Nigel Foster (kayaker)

{{Short description|English kayaker (born 1952)}}

{{other people|Nigel Foster}}

{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Nigel Foster

| image = Nigel Foster, English kayaker.png

| caption = English kayaker

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1952|10|17}}

| birth_place = St Albans, Hertfordshire, England

}}

Nigel Foster (born 17 October 1952) is an English sea kayaker, kayak designer, instructor and author. He is the first and youngest paddler to circle Iceland by kayak.Storry, T., Baillie, M. and Foster, N. (1989). Raging Rivers, Stormy Seas. Dobbs Ferry: Sheridan House Inc

Foster started paddling in Brighton, England when he was 15 in a skin-on-frame kayak. At Burwash Place Outdoor Activity Centre, Burwash, Sussex, England, Foster learned to handle whitewater, sea kayaking and surf kayaking. From 1971 to 1972, he was employed there as a "trainee instructor". He enjoyed the mix of Outdoor Activity instruction and Environmental Studies education and decided to pursue this as a career. He attended a three-year teachers training course at Redland College, Bristol, and gained classroom experience with two years teaching at a school in Buckinghamshire.

In 1977, after his Iceland circumnavigation, Foster was employed by East Sussex County Council to teach as "instructor/teacher" at Burwash Place. Later in 1977, he was promoted to deputy warden.

At the same time he continued his explorations with trips that included the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland and a voyage from the English Channel through France down to the Mediterranean.

In 1981, when the center was closed as part of regional cutbacks to education spending, he was redeployed as a schoolteacher, but resigned in summer 1981 to attempt a major kayak expedition – a solo trip from Iqaluit {{Coord|63.748611|N|68.519722|W|format=dms|region:CA-NU_type:city|name=Iqaluit}} at the SE end of Baffin Island along Frobisher Bay to Resolution Island {{Coord|61.5|N|65|W|format=dms|region:CA-NU_type:isle|name=Resolution Island}}. He had to cross the {{Convert|40|mi|km|abbr=out}} of open water in the Hudson Strait to reach Lacy Island {{Coord|60.675556|N|64.598333|W|format=dms|region:CA-NU_type:isle|name=Lacy Island}}, northernmost of the Button Islands and part of the Northern Coast of Labrador.Foster, N. (2009) Stepping Stones: of Ungava and Labrador. Parker CO: Outskirts Press.

The tidal range in this area may exceed {{Convert|40|ft|m|abbr=out}} while tidal streams may run at more than seven knots. After fighting the tidal streams in the dark near the Button Islands, suffering frostbitten fingers and loss of gear, Foster eventually gave up on this expedition. He was able to catch a ride on an oil tanker that happened to have taken shelter behind Killiniq Island {{Coord|60.366667|N|64.616667|W|format=dms|region:CA-QC_type:isle|name=Killiniq Island}}. The trip was described by the editor of the BCU Canoeing Handbook in 1989 as "arguably the most impressive of any sea kayak adventure in the world."BCU Canoeing Handbook, 2nd ed, p249

After his return to England – from 1982 to 1985 – he worked as an instructor at the Plas Menai, National Water Sports Centre, North Wales, primarily instructing kayaking, canoeing, boardsailing, mountaineering, with a little water-skiing, and sailing, gaining the following British Canoe Union (BCU) national qualifications in these fields.Foster, N. (2009) Stepping Stones: of Ungava and Labrador. Parker CO: Outskirts Press.

• BCU Level 5 Coach Sea Kayak
• BCU Level 5 Coach Surf Kayak
• BCU Level 3 Coach Inland Kayak (also 5 Star Award Inland Kayak)
• BCU Level 3 Coach Open Canoe (also 5 Star Award Open Canoe)

He also served for many years on the BCU Sea Touring Committee, and the BCU Expeditions Sub-Committee.

{{Location map many

| Canada

| label = Iqaluit

| lat = 63.748611

| long = -68.519722

| mark = Red pog.svg

| pos = left

|label2 = Killiniq

| lat2 = 60.366667

| long2 = -64.616667

| mark2 = Red pog.svg

| pos2 = right

|label3 = Kuujjuaq

| lat3 = 58.106667

| long3 = -68.398611

| mark3 = Green pog.svg

| pos3 = left

|label4 = Nain

| lat4 = 56.542222

| long4 = -61.692778

| mark4 = Green pog.svg

| pos4 = right

| alt = Nigel Foster, Hudson Straits Expeditions

| caption = Nigel Foster, Hudson Straits Expeditions
Red = 1981, Green = 2004

| width = 240

| float = right

}}

In 1985, he left for Iceland for six weeks where he helped an expedition group from Cambridge with logistics and by leading the kayaking component. He returned to start his own kayaking business.BCU Canoeing Handbook, 2nd ed, p249Storry, T., Baillie, M. and Foster, N. (1989). Raging Rivers, Stormy Seas. Dobbs Ferry: Sheridan House Inc, inside rear dust jacket He taught local groups in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Canada and the United States.

The design label "Foster Rowe" emerged for a while as a collaboration with two other top kayak coaches, (Andy Middleton & Ray Rowe) Canoe Focus magazine, April 1991, Trade News, p 8 with products such as paddling jackets, personal flotation devices (PFDs) and tow-systems designed for leading edge performance.Canoe Focus magazine, October 1991, p 37

Subsequently working alone, the "Nigel Foster" signature paddle blade was released by [http://www.nimbuskayaks.com/ Nimbus] in Canada,Sea Kayaker magazine, News from the Trade, August 2003 and Foster worked in a design/consultant capacity with companies including [http://www.liquidlogickayaks.com/ Liquidlogic], [http://www.bendingbranches.com/ Bending Branches] and [http://www.extrasport.com/ Extrasport] in USA. (e.g., [http://www.rei.com/product/770271/extrasport-nf-20-tow-system-07-closeout ExtraSport Tow-system]).

Late in the summer of 2004, accompanied by Kristin Nelson, he finally completed Baffin Island to Labrador expedition by paddling from Kuujjuaq {{Coord|58.106667|N|68.398611|W|display=inline|format=dms|region:CA-QC|name=Kuujjuaq}} in Ungava Bay to Nain {{Coord|56.542222|N|61.692778|W|display=inline|format=dms|region:CA-NL|name=Nain}} – a distance of over {{Convert|675|mi|km|abbr=out}} of uninhabited coastline – in which there were numerous encounters with polar bears.Foster, N. (2009) Stepping Stones: of Ungava and Labrador. Parker CO: Outskirts Press.

In 2008, at the 6th Annual Induction Ceremony, Foster was inducted into the [http://www.museum4kids.net/IntlHallsFame.htm International Halls of Fame: Bicycling, Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking] as a Kayaker.{{Cite web|url=http://www.museum4kids.net/IntlHallsFame.htm#class08|title=International Halls of Fame: Bicycling, Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking}}

Since 2007, Foster has been the head of research and development at [http://www.point65.com Point65]. In addition to designing products for Point65, he also acts as a spokesperson and assists the company with PR, marketing and special events.{{cite web |url=http://www.point65.com/Default.asp?page=news&type=news&id=153 |title=Point 65°N - Kayaks from Sweden |website=www.point65.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820085652/http://www.point65.com/Default.asp?page=news&type=news&id=153 |archive-date=2006-08-20}} Foster presently lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Kristin Nelson.