by: Claire Diepenbrock
“I was given a gift by being taught to kayak,” Ella says.
Kayaking swift whitewater is a thrilling and dynamic sport, and for someone who has seen their fair share of whitewater, our own Ella Sudduth tells us it’s no easy feat.
Ella grew up in the tree-lined hills of New Hampshire, never a stranger to outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, or swimming. But Ella didn’t touch a kayak until 2022. While traveling to visit friends in Washington, Ella found themself in the vast landscape of the Columbia Gorge. Sitting on the banks of the White Salmon, Ella watched friends don skirts and dry tops, climb into their boats, and paddle downstream. Ella followed along the riverbank until they disappeared from view, thinking: “I want to do that”.
Back at the University of Vermont, where more than two hundred clubs fill the campus, Ella gravitated to one in particular: the Kayak Club. Ella’s first experience was a late-night pool session. Learning to kayak didn’t come easy—Ella spent a “longer than average” time just working on the wet exit—but each new skill felt incredibly rewarding to master. Over three years, progress built steadily. With encouragement and instruction from fellow paddler Connor Hayes, who would also go on to teach at Wet Planet, Ella’s confidence grew. Today, Ella is President of the UVM Kayak Club.
Ella recalls that the first rapid paddled was followed by a long three-quarter-mile slog to the takeout. Whitewater kayaks don’t naturally want to travel in a straight line, and Ella didn’t yet have the muscles or flexibility to stay the course. But even with the challenges, the thrill of that first wave train had Ella hooked.
“Being able to paddle whitewater allows you to see rivers from such a unique perspective,” Ella says. Having grown up hiking and swimming in the mountains, kayaking felt like entering an entirely new world.
Because of the support received from teachers and friends in those early days, Ella now strives to create the same welcoming experience for new paddlers. “Every person I teach makes a difference in the size of the community,” Ella explains. “I hope the people I’m teaching feel inspired to give back and teach others so we can grow our whitewater family.”
That sense of community is what drew Ella to Wet Planet, after hearing about its culture from Connor. Here, Ella found a unique and inclusive space that valued them as a non-male instructor in a male-dominated sport. Fittingly, it’s also the same river where Ella first witnessed whitewater kayaking in action.
At Wet Planet, Ella teaches a wide range of courses, from beginner to advanced. The two– and three-day baeginner kayaking classes are considered “the bread and butter” of kayaking instruction, giving newcomers the chance to learn the basics and get comfortable in their boats. Pool sessions help paddlers practice rolls, while private kayaking classes give intermediate kayakers the chance to sharpen skills.
Ella particularly enjoys teaching wet exits, often the first skill new kayakers learn and one of the most intimidating. Having once been in that same place, Ella breaks the process into approachable steps and helps students through the challenge. Another favorite is Wet Planet’s kids kayaking courses. Ella says shaping the next generation of whitewater paddlers is especially meaningful—kids are fast learners, quick to humble their instructors, and bring fresh energy to the river.
One thing Ella want’s people to remember is that while kayaking is challenging, and may seem hard at times, it’s an incredibly gratifying sport that holds a lot of life lessons.
“You have to lean into everything on the river. If you lean into a rock, it lets you go past it, but if you stiffen up and lean away, scared, it will flip you. A friend told me that kayaking holds a mirror to you — you see how you show up in stressful and new situations. It builds resilience and forces you to give yourself grace and allow yourself to be good at being bad. Small wins feel like really, really big wins. And of course, it’s fun,” Ella says.
Could anyone have said it better?
