Spokane7
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August 28, 2011 in Business
West Valley High teacher spends summers as rafting guide
Kyle Brock, owner of Wiley E. Waters White Water Rafting in Post Falls, guides a group of Gonzaga University students down the Clark Fork River in Montana.
(Full-size photo)
AFLOAT THE CLARK FORK, Mont. – The walls of Kyle Brock’s office are 200 feet high, the ceiling sky-blue, and there’s running water – about 4,000 cubic feet of it per second this time of year. A classroom teacher at West Valley High School nine months a year, Brock stretches his athletic, 6-foot-5 frame outdoors during the summer as owner of Wiley E. Waters, a rafting outfitter on the Spokane and Clark Fork rivers, catering to individuals and groups of up to 65, including corporations, schools and special-occasion parties.
S-R: How did you get into rafting?
Brock: When I was in college, I went on a five-day trip down the Snake River from Hells Canyon Dam to Heller Bar, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. After I became a teacher, I got bored during the summer and decided to start a rafting business.
S-R: How did you learn your river skills?
Brock: Just boating with a lot of other people. I ran the Snake River a couple of times, asking questions of people doing the oaring. Then I went and did a lot of rafting on my own on more and more challenging rivers: the Middle Fork of the Salmon, the Lower Salmon, the Selway, the Lochsa.
S-R: When did it occur to you rafting could be a part-time career?
Brock: In 1994, I bought two boats, a dozen PFDs (personal floatation devices) and a dozen paddles, and ran trips through Spokane Parks and Rec as well as on my own. I probably had a total of only 50 customers that summer, but it paid for my equipment, plus a little extra, and I thought, wow.
But when I first started the business I didn’t know what I was doing. I had no background in marketing, so it took a few years to get going. Gradually my bookings increased and my equipment improved, to where this summer I’ll have around 2,000 customers.
S-R: How has the rafting business evolved since you started?
Brock: It’s a lot more cutthroat. I’ve had guys work for me and then start their own business and do the same thing we’re doing. It’s a much more competitive business now.
S-R: Has the sport of rafting changed during that time, too?
Brock: Yes. The equipment keeps getting better. All my boats are top of the line self-bailing boats. And we’re seeing a broader range of customers. But I think there’s still lots of opportunity for team-building floats and kids camps and business-related trips.
S-R: What is the age range of your clients?
Brock: As young as 5 and as old as 90.
S-R: How many people do you employ?
Brock: At the peak of the season we’ll have nine or 10 employees, all of them guides.
S-R: What qualities do you look for when hiring?
Brock: The safety of the customer is first. Guides have to demonstrate they know what they’re doing. Then, safety of the equipment. And personality, as far as how they communicate with others and are able to show others a good time.
S-R: How old are they?
Brock: Anywhere from 16 to 35.
S-R: Do they do this for the money or the fun?
Brock: Both. They get their wage from me, plus whatever tips they get. So it’s common for them to make $100 to $125 a day.
S-R: Is rafting dangerous?
Brock: Not if you’re well trained and you have all the right equipment. When people don’t respect the water – when they get in a real small raft or they don’t wear PFDs or don’t have training – that’s when it becomes dangerous.
S-R: Do you insist your customers know how to swim?
Brock: No. It’s preferred, but their PFD should keep them safe if they get tossed out of a raft. We show them the proper floating position, and we never float the river with only one raft.
S-R: What’s the hardest part of your job?
Brock: The organizing. I live with my phone. One day I got 96 calls.
S-R: Has the recession affected your business?
Brock: Inflation has affected it more than anything. Gas prices are outrageous. I have four rigs that I have to keep filled up. It seems I’m going to the gas station every other day.
S-R: How has this season been?
Brock: It’s been fair. We had such a high-water year that I had to cancel 90 customers at the beginning of the Clark Fork season because the river was too dangerous.
S-R: What’s your favorite rafting trip?
Brock: Commercially, that would be the Clark Fork. It offers a beautiful deep-canyon gorge with all the rapids and wildlife. Personally, the Selway, the Snake and the Middle Fork.
S-R: How much longer will you do this?
Brock: Probably another 10 years. I’m hoping then I can sell the business, retire and do all the fun stuff that other people do in the summer.
Spokane freelance writer Michael Guilfoil can be reached via email at mguilfoil@comcast.net.
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greyhound2 on August 28 at 5:19 p.m.
Teachers always complain about money, yet spend summer vacations having fun and going to Europe. Of course, they always say they could make more money in the private sector, which is doubtful, and if there, they would only get two weeks vacation if they were lucky, which is about the same amount of time off they get for Christmas vacation besides getting another week for Easter and every holiday on the calendar. While people who work regular jobs have to put up with children over 18 with only two weeks vacation, teachers have to put up with children under 18 with more than three months vacation with good pay, time off and lots of benefits. It is no wonder new education graduates can’t find a job, school districts are full and you would be crazy to give a job like that up!
misjustice on August 28 at 6:26 p.m.
“…Brock stretches his athletic, 6-foot-5 frame outdoors during the summer…”
Do tell?
Not that I am a sexist pig or anything…
The_Seer on August 28 at 7:23 p.m.
greyhound: You nailed it. I spent six weeks in Finland this summer. What a great country.
Now I’m back to help your brats learn. Make sure you pay all your property taxes this year so I can live in luxury. You forgot to mention we also get personal leave days during the school year, which we can carry over and let build up and go on week long jaunts to Hawaii in February when I’m sick of all the gray skies in Spokane. I try to take a Monday or Friday off once a month as well, just so I get two three day weekends a month. It’s grueling work completing the duties you parents neglect, but someone has to do it and you should just be happy we are well rested. You’ll need to excuse me now as I must go and pull a year’s worth of curriculum out of my arse!
misjustice on August 28 at 7:40 p.m.
Ouch!
Be careful when you extract those curriculum papers, Seer, paper cuts down there can hurt a lot!
pamelar16 on August 28 at 7:56 p.m.
Greyhound…you sound like you wish you had gone down a different career path. You don’t need to live your life so miserably. Why not try a little college and a new career? Life is short…live happy! Don’t hate on those who chose a job they love just because you made a poor choice.
misjustice on August 28 at 8:32 p.m.
I’m hot for teacher!
; )
greyhound2 on August 29 at 10:58 a.m.
Seer…… Finland is lovely this time of year. Just avoid New Zeland as its winter there and a little chilly. As far as cirriculum next year, just use the same one you have used for the past 15. You should have it memorized by now.