Steve West - Australian / British

steve west outrigger canoe kayak world paddle awards member academy media

Member of the World Paddle Awards Academy

Steve West won the 2014 Media Ambassador Category at the inaugural World Paddle Awards in Augsburg, Bavaria. Following his Golden Paddle win, Steve was elected into The Academy by its existing members on the 15th March 2015. One of the best known names in the canoeing world, Steve West, is an exceptional athlete, pioneer, explorer, entrepreneur, culture-promoter, role model and perhaps the highest-acclaimed technical writer and researcher who has had produced more than 20 books over a 35- plus year career as well as contributing to a variety of coaching and training syllabus curriculums.

Canoe Outrigging
Steve is a world authority on Outrigger Canoeing Sport, having had published over 20 books, 4 being definitive guides, Outrigger Canoeing - The Ancient Sport of Kings, Outrigger Canoeing - The Art and Skill of Steering, OC1 - A Paddlers Guide, V1 - A Paddlers Guide, including the world's first coaching and instructor training syllabus for the Australian Outrigger Canoeing Association overseen by the Australian Institute of Sport and Australian Canoeing, devoting much of his life to the sports development across the Pacific Isles. The University of Hawaii and of the South Pacific use his publications as reference sources. He is two-times Masters World Champion of the infamous 66km ocean race from Molokai to Oahu, Hawaii and multiple Australian National Champion amongst other titles across the Pacific. He was the Australian National Coaching Director for 6 years and 5 years assistant to the Fiji South Pacific Games crews.

Stand up Paddling (SUP)
Since 2005, he has been one of the founding Godfathers who brought the sport of Stand Up Paddle to Europe and the UK. His 500 page book, "Stand Up Paddle, A Paddlers Guide", won international acclaim as the ‘Bible of the Sport’ when it was released in 2012 and remains today as the definitive narrative of the sport. Steve was CEO, Trainer and Course Developer of the Academy of Surfing Instructors Europe (ASI) – an accreditation and training body for stand up paddling instructor education. He has since been involved in assisting with the establishment of the Water Skills Academy based in Harlyn, Cornwall, England and for the past 6 years has been developing boards for the Mistral brand.

Background
Born and raised in East and West Africa, Steve also lived in Australia for over 25 years and travelled extensively to the islands of the Pacific. With wife Mandy, they provide marketing and consultation service to the water sports industry, designing stand up paddle boards, paddles, windsurfing equipment and apparel while maintaining their publishing interests. Steve was a pro windsurfer in the 1980's and 1980-1987 was a freelance journalist for UK, USA and Australian Windsurf magazines and a TV-radio ambassador for the sport. He has been a Senior Windsurf Instructor and Examiner for UK Governing Bodies. As for publishing, Steve established Kanu Culture Publications in 1994, an independent Publisher Branch of Batini Books in Australia which still operate today. Steve brings expertise in Pacific Island paddling-culture, brand-development, multi-platform journalism and paddling education across a spectrum of paddlesports to the World Paddle Awards. His presence will be a remarkable asset in further unifying paddling communities and other water sports.

See clip below an interview with Steve West at the 2015 World Paddle Awards Bavaria