MEET THE TEAM

Our team is made up of professional watersport instructors, paddle guides, certified educators, and event coordinators. With a large, cohesive team working together, we ensure the best experience for all our clients. Our fully accessible property makes everyone feel welcome and comfortable, creating an inclusive and enjoyable environment for all.

 

INSTRUCTORS and GUIDES

Will Elias

Lead Kiteboarding Instructor

Meet Will, a water sports aficionado from a young age, immersing himself in boat-related activities, windsurfing, and paddling on the serene lakes of British Columbia. Joining our team in 2015, he has become a fixture, returning season after season.

Will’s teaching ethos revolves around progression, fostering a vibrant and positive atmosphere. Whether it’s wakeboarding, foiling, kiteboarding, or leading boat tours, safety and enjoyment are his top priorities. His passion lies in big air riding, relishing the strongest winds, yet he showcases his remarkable lightwind skills in quieter moments.

While most kite enthusiasts chase summer’s breeze, Will’s love for adventure extends to the snowy backcountry, where he trades his kite for a snowmobile, carving fresh tracks on snow-capped slopes. With Will, every season brings new thrills, both on the water and in the snow.

Kite spots visited: Australia, Thailand, Jamacia, Mexico, all around BC, USA

Meet Will (Video)

Instructor Premium Rate Will Elias

 

Unlock the Premium Option to secure your preferred instructor for your lesson amidst their dynamic schedules.

 

With each instructor possessing unique skills and potential last-minute scheduling, opting for the premium option ensures their availability exclusively for your lesson.

 

By paying a little extra, you not only secure their expertise but also support their dedication.

 

This rate guarantees your chosen instructor’s availability for a 3-hour lesson, ensuring focused attention on your learning experience.

Purchase HERE

Jennifer Wormald

Kiteboarding Instructor and Admin

Meet Jen, a kiteboarding enthusiast since 2012, who has ventured to diverse destinations, enriching her skills and experience along the way.

In 2016, Jen found her home at Squamish Watersports, where she not only shines as a kiteboarding instructor but also plays a vital role in our administrative team. Her deep-seated love for the freedom of kitesurfing fuels her globe-trotting adventures and connects her with an incredible community of like-minded individuals worldwide.

Jen’s heart truly belongs to the waves, riding her surfboard and catching air in strong winds. During winters when the winds calm, she channels her passion for teaching into skiing and snowboarding in the snow-capped mountains of Whistler. With Jen, every journey on land or sea promises excitement.

Kite spots visited: South Africa, Thailand, Australia, Spain, Mexico

Meet Jen (Video)

Instructor Premium Rate - Jennifer Wormald

 

Unlock the Premium Option to secure your preferred instructor for your lesson amidst their dynamic schedules.

 

With each instructor possessing unique skills and potential last-minute scheduling, opting for the premium option ensures their availability exclusively for your lesson.

 

By paying a little extra, you not only secure their expertise but also support their dedication.

 

This rate guarantees your chosen instructor’s availability for a 3-hour lesson, ensuring focused attention on your learning experience.

Purchase HERE

Antoine Verville

Content Creator and Kiteboarding Instructor

Meet Antoine, our dedicated and certified kiteboarding instructor boasting over 12 years of experience in the sport. While freestyle holds a special place in his heart, Antoine’s proficiency extends across all kiteboarding disciplines, offering students a comprehensive learning experience.

Beyond the waves, Antoine’s passion for videography propels him on global escapades, capturing the essence of exhilarating moments. In his coaching sessions, Antoine merges his passions by integrating video analysis into his teaching approach. Through meticulous tracking and insightful feedback, he ensures rapid progress and a fulfilling learning journey for his students. Join Antoine for an unforgettable adventure on the water.

Kite spots visited: Brazil, Panama, Cuba, Venezuela, USA, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Colombia, Bonaire.

Next destinations in mind: Cape town, Greece, Australia

Meet Antoine (Video)

Instructor Premium Rate - Antoine Verville

 

Unlock the Premium Option to secure your preferred instructor for your lesson amidst their dynamic schedules.

 

With each instructor possessing unique skills and potential last-minute scheduling, opting for the premium option ensures their availability exclusively for your lesson.

 

By paying a little extra, you not only secure their expertise but also support their dedication.

 

This rate guarantees your chosen instructor’s availability for a 3-hour lesson, ensuring focused attention on your learning experience.

Purchase HERE

Ben Saad

Kiteboarding and Foil Instructor

Ben, an avid water sports enthusiast, joined Squamish Watersports in 2020. Since then, his passion has led him to discover kite foiling in 2021, igniting a new and unwavering dedication to the sport.

Thriving on adrenaline, Ben embraces the exhilaration of soaring on a hydrofoil or shredding waves on a twintip board. His particular passion lies in harnessing the raw power of winging through the waves, honing his skills and embracing nature’s force.

Ben finds immense joy in teaching beginners water sports. Seeing his students evolve from tentative beginners to confident riders brings him unparalleled happiness. The radiant smiles on their faces as they conquer their first ride are truly priceless.

 

Kite spots visited: Mexico, Cuba, Cap Hatteras – USA, Dakhla-Morocco, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam, Cape Town -South Africa

Meet Ben (Video)

Instructor Premium Rate - Ben Saad

 

Unlock the Premium Option to secure your preferred instructor for your lesson amidst their dynamic schedules.

 

With each instructor possessing unique skills and potential last-minute scheduling, opting for the premium option ensures their availability exclusively for your lesson.

 

By paying a little extra, you not only secure their expertise but also support their dedication.

 

This rate guarantees your chosen instructor’s availability for a 3-hour lesson, ensuring focused attention on your learning experience.

Purchase HERE

Alex Goncharenko

Kiteboarding and Foil Instructor

Meet Alex, our newest team member hailing from Ukraine, who joined us in 2023 following his inaugural season as a ski instructor in Canada. With a remarkable 8 years of experience in kiteboarding, wakeboarding, and wing foiling, Alex is deeply passionate about sharing his love for these exhilarating water sports with his students.

For Alex, teaching in Squamish presents a distinctive opportunity to impart knowledge in the safest and most effective manner possible. His dedication to ensuring a secure and efficient learning environment underscores his commitment to providing unparalleled instruction to his students. Join Alex for an unforgettable experience on the water, where passion meets proficiency.

 

Kite spots visited: Croatia, Montenegro, Ukraine

coming soon

Instructor Premium Rate - Alex Goncharenko

 

Unlock the Premium Option to secure your preferred instructor for your lesson amidst their dynamic schedules.

 

With each instructor possessing unique skills and potential last-minute scheduling, opting for the premium option ensures their availability exclusively for your lesson.

 

By paying a little extra, you not only secure their expertise but also support their dedication.

 

This rate guarantees your chosen instructor’s availability for a 3-hour lesson, ensuring focused attention on your learning experience.

Purchase HERE

Marcel Ames

Paddle Instructor and Tour Guide

With a lifelong passion for paddling, Marcel has traversed the waters of Canada from coast to coast before finding his home in Squamish. From the tender age of 8, he embarked on a journey across lakes in Ontario, gradually delving into the exhilarating realm of whitewater paddling on the Ottawa and Gull River. The inclusive spirit and warmth of the paddle sports community have continually drawn him back, fueling his dedication to teaching for over a decade.

With over ten years of experience under his belt, Marcel takes pride in sharing his expertise with paddlers of all ages and backgrounds, fostering confidence and skill on the water. His joy lies in offering a unique perspective of Squamish’s stunning landscapes from the tranquil vantage point of its waterways. Eager to share these experiences with others, he extends a warm invitation to join him for an unforgettable paddle excursion soon.

Meet Marcel (Video)

 

Meet the Owner and Founder of

Squamish Watersports

Daniel and Melanie Grains with their pretty little girls

Daniel Grains - Owner and Founder

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After graduating from university, Dan was determined to build a life around his passion for kiteboarding. Along the way, he crafted the perfect Chalet for Snow kiting in Winnipeg’s chilly winters, which eventually paved the path for him to establish a kiteboarding school in Squamish.

As an instructor, Dan’s journey has taken him across various locations, from South Padre Island to San Francisco, refining his teaching methods along the way. His keen observation and specialized approach ensure his students progress rapidly under his guidance.

Growing up, Dan spent summers sailing with his family, fostering a deep connection to watersports. Today, he remains inseparable from the water, whether it’s maneuvering a tandem kayak from his childhood or mastering kite foiling and winging. With an array of skills at his disposal, Dan embraces the wind and water, choosing his style based on the conditions whenever the opportunity arises.

 

Kite spots visited: South Padre Island, La Ventana, Corpus Cristy, San Franscisco, Seattle, Portland, The Gorge, Cancun and surrounding Areas, Barbados, Maui, Dominican Republic, Dakhla, Toronto and surrounding areas.

Info Video

Instructor Premium Rate - Daniel Grains

 

 

Unlock the Premium Option to secure your preferred instructor for your lesson amidst their dynamic schedules.

 

With each instructor possessing unique skills and potential last-minute scheduling, opting for the premium option ensures their availability exclusively for your lesson.

 

By paying a little extra, you not only secure their expertise but also support their dedication.

 

This rate guarantees your chosen instructor’s availability for a 3-hour lesson, ensuring focused attention on your learning experience.

 

 

Purchase HERE

Melanie Grains - Lead Administrator

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Melanie, originally from Winnipeg, where the vast land dominated her surroundings. It wasn’t until she crossed paths with Daniel in 2005 that she discovered the boundless joys of water sports. Relocating to Squamish for its remarkable wind and water, she embraced a new lifestyle with no regrets.

As a trained educator, she played a pivotal role in the growth of their venture, initially managing all backend operations single-handedly and training others along the way. Despite her gradual immersion into water sports, she eventually found her rhythm teaching private lessons for 2-3 seasons, evolving into an avid kiteboarder

Despite her gentle and slow introduction to watersports due to a lack of childhood exposure, she took her time to become comfortable with each step, ultimately embracing the role of a water mom. Her family includes two beautiful girls who are the light of her life. They’re learning to swim and beginning their own journey into our world of watersports.

Kite spots visited: Winnipeg (lakes and snow), South Padre Island, San Francisco, Seattle, The Gorge, and Barbados. She also paddled and enjoyed various other watersports.

 

Info Video

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