BEN STOOKESBERRY
Kayak Session: You broke onto the scene with the video series No Big Names. What motivated your choice of title at the time?
Ben Stookesberry: No Big Names was the name of the first few kayak videos Brent Buntyn, Eric Seymour, and I released. It was our reaction to a booming kayaking culture that was trying to emulate the ski industry by putting the biggest egos and names out in front of everything else in the sport. The way we saw it, kayaking should be about the rivers before the big egos that are photo-bombing images of the world’s most stunning natural venues.
KS: It's ironic considering you have since become one of the biggest names in the game. Did you always aspire to recognition and exposure?
BS: When we released No Big Names in 2002, I had been kayaking for four years. There is no explanation for that film and the dozen that followed other than recognition and exposure. The good news is that in order to stay in the sport at this level for this long, I’ve had my ego checked and crushed many times. Sure, a few kayakers may know my name, but that surely doesn’t make me a “Big Name.”
KS: What was your initial take on of the big names of the time? Who left a lasting impression on you?
“I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A RIVER TRIP THAT WAS PERFECT. I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A RIVER TRIP THAT WAS NOT PERFECT.”
BS: I'd say Tao was the epitome of the ego-centered big names phenomenon. His goal was to be seen as the most fearless and most talented in the sport. While I really enjoyed boating and working on with him, Eric Link, Josh Bechtel, Eric Seymour, and Jock Bradley, Tao and I did not see eye when it came to our motivations for seeking out rivers. The other “big name” that made a huge impression on me early on was Taylor Robertson. When I ran into him at the put-in for a hard section of river in Oregon, he couldn't have been kinder or more inclusive in sharing his knowledge. At that time, he was on the US Team and one of the faces of Team Wave Sport, yet there was no judgment, no ego. He was simply excited to meet another paddler. He presented himself as a student of the river and
