A brief story of Canoe Cornwall, it’s foundations and some moments of inspiration that have gathered together to be a business of lifestyle and pleasure rolled into one.

At the heart of Canoe Cornwall is Nikki Dorman. Nikki has lived and worked within the Outdoor Adventure and Education world since leaving school. As her career grew it involved work at Cornwall Outdoors, Truro College, Penrice School and Duchy College; to name just a few.

Nikki’s first love however were her horses. From age six Nikki has been up before breakfast taking care of her beloved ponies. Nikki went on to win a basket of awards for her riding skills. Horses never went away but the Outdoors did move in. As Nikki progressed through academia and on to careers, the ocean and rivers took a bigger role in Nikki’s life.

Nikki trained and became a leading British Canoeing canoe coach in the South West. From here Nikki went on to gain her RYA Senior Instructor awards in Dinghy sailing and wind-surfing, to name but a few. Of course to sit here and list the awards that Nikki has achieved in the Outdoor Education world would be exhaustive but let’s just say that Nikki is a leading and familiar name in the outdoor industry whoever one talks to in Cornwall.

Nikki’s life now is as busy as it ever was. Still a life of adventure, venturing forwards with the spirit of adventure worn openly her sleeve. Not satisfied with the ocean, she went on to conquer the mountains of Europe through skiing, the mountains of the UK through walking, and sea-cliffs of Cornwall through climbing. Or, let’s face it, any combination of the above. As if that isn’t enough, Nikki now sails away her summers on the Carrick Roads in her famous Cornish Shrimper.

Nikki has brought together all of the passions of her life and packaged them up so that others can share the lighter and quieter side of the great outdoors. That’s not to say that life is always quiet out on the estuary or when sleeping under the stars on a remote island but if you seek it for long enough, it will find you.

After several years of thought, Nikki and some fellow professionals carefully selected from friends and family decided that the world needed to see the unique way of life that they all shared… Canoe Cornwall was founded in 2013.

Life develops, people move and relationships shift but some things roll on. Canoe Cornwall is as strong now as it has ever been. A little wiser and dare I say a little bolder, Nikki is back in the driving seat of Canoe Cornwall once again.

Highlights of Canoe Cornwall….So far….

Like many businesses, they often out-grow their initial offering and become bigger and wider than first conceived. It is simple to see with Canoe Cornwall that it is now so much more than just canoes. It has also been so much more than just Cornwall for a while. But at it’s heart is still Nikki’s love of canoeing and the bushcraft lifestyle that holds the spirit of the business together.

Within it’s lifetime Canoe Cornwall has provided guided bushcraft trips to canoe the Swedish Lakes, played host to the Bear Grylls Instructor Academy and brought the Vikings and their axe-throwing skills to the Port Elliot festival. It has introduced the youth of Cornwall to the outdoors through it’s Kids Academy and summer camps for schools at the National Trust Trelissick Gardens.

And if you’re reading this; saying that the Nikki we know is so much more than these words, well then you’d be right. But I have just a few moments to share the person that I know, and the person that I know is so much bigger than a page can ever hope to describe.

All the best

Paul Seymour