Will has been the store manager at Get:Outdoors since December 2005, when he and his family moved to Greensboro from the Outer Banks where he ran a kayaking program for Kitty Hawk Sports. Will has a Bachelors of Science degree in Adventure Education and Leadership from Unity College in Maine. Will is also an American Canoe Association (ACA) certified kayak instructor. He has been paddling for 20+ years. Beginning in a canoe at age 12 at scout camp where his love of paddling and being on the water started. Later, while in college in Maine, he took up whitewater canoeing and sea kayaking.

           Since moving to North Carolina, Will has gone to strictly kayaking, he’s even done a bit of whitewater, mostly Class II-III+. “I’m not quite ready for Class IV-V paddling just yet”. Having kayaked and canoed all over the east coast from Maine to Florida, Will’s favorite place to paddle is probably the rocky coast of Maine with the Florida Everglades a close second.

           Will’s forte is outdoor education as well as trip programming and expedition leadership. He loves teaching folks to be self-sufficient in places many people find uncomfortable or even frightening. Will is also currently teaching outdoor education classes at Forsyth Technical Community College and will begin a kayaking program at the Jamestown NC YMCA this fall.

           Married with two boys (ages 5 and 12), Will and his family all share the love of being outside and appreciating all that mother nature has to offer.

Favorite Kayak: Wilderness Systems Tempest 180 pro

            Josh began his tenure in 2000, when the store was named Pro Canoe and Kayak, assembling canoes and working in the repair department. He is now the head of our web design and marketing department, as well as the repair department manager. Josh enjoys wake boarding, motorcycle riding, and insect photography.

            His first paddling experience was in Belize on a diving trip, where he took out his first kayak: a sit-on-top. He enjoys fishing from kayaks and canoes in many different locations from local lakes and rivers to coastal areas of NC. His favorite paddling location is Kimesville Lake, near Julian NC.

Favorite kayak: Magic 12

           Eric works part time as a guide and instructor for Get:Outdoors.  He began his love for the water at a young age; learning how to sail and canoe with his father and at summer camps. He also competed for years on swim teams, once taking third in the state for the 100 meter butterfly.  Only about three years ago, Eric decided to take up kayaking as a means of exercise and relaxation.  He began paddling on the lakes surrounding the Raleigh area.  After moving to the Greensboro area two years ago, he took a roll class with Get:Outdoors which opened the door to the wonderful world of whitewater.  “I’ve been hooked ever since.  I am currently paddling class IV and V rivers as often as possible.”

           Eric has been fortunate enough to paddle rivers such as: the Nantahala, the Upper Davidson, section 9 of the French Broad, the North Fork of the French Broad, the Nolichucky, Wilson Creek, the Cheoah, the Tallulah Gorge, the Middle Cullasaja, the Watauga Gorge, and the upper and lower sections of the Gauley River.  He is also a frequent visitor of the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC.

Current boats are: Wave Sport Habitat 80, Wave Sport Project 62,
                              Wilderness Systems Cape Horn 150

            Retired CPA IronMike is the controller at Get:Outdoors. Mike grew up in Greensboro and was educated at Guilford College and Wake Forest University. He served in the US Marine Corps and was awarded the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, a Presidential Unit Citation, Good Conduct, and Vietnam Service Medals.  IronMike comes by his name honestly; in addition to fifty-nine marathons, he has completed 14 Ironman competitions plus hundreds of shorter distance triathlons.

           Philip, known as “Yak4Fish” on all of the kayak fishing forums, is a Heritage Kayaks endorsed kayak fishing guide who offers his guide services through Get:Outdoors.

           Philip has been an avid fisherman for over 35 years and has been paddling for nearly 20 years. He has always loved to fish and to be around the water. Aside from fishing out of a canoe, his first real pursuit of fishing from a kayak came while using a white-water kayak in the early ‘90’s. Needless to say, this was less than optimal so he moved into sit-in-side kayaks. While this proved a better method of merging the two passions, it wasn’t until the development of sit-on-top kayaks that his passion or obsession really took off.

           Philip’s perspective on guide fishing maybe unique in that his purpose is to provide the best on-the-water experience possible, not necessarily catching the biggest fish. Granted big fish are fun, but if you’re not enjoying the whole experience, you’re missing the point. Philip was the winner of the 2006 Cape Fear Kayaks fishing tournament series and now just fishes in tournaments for fun.

           Some of Philip’s local favorite paddling locations are on the Haw River, and the coastal waters surrounding Beaufort and Swansboro North Carolina. Even if the fishing is slow, you almost always encounter local wildlife. As you interact with your environment, be it paddling, hiking or camping, you cannot help but to reflect on your stewardship of the resources you utilize and Philip encourages you to consider what you can do to protect and preserve them.

           Edgar has been working part-time at Get:Outdoors since 2004 and is often seen around the store even when he is not working. He can’t resist the opportunity to spend hours talking about kayaking, camping, and spending time outdoors. 

           Edgar began to get serious about kayaking when Get:Outdoors veterans Josh and Nathan sold him a Tempest 170 in 2004.  From the beginning, he was hopelessly addicted and has spent over 120 days a year in a kayak since.  Edgar began paddling mostly local lakes and eventually wrote a book with detailed directions and descriptions about local lakes called Piedmont Lakes: A Practical Guide for Flatwater Paddling in the North Carolina Piedmont.  

           Teaching is Edgar’s passion and he often says he learns as much from his students as they do from him.  Edgar enjoys introducing new paddlers to the sport and helping them refine their skills.  He teaches most of the Basic Safety Classes at the store and is proud of the fact that Get:Outdoors continues to offer new boaters a free kayak class when they purchase a boat.  This helps to get them started with solid boat control and safety skills.  He often takes new boaters from his kayak roll class and people that he meets at the store to rivers to introduce them to this exciting sport.

           Not surprisingly, it was several of his kayak roll class students who first introduced him to whitewater kayaking.  Although he continues to sea kayak everywhere from Canada (cool whales!) to the Florida Everglades (giant shells!), whitewater kayaking is where he spends most of his free time these days.  His favorite rivers are Class V creeks like the Green River Narrows, Watauga, Wilson Creek, Upper Gauley, and the Racquette River in NY.

           Will is a sales associate with Get:Outdoors and plans on working there next summer as a business intern.  Will leads the after work paddle trips with Brandon during the summer months and has plans to start a kayak fishing tournament that will be held in the Summer of 2008.  Will has worked at Get:Outdoors since April 2007 and has been into kayaking for the past several years.  Presently, he is attending school at UNC Chapel Hill where he plans to major in Business.  Will’s ambition is to work in the boat business after college.

           Aside from paddling, Will also enjoys big game fishing and has worked as a first mate on a 51’ charter boat in Hatteras, NC since he was 14.  “For me, paddling is the most relaxing and rewarding form of exercise.  Kayaks can go just about anywhere other boats cannot go so they are optimal crafts for exploring and fishing.  We are fortunate to have some great lakes around Greensboro to paddle, although my favorite location is the Outer Banks which is also an awesome place for kayak fishing.”

Favorite kayak: Tarpon 140