Albuquerque

Balloon Fiesta Kayak Tour

I want you to know how much I benefitted from your white water and roll classes.  Kelly your presentations Saturday and Sunday were always clear and packed with vital information.  The way you sketch out the hazzards and river features makes them surprisingly easy to remember on the river.  On the river you worked hard with each of us and I thought we class members got far more feedback and individual attention than in other kayak classes I have taken.  Glenn and Michael also seemed genuinely interested in our progress and were always willing to answer my questions and provide good feedback.  All in all the class was both challenging and a lot of fun and I feel it greatly accelerated my development as a white water kayaker.

Reed Mencke  -  Retired

Kelly is friendly and professional and seems to know what he is talking about and an absolutely wonderful teacher.  Kelly is very professional, sincere and a dedicated teacher.  He worked very hard to teach me, and I was able to roll within 20 minutes of his instruction. Rest of the evening was one roll after another.  I hope he can continue to hold more similar clinics on other advanced techniques.  Thank you Kelly. Amit.

Amit Goswami  -  M.D. VA Hospital

Balloon Fiesta Kayak Tour

Really fantastic lesson. Thank you so much for the incredible instruction. Ellen and Bart were wonderful instructors! I'm so excited to get out on the water with my own kayak and put my new skills to the test. Even, *gasp* rolling over! Best, Wren
Wren Chambers
Just wanted to thank you for an awesome class last night.  I like your approach to teaching.  People are drawn to that.
Leonard Graham

Balloon Fiesta Kayak Tour

I took Kelly's Intro to Kayaking class and an individual Roll class. Kelly was great.  He is a very gracious teacher, always trying to individualize his teaching to each student.  I learned how to roll and hand-roll in one Roll Class session.  He is very personable and he was accommodating to my busy schedule.   Additionally, his passion for kayaking really shows.  I look forward to kayaking with him in the future.
Chuck Washington  -  Resident MD, UNM Hospital
This class was amazing!  Learning to do things the right way from the beginning prevents you from having to 'unlearn' bad or possible dangerous habits later on. 
Heidi Craig  -  Retired, Artist

Balloon Fiesta Kayak Tour

My girls were Brownies. From a leader perspective, I wanted to see something fun, and that would build confidence. This was one of our first real "outings" as a Girl Scout. I was looking for something "different", something with a sense of adventure/out of the ordinary (something they don't do everyday) but controlled and safe. I also wanted something a bit challenging - physically, but also something they hadn't done before, something that would build confidence. This really fit the bill perfectly. They didn't' want to get out of the pool!
Kathleen Tighe-Smith  -  Troop #10228, Brownies, Albuquerque, NM

The roll class with Glenn and Michael was awesome.  The roll has been frustrating to me.  Thanks to the instruction the other night I think I have my roll about 95 percent mastered and I know exactly what I need to work on to get the other 5 percent.  I've taken other roll classes but this one was the best. After these classes I feel very clear about what I need to work on.  I can't wait to get back on the water ASAP to work on my roll and forward stroke.

Reed Mencke  -  Retired

Balloon Fiesta Kayak Tour

Kelly is fun and enthousiastic about kayaking. If you're interested in learning to kayak, this is the place to be!

Linda Scott  -  New Mexico Adventure Racing Club

I took a roll class from Kelly. I have had some previous instruction in rolling and in boat handling techniques, but I learned more from Kelly in three hours in the pool than I did in a two day course from another instructor. I am very close to being able to roll after only one class. I'm sure with another class I'll be able to roll quite well. Kelly has a unique capability to explain how to roll, and has the patience to work with people who are having difficulty learning. He is a great teacher!

Doug Chinn

Balloon Fiesta Kayak Tour

The combination of classroom, followed by river work was perfect.   The schedule was flexible to deal with the reality of conducting a class outdoors.  The whole experience has been informative and has helped improve my paddleing significantly.  I am more likely to continue to boat on a regular basis as a result of my experience in NMKI courses.
Marty Teugel  -  Fish & Wildlife Service

I chose NMKI because of Kelly's professionalism and strong attention to detail.  I find this very important as it relates to safety.  I would never trust anyone other than Kelly to provide instruction to myself or for my 12 year old son, Navada.  We felt very safe and well guided under the direction of Kelly.  I would tell others if they ever hesitated to try kayaking, River Boarding or any kind of paddling to first take a course with Kelly and rest assured they will be in good hands.

Nina Perea

Balloon Fiesta Kayak Tour

I would wholeheartedly recommend this course. I would also recommend they have several adults in the water, and several "shore-side" as there seemed to be more things to do that I would have expected. Not only for the girls' confidence, but helping turn around the kayaks, getting the girls in and out, etc. 
Kathleen Tighe-Smith  -  Troop #10228, Brownies, Albuquerque, NM

Kelly is very articulate with great attention to detail.  He comes highly recommended by those who have attended his courses.

Galen Knight  -  Assistant Organizer - Camping and Adventure Social Meetup group

(Level 2) The Kayak Roll

Felt that my attempts at the roll are getting better.  Kelly's instruction is valuable and very precise.  I think he will help me get the roll done right.
Elaine Sweeney  -  'world traveler'

I want you to know how much I benefitted from your white water and roll classes.  Kelly your presentations Saturday and Sunday were always clear and packed with vital information.  The way you sketch out the hazzards and river features makes them surprisingly easy to remember on the river.  On the river you worked hard with each of us and I thought we class members got far more feedback and individual attention than in other kayak classes I have taken.  Glenn and Michael also seemed genuinely interested in our progress and were always willing to answer my questions and provide good feedback.  All in all the class was both challenging and a lot of fun and I feel it greatly accelerated my development as a white water kayaker.

Reed Mencke  -  Retired

(Level 2) The Kayak Roll

My learning curve has been exponential. I never imagined I would learn this much, so fast!

Chuck Washington  -  Resident MD, UNMH

I took a roll class from Kelly. I have had some previous instruction in rolling and in boat handling techniques, but I learned more from Kelly in three hours in the pool than I did in a two day course from another instructor. I am very close to being able to roll after only one class. I'm sure with another class I'll be able to roll quite well. Kelly has a unique capability to explain how to roll, and has the patience to work with people who are having difficulty learning. He is a great teacher!

Doug Chinn

(Level 1) Introduction to Kayaking - Whitewater and Recreational

I like the emphasis on kayaking as a positive experience.  After taking the classes, you realize that you can have a very fun time, even before mastering the roll.  Other classes I've taken make the roll seem like a necessity, and learning to roll (or not), becomes the focus, which eclipses the fun of kayaking.

Betsy Glenn

I just took Kelly's Intro to Kayaking class at the Chavez Center in Santa Fe and really enjoyed it.  He was able to work with all levels (I'd never been in a kayak with the skirt on before) and even helped me overcome my fears after the initial freakout of being strapped to my boat underwater.  Great teacher, I'm looking forward to the roll class!

Liz Miller
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