Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, Oren has been paddling for nine years, seven of which he’s been a perennial volunteer for the Ocoee Whitewater Games. He first endeared himself to boaters as the post-competition masseuse and still offers his services on site to the deserving weary.
For his ‘day job,’ Oren is an Environmental Analyst for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. He reviews permit applications for work within streams, lakes, wetlands, floodplains, and critical dune habitat areas on the shorelines of the Great Lakes. He also works in Michigan’s wetland policy unit, writing Administrative Rules (regulations) and guidance. What can we say: he is a water-loving guy.
He has been a kayak instructor for seven years for groups from Lansing, the University of Michigan Kayak Club and Eastern Michigan University. His prior outdoor volunteerism was working on the Michigan Mountain Bike racing circuit as a racer and with sports massage. As time allows, he helps with community groups, like Habitat for Humanity.
During the last three years he has entered into ‘judgedom’ for the Ocoee Freeriding as a Technical and Variety judge. This is a role that has at times required courage due to the subjectivity of freestyle competition (vis-à-vis the recent figure skating issue at the 2002 Winter Olympics), and will continue to evolve after the issues with subjectively scored sports. He has the analytical skills and paddling experience to call and understand components of expert or pro rides, and the patience to help our scoring improve as the sport matures.
Midwestern boaters have a reputation for being able to waltz through twelve hours drives with grace and mindless ease. That Oren makes the trek to the Ocoee on his days off, sometimes to sit in the hot sun for three days, sometimes to have to field complaints from disgruntled athletes, seems saintly. No. It IS saintly.
Thanks, Oren. See you at the Upper Yough, at the Gauley, or … at the Ocoee this fall when AW hosts the Teva Whitewater Championships!