Dan Henderson

For more than 35 years Dan Henderson, president of Cascade Canoe & Kayak Centers, Inc. in Renton, has immersed himself in paddling, explored wonderful places, celebrated wildlife viewing, shared his experiences, made great friends and exercised a competitive spirit. As the co-author of the International Canoe Federation Coaching Manual (the world and Olympic governing body for kayak and canoe racing), presenter at the 2009 ICF Coaching Symposium in Warsaw, Poland and author of many articles on paddling technique, as well as completing most of his coursework for a Master's degree in Biomechanics with a focus on the kayak forward stroke, Dan is a world leader in writing, researching and understanding of kayak forward stroke efficiency. Dan especially enjoys multi-day trips and completed a 200-mile sea kayak adventure from Renton to Port Renfrew. He serves as the Human Powered Craft Representative to the Washington State Boating Safety Commission, which advises state government on boating safety legislation, regulations and management. Cascade is a vehicle for Dan, who founded and serves as corporate president, to share his love of paddling with extensive instructional programs, a specialty paddlesports retail shop, hourly rentals, single and multiday guide service, as well as a youth and adult racing team. Dan grew up in San Mateo and Fremont, CA and served his country in a division of the US Air Force Special Forces called the Air Rescue Service. His undergraduate degree is in economics from Occidental College in Los Angeles and his graduate work in exercise science at Western Washington University in Bellingham focused on the biomechanics of the kayak stroke. As an athlete, he trained and raced from 1978 – 1988 (including for 5 years in Hungary), was a member of the US Team in the mid-1980s and won numerous National Championships and 4 bronze Pan American Championships medals. Dan continues to race at the Masters level and has won many more National Championships at that level. As a coach, Dan started the Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club racing team in 1989, and within 4 years emerged as the top Junior (18 years old and younger) Team in the US. When he left the club, over half the US Team came from Seattle. He worked for USA Canoe/Kayak as National Development Coach from 1993 – 1997 and served as Junior Worlds Coach and Senior Worlds Team Leader. With the help of some great students, he is helping to develop a collegiate canoe/kayak racing program at Seattle University as their coach. Can now serves as head coach of the Cascade Canoe & Kayak Racing Team. As an author, Dan was the canoeing editor for a college recreational sports text book, co-authored the International Canoe Federation (the world and Olympic canoe/kayak racing governing body) Level 1 Coaching Manual and wrote “Sea Kayaking, Basic skills, Paddling Techniques and Expedition Planning. He also presented my biomechanics research at the ICF Coach Symposium in Poland. Dan been married for 28 years to a Krin, his best friend and soul mate, and lived in Seattle since 1988.