Eugene Buchanan, Publisher
Eugene Buchanan was raised in Boulder, Colo., and still has the Birkenstocks to prove it. After serving as sports editor of the Telluride Times, he took a reporting position for the Denver Business Journal, which he quit two years later to kayak rivers in Ecuador and Peru. He took the reigns of Paddler magazine in 1992, and moved it to Steamboat Springs, where he served as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. Fourteen years later it was time for something new. Hence PaddlingLife.com was born, where he brings the same fire and passion for the written word to the paddlesport industry’s only true E-Zine. A member of New York’s Explorer Club, his penchant for traveling, writing, and kayaking has taken him to more than 30 countries. His publishing credits include the New York Times, Men’s Journal, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Powder, Backcountry, Bike and other national publications. He has five books to his name, including his most recent “Yampa Yearnings,” an ode to his beloved hometown river.
Nick Hinds, Advertising Director
Nick Hinds grew up in North Carolina, spending time canoeing and c-1ing around the western part of the state since he was 11 years old. During his years at University of Colorado Boulder he added whitewater kayaking, so he could earn side money teaching at the Boulder Outdoor Center. Starting as an intern at Paddler magazine in 2003, Nick began his 20 year career in the Paddlesports industry. He worked for four years with Eugene in Steamboat at Paddler, then eight years with Canoe & Kayak magazine after moving to Seattle. Spearheading the guidebook for Washington and Oregon, in 2016 he helped publish Paddling Pacific Northwest Whitewater . After four years with American Whitewater and three with Werner Paddles he now handles advertising and marketing partnerships for Paddling Life.
Aaron H. Bible, Managing Editor
Aaron grew up paddling the rivers and lakes of Eastern Tennessee with his dad, fishing, hunting, hiking and camping out under the stars. Summer trips to Estes Park and high school ski trips had him hooked on Colorado from a young age, and he’s called the Rocky Mountains home since 1990. And while he has paddled in locales ranging from the Boundary Waters to the Rio Grande, from Belize to Kenya, his current backyard waterway is Boulder Creek. Aaron was an editor at Paddler magazine from 1995 to 2000. He also did time as an editor at Sporting Goods Business, Blue Ridge Outdoors, Summit Daily News, Kickstand magazine, and is currently a contributing editor to numerous national outdoor, ski, bike, travel and outdoor-industry trade publications. Follow him on Instagram for more of his writing, photography, and adventure travels.
Miles De Feyter, Internet Marketing
Miles’ grew up in the small California beach town of Grover Beach and was first introduced to river life through a commercial rafting trip on the South Fork of the American River when he was 13. During his twenties, pursuing a career in San Francisco’s Internet craze the Dot Com bubble burst and he’d find himself suddenly unemployed. So what else was he to do but head to Tahoe to become a snowboard instructor by winter and a Tahoe Whitewater Tours raft guide by summer running that very same stretch of the American. This led to a passion for kayaking and all things on the river: several seasons guiding and video boating on the Gauley in WV for Wildwater Expeditions and six months in Costa Rica as a safety kayaker and trip photographer. Miles eventually found his way back to Internet Technologies building websites and publishing platforms for AOL, Johnson & Johnson, and Brightspot.com. Today Miles calls Steamboat Springs, CO home and paddles as much as he can when not trying to make the Internet better.
Brad Burden, Ad Sales/Ambassasdor
Brad Burden is a lifelong paddler, coach, and storyteller who found his way back to the sport after more than 20 years away from competitive kayaking. A former professional kayaker and longtime instructor, Brad has reconnected with the paddling community as both an athlete and the host of B-Flow Sessions, one of paddlesports’ fastest-growing podcasts.
Today, Brad combines his firsthand knowledge of the sport, deep industry connections, and passion for storytelling in his role as a Sales Ambassador for Paddling Life. He works with brands, destinations, and organizations to connect them with Paddling Life’s engaged audience while creating opportunities for expanded exposure through content and ad partnerships as well as his B-Flow Sessions.
David M. Harlan, Web Developer
David Harlan is Paddling Life’s webmaster. Hailing from the cheese curd capitol of Wisconsin, he also has a long standing love affair with canoes. And music. Before moving to Steamboat Springs, he was a professional musician, playing the bars and eateries of Madison before taking his act out west. Living in a ski town, there are still plenty of drunk co-eds willing to attend his gigs at venues around town. He picked up whitewater kayaking when he made the move out west and has since poured his energy into the sport with the same intensity he uses when learning a new Jack Johnson verse.