[ Nomination by Benjamin Blake ]

Laura is a bad ass chick based out of the Asheville NC area.  She works as a kayak instructor, camp instructor and adventure guide.  Her guiding has taken her throughout the Americas, including Ecuador, Costa Rica and Chile.  In 2010, her kayaking took her to California (where she spent the entire season working for CCK), Chile, Ecuador and probably other destinations I am forgetting to mention.  Laura is an accomplished racer, winning last years Russell Fork and finishing second at the Green Race.  Laura always keeps a positive vibe on a trip, even when the logistics of living out of a truck with a bunch of crusty dudes gets a little old.  She is the consummate trip planner, taking care of most of the details of a trip.  In 2010 when I was fortunate enough to travel around Cali for a few weeks with Laura, I was able to sit back and relax while she led the way, determining what river we were heading to next and how camping and shuttle logistics would work out.  When I broke my leg two days into a fantasy falls trip, thankfully Laura was equipped with GPS and cell phone.  She was able to relay our exact location to CHP and 30 minutes later I was Helivac'd to the ER in Tahoe.  Without her preparedness, I would have been spending a long and painful couple of days in the wilderness awaiting rescue.

Her paddling skills speak for themselves, and have earned her sponsorship from Dagger, Kokatat, Seals, and Mountain Khakis.  You can follow her on her blog HERE.
And here are two videos with Laura from Gareth Tate

http://vimeo.com/16546084

http://vimeo.com/19912989