Laurie Gullion is one of the most knowledgeable canoeing instructors in the country, having worked as a self-employed canoe tour guide since 1980. She leads canoe tours in New England and serves as co-leader for Arctic Barrens Expeditions--an organization that guides paddlers on whitewater canoeing journeys into the Northwest Territories of Canada. She is certified as an instructor trainer and as a whitewater canoeing instructor by the American Canoeing Association (ACA).
Laurie is an outdoor education specialist in the Outdoor Leadership Program at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Massachusetts. She has contributed articles to Canoe and Paddler magazines and has written numerous books on the subjects of canoeing and skiing. She is the author of Nordic Skiing: Steps to Success, Ski Games, The Cross-Country Primer and Canoeing and Kayaking Instruction Manual--the national text of the ACA for canoeing and kayaking certification programs. Laurie received her master's degree in sport management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she now lectures on writing in the sport management program.
In addition to teaching and writing about canoeing, Laurie is an accomplished canoe racer. She was the national champion in the women's tandem and mixed tandem classes of the ACA Whitewater Open Course Championships in 1986 and she finished in 2nd place in 1987. In her free time, Laurie enjoys wildflower photography, mountain biking, and fitness training.