• New business offering instruction and tools
When Noah Christenson gets the chance, he’s on the water and he believes that the area has some amazing options.
“We get lots of winter here which makes summer days so sweet,” he said in an interview as part of the Weekday Wake-up radio program. “Time on the water is the best thing you can do with it and that’s what I’m trying to get people to do here in the valley.”
It has always been a passion for him to enjoy recreational waterways.
“I grew up in and out of the water like a fish,” Christenson said. “I was working toward being in government service like a river ranger with the BLM and I decided I was too young and too fun to be a bureaucrat so I got into guiding. I’ve worked on being a professional guide doing the multi-day stretches here locally as well as Idaho and Jackson.”
He also felt like there were improvements to be made on the experiences in the region as well which prompted him to start Star Valley Raft and Paddle.
“I thought I could do it better than how Jackson was doing it,” he continued. “I moved down here a couple years ago because I was in this community a lot. I felt I could make a home here. There are real people here and people who are excited to be on the water and don’t want to have to go to Jackson to do it.”
Christenson pointed out the self-reliant traits of the area as part of the model for his business.
“I know there are plenty of people who are guides who are trying to run people through like an amusement park ride,” he stated. “I know it’s very Star Valley to do things yourself and empowering people with the tools to do it. I think paddle sports is no different. Like ski lessons or seeing a golf pro you learn how to do things and do it well and then you go out and explore. We want people to feel empowered to do fun things and it’s about having a skill set that helps you know how to do it. You can go see some really cool spots here locally or enjoy things all across the United States.”
With Star Valley Raft and Paddle there are as many options as there are ways to enjoy the water.
“You can have a custom experience,” Christenson added. “We will talk about what you are trying to learn and then we will pick a body of water and get you to be able to go out and do what you want. I can teach you to paddle-raft, oar-raft, or kayak, or sea-kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding. Hopefully we can add some things in the coming years but that seems like a good start for around here.”
Both young and old can learn the skills to enjoy the area waterways as well.
“This is meant to be a family business and we want to teach kids as young as four to be safe in the water,” he said. “We also want to scale appropriately and pick water venues based on that. The goal is to grow to where we can offer clinics to young people to groups of people.”
Christenson has grown to very much enjoy the Salt River.
“I am a fast fan of the Salt River,” he said. “It’s just exactly what you need to learn the fundamentals. You learn those and scale it from there and then you can take those skills wherever. I’m a big believer in empowering people to use what they want. I know people buy equipment aspirationally and say they are going to learn to use it. I do have a brand new fleet to help get people out on the water as well.”
To get started with the skills and knowledge to enjoy the water confidently, get more information at starvalleyraftandpaddle.com or call Noah directly at 307- 226-4540.
“Go to our website and see what they are interested in and passionate about,” he concluded. “I’m excited to help get this community out on the water.”
