I live in Kentucky, and have been an active member of our whitewater club, the Bluegrass Wildwater Association, for 6 years. For 3 of those I was the Director of the National Paddling Film Festival...
www.npff.org ... and I got to meet a lot of the big names through that. Jim donated one of his squirt boating books to our silent auction a few years ago. Last year meeting and partying with Steve Fisher was the highlight, his latest film on the Congo is epic.
I paddle whitewater in KY, TN and NC mostly, chasing rain. The Appalachians...especially the Smokies...have some of the best boating in the country and the season lasts 12 months. I love the kayaking down here but still miss the canyon country, I try to make it out to southern Utah every April/May for 2-3 weeks.
Getting new people out and introducing them to the sport is what our club is famous for, our spring clinic draws 40-50 people every year. Watching them progress and helping them step up their game is one of my favorite things about kayaking.
Do you run much whitewater in Utah? I paddled a bit when I lived in Grand Junction, Co. That's where I learned to kayak...and swim. A lot.
I'm thinking about getting my girlfriend a Thrillseeker or Aire IK, but they cost more than a whitewater kayak!
btw, sorry to threadjack this post...back to the original topic...buy a kayak! and then a packraft!