Chris Manchester
kayaker

Accomplishments: paddled the 2nd longest barrier reef in the world, Instructor for (NOLS) National Outdoor Leadership school.

Residence: Pacifica, California, USA

Age: 27

When I’m not going huge I’m…(hobby’s, outside career goals)
Painting, snowboarding, climbing, mountaineering, surf-kayaking.

What tunes get you psyched?
Old school Mettalica "Jump in the Fire"!, and gangster rap, but I think reggae is my favorite. I have been listening to reggae pretty hard core since I was about 14.

What is your Favorite place to shred, climb…?
I like climbing everything from City of rocks, ID to Smith rock Oregon…Sourthern Utah. I like to shred Squaw Valley, CA and Snowbird, UT….and Valdez, AK, I like to sea-kayak anywhere, but I like Chile the best so far.

Where is your favorite place to kick back, relax, and forget about everything?
There is nothing like a sea-kayaking expedition to get a little peace and quiet…that is for sure my favorite time to be free.

At what age did you begin your sport?
Been climbing since 15 and snowboarding around then too, but I didn’t become a sea-kayaker 'till 1994.

What was your worst sport related injury, and how did you get it?
I shattered the very end of my middle finger on a football, playing flag football in high school.

What was your biggest influence that got you where you are now?
I would have to say NOLS got me where I am today. They taught me to believe in myself, and enjoy what is out there in life.

What pisses you off?
I can’t stand traffic. I’ll snap in traffic, but I can live out in the woods with mosquitos? Go figure.

If you could initiate a change in your field, what would it be, and who would you want to influence?
I would really stress safety. On the ocean it can be super calm one day, and enormous the next…it’s all about judgement. Always go the conservative route when it comes to mother nature. I would like to influence all the younger people getting in to the sport to really get some training before thinking they can sea-kayak…training only makes you better, but it’s experience that keeps you alive.

In what ways has the popularity of extreme sports changed the way you operate?
I thinks it’s great…I have always thought of sea-kayaking as "extreme", but I think that word will fade and all we will have left is an attitude …it will be "Go Huge".

As the popularity of your sport grows are there any issues for newcomers that, as an experienced professional, you feel need to be addressed? What types of actions and attitudes are going to effect your sport in positive ways?
Just to get some training like I said…find what works best for you, not what everyone else tells you works. If you don’t try something you will never know whether you can do it or not. Always respect the ocean and don’t go in over your head.

There must be some negative issues surrounding your sport (i.e. safety, land management). What sticks out in your mind and do you have any suggestions to control or minimize these circumstances?
In Belize, we were forced to pay to sleep on an island…we had no where else to go due to the weather. I wish people could be more cool when you travel the coastlines…sometimes sea-kayakers only have one option, and that is to land.

What do you see in your future, and where would you like to see your sport be at in 5 to 10 years?
I would like to see a kind of appalacian trail for sea-kayakers running down from Alaska to Cabo-San-Lucas.

If you could relate one idea to the world, related to your sport or not, what would it be?
Patience!