Quick Details
We’re bringing back the Rough Water Rodeo in 2025 as an International Affair! The Cali Collective team is excited to welcome guest coaches Kelly Marie Henry (Flow State Adventures) and Amber Champion (Blue Dog Kayaking) at this year’s Rough Water Rodeo in addition to the core Saltwater Crew.
We’ll spend four glorious days adventuring and honing skills in the best venues the Bay Area has to offer. Every day, students will have the opportunity to choose either a spicy intermediate/advanced environment or a more mild, yet complementary, advanced beginner environment based on their comfort, the conditions of the day, and individual goals.
Potential Schedule (Final Based on Conditions):
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- Day 1: Surf Zone and/or Performance Surfing
- Day 2: Intro to Rock Gardening and/or Rock Gardening Skills & Safety
- Day 3: Blending Strokes and/or Intermediate Tide Race Play, Rocks and/or Surf
- Day 4: Open Coastal Journey or Grand Surf Safari (Can be adapted as a half day)
This 4-day long-weekend aims to meet your goals and needs at a variety of levels, taking advantage of aa group of people riding skis on a body of water strong coaching team to challenge yourself and achieve new breakthroughs.
Whether you’re from out of town and have always wanted to paddle in the Bay Area or you’re a local excited to work with new coaches and fresh techniques, this clinic is designed for you.
Prerequisites: Previous surf zone and rough water experience strongly recommended (Intro to Surf Zone, Intro to Tides & Currents, Intro to Rock Gardening). Students should have good bracing skills and be comfortable with wet exits, as well as self and assisted rescues. A roll is encouraged but NOT required. Students who have successfully completed an ACA L3 skills assessment or higher will get the most out of this event (and probably have the most fun).
Location & Timing: Day 1 will likely take place in Bolinas, Half Moon Bay, or Dillon Beach, with Days 2 and 3 launching from Horseshoe Cove. Day 4, we will adjust location based on the needs of each group and the day’s conditions.
Pricing: $799 (max 4-day participants: 16)
Please Note: Cost does not include lodging, meals, or kayak and gear rental. We offer boat and gear rentals for students and can recommend lodging options.
Please make sure you review our cancellation policy before registering.
Lodging: Lodging is not included. We’re happy to help recommend lodging options and also connect participants who are interested in sharing lodging.
Please Note: Cost does not include kayak and gear rental. We offer boat and gear rentals for students.
Questions? Email Laura at laura@cwwcollective.com
2025 Confirmed Coaches
Alex Lalonde | Body Boat Blade
Happiest in the seat of a kayak, Alex is passionate and enthusiastic about all forms of adventure sport. He can most commonly be found floating down his local rivers, coastlines, or exploring waterways across the globe.
As owner of Body Boat Blade in Anacortes, WA, Alex truly lives his passions of paddling and coaching daily. While spending a majority of his time on the sea, Alex is also an adept whitewater kayaker and open canoeist, having completed courses through British Canoeing in these disciplines as well. Alex found a love for the outdoors at a young age growing up amongst the gorges, lakes, and hills of Ithaca, NY.
He is fully dedicated to learner-focused coaching, helping paddlers achieve their goals through methodical, fluid, and fun, client-tailored programs. When not coaching or guiding, he can typically be found mountain biking around Fidalgo Island, working on various woodworking projects, or eating a bagel at the Good Bagels cafe.
Amber Champion | Blue Dog Kayaking
Amber Champion has been adventuring since the day she was born, but has been heavily involved with Sea Kayaking since 2015 & Paddleboarding since 2016. She began her sea kayaking career working as a guide on the Great Barrier Reef in the Whitsundays, Australia. From there she decided recreation was a great way to access remote locations away from big vessels and to find hidden gems that most people wouldn’t know existed. In 2016 she started working for Blue Dog Kayaking ltd. This is where her life of instruction began, she was drawn to the world of teaching when she realized that it gave individuals the potential to paddle away with the skills and abilities to go and explore without a guide. Facilitating learning environments that empowers and builds confidence in individuals became a new passion, and the desire to get more highly trained became a priority. In the past few years Amber has taught at numerous national and international symposiums, gained her Paddle Canada L4 Instructors & L3 Instructor Trainers certification and became the youngest and the only female to hold that certification. This past year, Amber ran the first ever all women’s L4 skills course for Paddle Canada in history, something she dreamt about since she joined the organization! She is driven to get to the top and offer more opportunities for learning for everyone. Not to mention she is ACA curious! When Amber isn’t instructing she spends her time surfing her paddleboard, or kayak exploring by land and water and venturing off to find more hidden gems.
Jake Taylor | Mountain & Sea Sports
Currently living between Hong Kong and British Colombia, Jake hails from the northeast section of Georgia and comes from a large family. His start was in a small town near the mountains where he grew up playing in forests and streams. He has lived, studied, and worked across several continents and has always been drawn to outdoor spaces, making connections with others, and delving into complex challenges. Adventure sport and outdoor pursuits have continued to provide him the opportunity to engage in these arduous passions. He has gained so much from these experiences, and I want to provide the opportunity for others. Jake is an ACA L2 Essentials of Kayak Touring Instructor Trainer Educator, L4 Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor, L4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor, L2 Canoe Instructor, L2 SUP Instructor Trainer Educator. He is also a registered Sea Kayak Maine Guide, RYA Day Skipper, Leave No Trace Master Educator, and SOLO Wilderness EMT & Wilderness Instructor.
Kelly Marie Henry | Flow State Adventures
Kelly is a surf obsessed, rough water loving, paddling fanatic. Her positive energy and enthusiasm for kayaking encourages and inspires both experienced and novice paddlers alike. As a coach, she strives to help paddlers at all levels build confidence, develop independence, and achieve their personal performance goals. Her current coaching and paddling certifications include ACA Level 5 Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor, BC Advanced Sea Kayak Coach & Leader, and BC Coastal SUP Leader.
Kelly attributes many of her most memorable life experiences to paddlesports including a multi-week coaching and sea kayaking adventure in Taiwan, exploring South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula as a polar expedition guide, and representing the United States in the World Surf Kayak Championships. Kelly now calls Anglesey, North Wales her home and together with her partner owns and operates Flow State Adventures. On her days off, you will find Kelly surfing the tide races off Anglesey, white water kayaking in the Alps, or trail running in Snowdonia.
Laura Zulliger | Cali Collective
With over 20 years of kayak teaching experience, Laura is an ACA-certified Level 5 Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructor, L4 Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructor Trainer, an L4 Whitewater Kayaking Instructor, and L3 Surf Kayak Instructor. She’s honored to organize the Rough Water Rodeo for a fourth time!
As a coach, Laura draws upon a multidisciplinary approach to give students the skills and confidence needed to experience the waves, rocks and swell of California’s energetic coastline as a playground rather than a battleground. To that end, she is grateful for the opportunity to work with paddlers at every stage of their development. She’s the Saltwater Program Director for California Watersport Collective. When she’s not on the water playing in waves and around rocks, she leads marketing for Sea Trek Kayak & SUP Centers or is splashing around somewhere with her son, Albie. She’s honored to be on the P&H Kayaks Team and serve as a global ambassador for Kokatat in addition to being on the Mega Surf Kayaks team.