Meet the Cuyahoga Falls Fest Team
Don Howdyshell
Cuyahoga Falls Fest Coordinator A born and raised resident of Cuyahoga Falls, Don has spent countless hours at the river front since he was a child. He has been involved with river cleanups since 2013, after the two 100 year old dams were removed. He started whitewater kayaking in 2015 after being motivated by local paddlers. Don joined the Keel-Haulers Canoe Club and built up his skills through club activities like indoor pool practice sessions, kayak soccer, and river running trips. Don gradually built up the skills needed to run the Sheraton Falls and achieved his first descent in March, 2016. One of his strongest passions is keeping the river clean. Don has coordinated river cleanups with local paddlers, outdoor enthusiasts, and the City of Cuyahoga Falls to haul out trash and harmful debris. His focus is keeping the river clean, river safety, promoting the history and resource of the river, and growing the local kayaking community. Don hopes that with the Cuyahoga Falls Kayak Fest, more people will be drawn to our beautiful river and begin to share the passion of keeping it clean and using it for recreation. |
Nic Williams
2016 Race Co-founder Promoter Nic grew up in Cuyahoga Falls and discovered whitewater kayaking while on a rafting trip in 2012. Inspired by local paddler Ross Crocker and his YouTube video "Kayak Fever", Nic enrolled in a kayak class at The University of Akron and started paddling as much as possible. His kayaking abilities advanced quickly and he tackled his first descent of the Sheraton Falls with his brother Mike in 2013. Since then, when the water is high, you can be sure to catch Nic behind the Sheraton Hotel enjoying one of his favorite sections of whitewater. When Nic isn't spending his days paddling local Ohio whitewater, he works as a videographer and raft guide in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. He can also be found running some of the hardest rivers on the East Coast, such as his recent run in the Green River Narrows Race, North Carolina. His hope is to spread the word about the amazing and life changing sport of whitewater kayaking. He believes the sport will positively effect the community and that's what he aims to achieve with the Cuyahoga Falls Kayak Race. Watch Kayak Fever here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNFYyg1oatI |
Tommy Piros
2016 Race Co-founder Promoter The passion for outdoor activity runs thick in the blood of Tommy and his entire family. Whitewater kayaking has always been the most fun and breathtaking activity they've shared together. Around 2010, Tommy teamed up with his brother Nate to search for anything with water flowing in Ohio. They spent the next few years building their kayaking skills. They eventually stepped up to the Sheraton Falls in 2013 just before the two dams were removed in downtown Cuyahoga Falls. Inspired by the thrill of descending the Sheraton Falls, he has been running some of the most challenging rapids and rivers spread across the entire East Coast from Maine to Georgia. Along with Tommy's increasing skills and passion for whitewater kayaking, he has seen the paddling community improve as well. He has seen the beauty that Ohio has to offer in its rivers and the shameful abuse this natural resource has received over the years. Tommy believes kayaking will inspire people to respect our rivers, and in turn respect the rest of our world's natural resources. |
Matt Jackson
Race Multimedia, Photographer, Producer
A D.C. native and now a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, Matt began whitewater kayaking while attending Kent State University in 2014, making the Cuyahoga River his backyard run. A full-time professional photographer and producer, he has handled the race's photography and video production since its inception in 2016. Matt has worked on rivers across the country from the Appalachian East coast states to as far West as Colorado. His hopes for the race are not only to bring light to the Cuyahoga River and bring us together as paddlers, but to demonstrate to the world the positive effects outdoor recreation has on the local community. He believes through photography we can inspire people to appreciate, respect, and enjoy the outdoors, while growing the paddling community that has inspired and changed so many lives.
Race Multimedia, Photographer, Producer
A D.C. native and now a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, Matt began whitewater kayaking while attending Kent State University in 2014, making the Cuyahoga River his backyard run. A full-time professional photographer and producer, he has handled the race's photography and video production since its inception in 2016. Matt has worked on rivers across the country from the Appalachian East coast states to as far West as Colorado. His hopes for the race are not only to bring light to the Cuyahoga River and bring us together as paddlers, but to demonstrate to the world the positive effects outdoor recreation has on the local community. He believes through photography we can inspire people to appreciate, respect, and enjoy the outdoors, while growing the paddling community that has inspired and changed so many lives.