Dan_Millsip
Paddler
Hello everyone, today, March 18th, marks 15 years since we started WestCoastPaddler.com back on this date in 2005.
In 2004 there wasn't much available online about sea kayaking. A small group of us who met geocaching started paddling together. We were inexperienced but we had kayaks and were eager to get out there. Admittedly, we really didn't know a lot about paddling but all of us had extensive experience camping and backpacking so we at least had that. And so we began learning and paddling together. And we took photos. A lot of photos actually. After a few months, I decided that we should start a website where we could ask others about paddling, share our preparations for trips, and post our photos.
It didn't take long before we had quite a few people signed up for our forums. Definitely there was interest and a need for a paddling community in British Columbia. The site, and in particular, the forums soon became a hub for sea kayakers and we quickly began benefiting from the advice of those who had been paddling longer than us and from those who learned alongside us. People came from around the world. The sharing of knowledge was exciting and we were thrilled that what we were doing was benefiting others as well as ourselves. Our goal of providing a website with relevant and accurate information for the community was coming to fruition.
But over the years, things changed with the initial core group. Life got in the way of paddling and for a few of us circumstances changed and over time, a few drifted away from paddling and from the site. Fast forward to about five years ago and nearly all of us had moved on from paddling or didn't paddle nearly as much as we previously had.
This brings us to today. For myself, I haven't paddled a kayak in over two years now but I never stopped checking the forums nearly daily - yes, I've read practically every word posted on the forums. Kayaking is still something that I very much enjoy but as with most people, things change and we move on from one thing to another - as have I.
So I had to ask myself, where do we go from here? What is the future for WestCoastPaddler? It would be a shame for this kayaking resource to go by the wayside so I began deliberating what to do with it so that this great paddling resource could continue to be maintained and provide useful information for paddlers.
And so I made a decision a few months ago to pass on the reins to someone who still paddles passionately and could keep the site going. I kept coming to one name -- Philip Torrens, aka, Kayakwriter - a seasoned paddler who has adventurous stories that are the envy of all who read his entertaining words. I contacted Philip to discuss my ideas and plans with him and he graciously accepted to take over the site.
I will be maintaining a small percentage of ownership and will continue to work with Philip on the technical and front-end aspects of the site. Philip will be the primary and majority owner of the site and will have control over all aspects and decisions from today forward.
Mick Allen, who has diligently moderated the forums through the absence of the other core members will be staying on as a part owner of the site as well.
We also have a new addition to the fray -- Raj Persram aka, Tongo-Rad, is now looking after the back-end programming and maintenance for the site. A huge thanks to Raj for his efforts in the past weeks to breathe some new life into WestCoastPaddler -- it's very much appreciated.
From here, Philip will make all decisions as to the future of the site and I'm confident that the site is in very good hands. I hope that everyone here will offer their support to Philip as the site continues to grow and blossom.
In particular, I'd like to thank the original six members of WCP - Mark Schilling, Steve Fairbairn, Darren McQuitty, Robert Meyer, Andy Ferguson and later, Mick Allen, who all helped so much from the outset to create a venue that turned into a paddling community.
As for myself, several major changes have occurred in my life over the past four or so years but WestCoastPaddler has always been and will always remain to have had a very large influence on my life and I've garnered some of the best memories and experiences that anyone could hope for while paddling and camping with friends, family, and many who frequent these forums. I'm happy to have been able to contribute to this community in a positive way and look forward to seeing WestCoastPaddler thrive.
It's been an exceptionally fun and satisfying ride for the past decade and a half -- thanks to everyone who has visited the site and for making it a success over the years and for years to come.
So with this, I bow out to allow Philip to carry the torch.
In 2004 there wasn't much available online about sea kayaking. A small group of us who met geocaching started paddling together. We were inexperienced but we had kayaks and were eager to get out there. Admittedly, we really didn't know a lot about paddling but all of us had extensive experience camping and backpacking so we at least had that. And so we began learning and paddling together. And we took photos. A lot of photos actually. After a few months, I decided that we should start a website where we could ask others about paddling, share our preparations for trips, and post our photos.
It didn't take long before we had quite a few people signed up for our forums. Definitely there was interest and a need for a paddling community in British Columbia. The site, and in particular, the forums soon became a hub for sea kayakers and we quickly began benefiting from the advice of those who had been paddling longer than us and from those who learned alongside us. People came from around the world. The sharing of knowledge was exciting and we were thrilled that what we were doing was benefiting others as well as ourselves. Our goal of providing a website with relevant and accurate information for the community was coming to fruition.
But over the years, things changed with the initial core group. Life got in the way of paddling and for a few of us circumstances changed and over time, a few drifted away from paddling and from the site. Fast forward to about five years ago and nearly all of us had moved on from paddling or didn't paddle nearly as much as we previously had.
This brings us to today. For myself, I haven't paddled a kayak in over two years now but I never stopped checking the forums nearly daily - yes, I've read practically every word posted on the forums. Kayaking is still something that I very much enjoy but as with most people, things change and we move on from one thing to another - as have I.
So I had to ask myself, where do we go from here? What is the future for WestCoastPaddler? It would be a shame for this kayaking resource to go by the wayside so I began deliberating what to do with it so that this great paddling resource could continue to be maintained and provide useful information for paddlers.
And so I made a decision a few months ago to pass on the reins to someone who still paddles passionately and could keep the site going. I kept coming to one name -- Philip Torrens, aka, Kayakwriter - a seasoned paddler who has adventurous stories that are the envy of all who read his entertaining words. I contacted Philip to discuss my ideas and plans with him and he graciously accepted to take over the site.
I will be maintaining a small percentage of ownership and will continue to work with Philip on the technical and front-end aspects of the site. Philip will be the primary and majority owner of the site and will have control over all aspects and decisions from today forward.
Mick Allen, who has diligently moderated the forums through the absence of the other core members will be staying on as a part owner of the site as well.
We also have a new addition to the fray -- Raj Persram aka, Tongo-Rad, is now looking after the back-end programming and maintenance for the site. A huge thanks to Raj for his efforts in the past weeks to breathe some new life into WestCoastPaddler -- it's very much appreciated.
From here, Philip will make all decisions as to the future of the site and I'm confident that the site is in very good hands. I hope that everyone here will offer their support to Philip as the site continues to grow and blossom.
In particular, I'd like to thank the original six members of WCP - Mark Schilling, Steve Fairbairn, Darren McQuitty, Robert Meyer, Andy Ferguson and later, Mick Allen, who all helped so much from the outset to create a venue that turned into a paddling community.
As for myself, several major changes have occurred in my life over the past four or so years but WestCoastPaddler has always been and will always remain to have had a very large influence on my life and I've garnered some of the best memories and experiences that anyone could hope for while paddling and camping with friends, family, and many who frequent these forums. I'm happy to have been able to contribute to this community in a positive way and look forward to seeing WestCoastPaddler thrive.
It's been an exceptionally fun and satisfying ride for the past decade and a half -- thanks to everyone who has visited the site and for making it a success over the years and for years to come.
So with this, I bow out to allow Philip to carry the torch.