Jessie Stone

Jessie Stone is one of my best friends and has had a great impact on my life. She has helped me achieve my goals year after year. Most recently Jessie introduced me to Tony Lunt, who is now my single partner in Jackson Kayak. So it is only fitting that Jessie is on Team JK. However, her paddling skills and ambassadorship worldwide warrants inclusion on this small team through those merits alone. Jessie can be found in the EJ's series of videos, or as a doctor, stitching up Dane in our RV (four times now), or curing me of malaria in Africa! She has been on team Jackson for many years, and now, finally, I can make her an official member of Team Jackson Kayak! Welcome Jessie. Here is her Bio.

EJ

After seven years of guiding whitewater rafts internationally, Jessie Stone decided to learn to whitewater kayak. She attended a kayak school on the Rogue River in Oregon. Shortly thereafter, she began medical school in New York. While working towards her MD degree, she returned to Sundance River Center in Oregon every summer to teach kayaking and improve her own skills. After careful consideration, realizing that her window of opportunity to be a competitive kayaker was disappearing, she chose to commit herself to the pursuit of her professional athletic career. At this time, a revolution in kayak design, and consequently the sport itself, was occurring. Competitive kayaking was taking off. World Freestyle Kayak Champion Eric Jackson was largely responsible for these changes, and Jessie was lucky enough to meet and be mentored by him.

Jessie’s kayaking path has lead her to competitions all over the country and to adventures all over the world. She continues to find interesting avenues to pursue her professional athletic career. In 2001 after September 11th, Jessie was inspired to do something positive for kids in New York City. The following summer, The Inner City Kids Kayaking Camp was born. This year the camp is going into its third year and continues to grow. As the expedition doctor in the first commercial descent of the deepest canyon in the world, the Cotahuasi in Peru, Jessie was able to mix her kayaking skills with her medical knowledge. Jessie became the first woman to paddle this canyon. In 2002, Jessie traveled to Ecuador with EJ, Danny Stock, and Chris Emerick to make EJ’s Strokes and Concepts video. Not only did the group paddle great water and practice speaking Spanish, but they also spent an unplanned night in the Ecuadorian jungle!

In 2003, Jessie accompanied EJ, Jay Kincaid, Clay Wright, and Chris Emerick to the Zambezi and the Nile for the filming of EJ’s Play boating videos. It was an awesome trip and inspired her to once again join her medical knowledge with kayaking. In January 2004, Jessie returned to Uganda with Anna Levesque, and Kristen Read to kayak the Nile and start a Malaria education and prevention program in a small village. Working with a local non-profit in Uganda, Soft Power Education, Jessie trained Ugandan educator Jessica Mugerwa to run the mosquito net education and distribution program. Alex Nicks, Elizabeth Hummer, and Ben Sarrazin accompanied the women to document the journey both on film and video. Surfing the giant Nile waves and holes was a perfect compliment to educating the local villagers about how to protect themselves against Malaria. Jessie’s only regret was that the 2 Fun was not ready to be paddled on this trip. This Spring and Summer in between paddling the 2 Fun as much as possible and teaching kayaking, Jessie will be fundraising to build a rural clinic in Uganda.

Check out this great testimonial of Jessie:

"I was "playing" at the San Juan wave in Sacramento a few weeks ago and met the friendliest lady with the prettiest smile. It took me a while to realize it was Jessie Stone (I don't know why it took so long, I know her voice better than my wife's from the "Strokes and Concepts" video). I confronted her with that revelation and she "confessed". After that, she offered a few valuable suggestions in little digestable pieces that even I could understand. When I fouled up she explained why without wounding my ego.

I'm 57 YO and a relative newcomer to the sport so loops and cartwheels (well--eventually cartwheels) aren't in my immediate future. Thanks to Jessie, my flat spins are getting smoother and I'm able to stay on the wave longer. She's a great ambassador for JK; and a good sales person. I'll be trying out the "Fun" based on her comments. I never thought I'd consider giving up the BEZ but I like everything I see about your new boat."

Keith F. via email