and intimidating rapids with kids, allowing them to make their own decisions but with full understanding of the consequences and risks. When he’s not kayaking, Ian can be found skiing, bartending, or playing with his two dogs alongside his wonderful fiancee.