The team
Bernie Steidl
Growing up in a kayak family, Bernie was already able to record first ascents in the Alps in his youth. The expedition "Falling from Nanga Parbat" in Pakistan, in which he participated as a 20-year-old, was also a great success. With the foundation of SOURCE TO SEA in 2008 he turned his passion into his profession! Through his daughter, who meanwhile paddles diligently at his side, he realized how important it is to convey the value of nature and the fun of paddling to the younger generation as well. Therefore, he is committed, among other things, for the preservation of the Tyrolean torrents as chairman in the association WET.
Marieke Vogt
Marieke - kayak school boss, SOURCE TO SEA veteran, Big Mama of River Conservation and the best kayaker you've probably never heard of. Marieke is incredibly good at boating, but doesn't like to advertise it. She explains the world and the river to us and her kayak students in very Marieke-specific imagery and is an incredibly patient kayak instructor - provided the chocolate supply is secured. Together with Bernie she started WET and the Free Rivers Fund and has always been committed to the preservation of rivers - when she's not boating, climbing, climbing mountain peaks with or without skis, and keeping our website up to date.
Luca Daprà
Luca is one of our most versatile kayak instructors. Having grown up in canoe slalom, Luca has been fully focused on whitewater sports for several years. On the side, he is active in mountain rescue and is an accomplished alpinist. When you are out in the white water with Luca, you can fully rely on him and count on him to be there when you need him! It is not for nothing that he was given the nickname "Supa-Luca" during a kayak course. His specialties are safety courses, technique training and play-the-river courses. When he's not in a kayak or climbing a mountain, he takes care of the organization of the OETZ TROPHY, which has been held annually in the Ötztal valley since 2021.
Eli Trafoier
From a summer job as a secretary in a rafting company in Vinschgau to a slalom racer in Verona to a kayak instructor in Tyrol. This can only be Eli's impressive career as a kayaker with an exponentially increasing learning curve! Kayaking was simply love at first sight for her. Eli is into everything when it comes to sports - really everything - and is now happy to pass on her knowledge to those interested in kayaking with great attention to detail. She also actively supports us in organizing the kayak school and the OETZ TROPHY, where she fearlessly distributes tasks and manages the team of helpers.
Andi Brunner
Actually we think that we don't have to write a text about Andi, because everybody knows him anyway! At the age of eleven, Andi had to decide whether to become a competitive gymnast or a professional kayaker. Thank God he chose the latter. Now he manages our Pro Team and races extreme kayaks all over the world. He has also been on kayak expeditions on the most difficult rivers - for example the Indus in Pakistan or Meghalaya in India. For us Andi is on the Zambezi, where he lives and trains about 2 months a year. That's why he knows every wave there by name and shows us the best spots for the kickflips!
Valentin Gutierrez
Vale is a former World Class Academy head coach, attorney, and team rider for Kokatat and Jackson Kayaks.
Growing up in a kayaking family in Argentina, among the highest peaks of the Andes, Vale
soon developed his passion for the outdoors. Over the course of his whitewater kayaking career, he has traveled the world, claiming first ascents in the central Andes Mountains (ARG) and the USA. Valentin has mastered all facets of the sport and has represented Argentina in freestyle,
extreme and slalom world championships. He loves to share his passion and knowledge with the next generation of paddlers.
Lenni Zaschke
Lenni finally came to us in 2021 after years of watching him grow up in various kayak courses. Originally planned to work mainly in the store, Lenni's paddling skills have been so impressive that he has become a member of our pro team and an experienced kayak instructor over the last few years. By the way, Lenni can undercut like a world champion. So if you see someone on the river who is more vertical than horizontal, it is most likely Lenni (or Bren Orton). When he's not in a kayak, Lenni is making the ski areas around Innsbruck unsafe. He is also a gifted skateboarder and soccer player.
Miri Kirschner
From customer in the SOURCE TO SEA store to kayak instructor. Our young Hupfer from Bamberg has been in a kayak since she was 11 years old. Through her 5-year canoe slalom career Miri therefore teaches beautifully clean kayak technique to her course participants:inside. When Miri is not paddling, we find her skiing and ski touring in the winter and in the summer biking, climbing, hiking and whatever else is going on in the mountains. On the side, she is also studying geography, so she can continue to live out her love for the mountains and rivers.
Anne Steinkogler
We should have asked her earlier, because since Anne joined our team, we can do everything and look good doing it! She makes sure that you always find everything you need in our store. She makes sure that we always find everything you need in the store. But most of all she is a huge graphic talent, has designed all our logos and labels and can also take pictures. Anne is the smallest kayaker in our team, so you can get advice about size XS/S from her. Apart from that she repairs our broken clothes with a lot of love. And some of us have already been surprised by her with hand-knitted socks...
Felix Meisl
Felix is not only a super kayaker, but he is also great at helping his kayak students overcome insecurities and make fast progress. With his calm and level-headed manner, he especially takes away the fear of insecure paddlers and helps them to surpass themselves. On the side he studies at the University of Innsbruck, is a committed environmental activist, saves food and the world on the side and campaigns together with us for the preservation of Tyrolean rivers. In addition, Felix is an accomplished chess player and even leads a USI course! So it's always best to bring a chess board to a camp with Felix!
Phil Michel
With the decision to study biology and the choice of Innsbruck as a place to study, Phil's focus shifted from freestyle increasingly to whitewater and discovering the rivers of the Alps, which at that time were still largely unknown to him. Phil has been an integral part of the S2S family since his arrival and is not only the lead organizer of the OETZ TROPHY party, but also one of our most established kayak instructors. His motivation to discover new places and learn new skills is contagious for all his paddling students and with his emphatic manner he always creates the right mood in the group, so that you can explore your limits together with him and feel safe and perfectly looked after at any time. As a little add-on, he can always come up with exciting fun facts about the local flora and fauna, giving you a whole new perspective on our favorite playground - the river.
Magda Steixner
Magda has been with us for years as a kayak instructor in the team and jumps in when the hat burns! As a true Tyrolean, she knows the rivers around Innsbruck inside out, has already looked at every stone at every water level and also otherwise conveys a lot of confidence and relaxation. This is perhaps due to the fact that Maggie, as a trained social worker, always knows exactly what our course participants need. Magda is also very active in the local kayak club, the KNI! If you live here, check it out!
Daniel Steidl
Dani has been an irreplaceable part of our team from the very beginning - more precisely, since the first kayak course ever offered by SOURCE TO SEA. He has been in a kayak since his early childhood, is very handy, extremely versatile and a true talent for movement. So it's no surprise that Dani plays an important role everywhere we go. Mainly working in the store, he regularly gives freestyle courses and is always present as a kayak instructor at one of our courses and kayak camps.