Expeditionette Profiles

We know you are wondering, just WHO are these girls? And how do we know they have what it takes to run the gnar in Honduras? Check out our short bios for now, and I am sure you'll get to know us better as the trip goes on....

Stacy Heer

Been Around Since: June 9, 1981

Loved By (Sponsors) Pyranha and for this trip: Astral, Immersion Research and watershed

Years paddled: 9

Hometown: Alabaster, AL

Residency: presently homeless but Chattanooga, TN in august

Favorite Boat(s): Pyranha 245 and a shred squirt boat

Favorite Rapid/Why? Big Timber Falls in Montana because it is fast, steep, so much fun AND in the crazy mountains

Biggest Huck: Tallest would have to be Spirit Falls in WA

Most Notable Accomplishment: 1.graduating college 2. Quitting my real job as an Industrial Hygienist with the State of Tennessee

Other major interests besides kayaking: mountain biking, hiking, reading, traveling, snow boarding, anything outside

Most Played on the iPod: John Prine, The Beastie Boys, and Jurassic 5

Laura Nash

Been Around Since '84
Loved By (Sponsors) Dagger, KAVU, AT Paddles, Smith Optics, Level Six
Years paddled 9
Hometown Belleville Ontario
Current Residency Victoria, BC
Favorite Boat Mamba 8.0
Favorite Rapid Widowmaker on the Nile
Biggest Huck Hoyin Falls
Other major interests besides kayaking: 1 year left of undergrad!
Most Played on the iPod “skiing in march” playlist


LNash at Qualicum...

Vida Kathleen Hilleke (Katie)

Been Around Since October 30, 1979 but I’ve only been kayaking since 1996.
Loved By (Sponsors) Pyranha
Years Paddled 10 amazing years
Hometown Birmingham, Alabama
Current Residency Nowhere right now, but most recently I lived in Burnsville, NC (near Asheville).
Favorite Boat Pyranha H3:235, until I try the Burn, which I hear is the best creek boat ever.
Favorite Rapid/Why? Gorilla on the Green. That rapid has some serious meaning to me. There is some powerful juju there.
Biggest Huck I think Mike Tyson’s Punch Out may be the biggest rapid I’ve run. But Spirit Falls on the Little White Salmon is the tallest. I also ran Lower Mesa Falls, which was the second tallest waterfall.
Most Notable Accomplishment I don’t know…I think graduating from college and working in a career that I love is my biggest accomplishment, I am not sure what my most notable would be.
Other major interests besides kayaking I have so many interests most of which I am still learning. A few of my favorites are Surfing, Yoga, Wakeboarding, and being an Aunt to my new nephew.
Most Played on the iPod I haven’t bought one yet. I am saving up though! Right now, I listen to whatever everyone else is playing on their iPods.

Vida going left at sunshine...totally sweet!

Robin Betz

Been Around Since June 15, 1980
Loved By (Sponsors) Wave Sport, Shred Ready, Astral Buoyancy, IR (hooking us up for this trip!!)
Years Paddled 6
Hometown Annapolis, MD
Current Residency Blacksburg, VA
Favorite Boat The small Habitat (aka the new Wave Sport Creek Boat)
Favorite Rapid/Why? Groove Tube straight into Sunshine on the Green at 200%
Biggest Huck Wabeena!! (just kidding, haven’t got much vert.) The random 20-30 footers from the Royal Gorge are definitely some of my favorites.
A Notable Accomplishment Got to run the Middle Kings Canyon summer ‘05!
Other major interests besides kayaking been writing my thesis on the topology of stream networks in the mid-Atlantic highlands…it’s going to be on Oprah’s list so, get ready! ;)
Most Played on the iPod – KT Tunstall rockin’ alright now

Robin in the 20' plugger above Wabeena...

Girls At Play Donate 100 Luna Bars to Fuel Our Expedition

Thanks to Anna Levesque and the team at Girls At Play, we now have 100 Luna Bars for our expedition to Honduras! Even if all 5 of our poor gringa stomaches can't handle the sketchy tomales and empanadas, we will still be able to match our calories burned from long days on the river with Luna Bars.

Thanks Anna!

The First All Women's Kayaking Expedition to Honduras

This July a group of five female expedition kayakers will be heading south to run the steep creeks of Honduras and Nicaragua. This team of Expeditionettes includes a well rounded team of kayaker athletes and expeditionists from all over North America, featuring Katie Hilleke (Asheville, NC), Stacy Heer (Chattanooga, TN), Jessie Rice (Truckee, CA), Laura Nash (Vancouver, BC) and Robin Betz (Blacksburg, VA).

Photo by Robin Betz

Katie Hilleke launches left at sunshine (above) on the Green River, NC. Stay tuned for more bold moves by the Expeditionettes and updates on this kayaking extravaganza to Honduras.