Melissa DeMarie

Chief Instigator & Whitewater Program Director

Melissa grew up in the Northeast but found her way to the rivers and mountains of California in 2004. While living on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, she discovered whitewater and began working as a raft guide. Fueled by a love for rivers, travel and adventure, Melissa worked her way around the world on the endless summer as a raft guide, safety kayaker, and photo boater, spending seasons in places like Norway, Chile, New Zealand, Nepal and Uganda.

In 2015, Melissa created California Watersport Collective, with a focus on bringing more women into the sport of kayaking, and as a way to cultivate community, helping to make paddlesports accessible to everyone. Melissa currently runs her whitewater programs on her home river, the South Fork American, as well as in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Montana and Chile. You’ll often find Melissa living it up at river festivals and races around the country.

In addition to paddling, mountain biking, hiking and snowboarding, Melissa has a passion for good food, culture, music and dance. While she is focused on building her company, Melissa is still a free spirit and often feels more at home when she’s out on the road.

* ACA L4 Whitewater