Kim McCluskey, a veteran paddler of more than thirty years brings a wealth of experience to our guiding team. He is our Director of International Travel here in Ely. His skills at whitewater kayaking, wilderness canoeing and sea kayaking exhibit a long relationship with being comfortable on the water. Kim’s love of different cultures has taken him to Vietnam, Mongolia, Greenland, Chile, India, Greece and Iceland. His experience and dedication to his trips and our clients make him a joy to be with on any adventure you may want to take.

Steve Piragis started Piragis Northwoods Company in 1979. He is committed to the preservation of wilderness spaces and loves to paddle. Steve is an ACA Trained Kayaking Instructor and he and his wife Nancy have travelled the globe searching for the best places to kayak with intimate group sizes and still find that much sought after spirit of adventure.

Chris Bandy, the kayaking carpenter has guided trips for us on Lake Superior and some of you old timers may remember him as our head bike mechanic way back before the new millenium. Chris is a ACA Certified Kayaking Instructor. He has paddled the waters of Lake Superior extensively by Sea Kayak and his enthusiasm for the sport is contagious. Chris lives in Ely where he runs his own construction company, and bikes, skis and paddles whenever and whereever the climate allows.

Steve Johnson is an ACA Certified Open Water Kayaking Instructor and is our resident carpenter and one of our most widely travelled guides. Steve is an avid outdoorsman and a great cook. Every spring here in Ely he cuts his own ice and puts it away in his customized ice shed for use during the year. A master craftsman his skills reach far beyond our retail displays to include handcrafted canoes and kayaks. If you need something done correctly around here, you call Steve. If he doesn’t answer, he’s out perfecting his guiding skills on the wilderness trail.

Drew Brockett arrived in Ely permanently in January of 1999 and has helped to grow our outfitting department on the local and international stage ever since. When he’s not at work you’ll find him out on the water exploring the beauty of the Boundary Waters and practicing his twin passions of canoeing and kayaking. If the greens are quick and the fairways tight, you’ll likely see him swinging the club and walking the Ely Golf Course or nearby Giant’s Ridge.

Josh Orcutt is an ACA Trained Kayaking Instructor and manages our Customer Service department for the Boundary Waters Catalog. He has been with our company since 1995. Josh is passionate about kayaking and has fun leading our recently instituted Kayaking Lessons for beginners and intermediates. He is an avid grouse hunter and fisherman and spends much of his free time exploring Minnesota and enjoying the outdoors. As the temperature drops and the snow falls Josh straps on his skates and competes in our local ice hockey league.