About Us
Topsport Kayaking has a long established history within the kayaking industry. Over the past 25 years we have continued to build a solid reputation for our ever-popular kayaking school. We love to teach and share our passion for paddling. Seeing our customers succeed in their chosen discipline on the water is always a thrill. Topsport’s attention to detail and our safety procedures and policies ensure that we are leaders in our field.
Our instructors Len Smyth and Caleb Purdie have been teaching multisport paddlers together for seven years. They know each others paddling style inside out and work as a great team on the river. Both Len and Caleb have competed in many multisport races including the iconic Speight’s Coast to Coast. They know what it takes to get down the river safely and with a good time. So wether you just want to learn to kayak safely on our local rivers, have dreams of being the next Richard Ussher or something in between Topsport can help.
The Topsport Team
Len Smyth developed a passion for kayaking many years ago and has since turned that passion into his life. He brought Topsport 12 years ago and has been the face of the company ever since. Len has a huge amount of knowledge and experience, which allows him to offer good advice to those new to the sport. Len also owns a company called Legend Paddles, which produces handmade carbon racing paddles. These paddles are used by many of the top athletes in the sport and you only have to look around at a race to see the popularity of the company.
Caleb Purdie joined the Topsport crew as an eager teenager nearly 10 years ago. At 14 he was already out training and racing under the watchful eye of some of the sports dominant competitors. He has raced successfully as an individual in both the Speight’s Coast to Coast and The GoldRush in Central Otago. Caleb has excellent whitewater paddling skills and great teaching ability. This makes him a fantastic instructor and a very valuable member of our team.
Kate Cambie is our office manager and handles all the day to day administration tasks. She started paddling in the winter of 2006 with a goal of competing in the two day individual in the Speight’s Coast to Coast in 2007. Since then Kate has worked hard on developing her kayaking skills and experience, and now enjoys paddling more than ever. If she is not under a pile of paperwork she can usually be found out on the water.
