Andy Thunell
Owner/Kayak Instructor - ACA Level 4
Andy was born and raised in Logan Utah and is the founder and owner of Rapid Progression. From a young age, he grew up playing soccer which was his passion. But due to a knee injury when he was a teenager, he was forced to give it up and replace it with something else, and that’s when the world of kayaking opened up to him. It’s been over 15 years since that injury and from the time he sat in a kayak for the first time, but it didn’t take long for his passion of paddling to develop and for him to realize that he wanted to share it with others.
Andy founded RPKS in 2009 with the help of some of his close paddling friends while finishing up a business degree at USU. His paddling adventures have taken him all over the Western and South Eastern US and to Costa Rica. His love for kayaking is contagious and he thrives on knowing that he is helping grow the sport and helping people experience the same fulfillment he gets from paddling.
Dustin Judd
Kayak Instructor - ACA Level 4
Hi I’m Dustin Judd. I have been whitewater kayaking for the better part of the last decade. During that time I served on the Utah Whitewater Club Board as both President and Vice President. While serving in the UWC leadership, I came to realize that i have a great love for instructing Whitewater kayaking. I’m excited to be working with Rapid Progression Kayak School to be able to share my passion for running whitewater.
Tony Hepworth
Kayak Instructor - ACA Level 4
Tony plunged into his passion for kayaking in August 2020 after experiencing a happily overloaded inflatable kayak mishap on the Weber river, instantly falling in love with river running and paddlesports.
Tony took his first whitewater kayak class in August 2020. Fueled by his desire for a broader experience, Tony quickly acquired his first hard shell whitewater kayak, and within a month had another. He ran his first waterfall within a few months, then very quickly began incorporating kayaking into his travels.
Tony has kayaked in multiple states and abroad, having taken lessons in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina, and the Tirol region of the Austrian Alps. He has paddled with people from all over the world, including all across the US, the UK, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Tibet. He successfully taught his first student to roll their kayak in roughly January 2021, then began assisting class instruction in March.
Tony has been teaching kayaking ever since. Tony achieved his swiftwater rescue certification from the University of Utah Remote Rescue program in June 2021, then obtained his Level 4 Whitewater Kayak instructor certification through the American Canoe Association and Whitewater Attainment in Bond Colorado in September 2021.
Zeus Parker
Kayak Instructor - ACA Level 4
Joe West
Kayak Instructor
Amberlee Merrill
Yoga Instructor
Kenzie Amick
Yoga Instructor