July, 2005
Guide of the Month
Gillie Maxwell
By Zeke Callanan
Name: Gillie Maxwell
How long have you been guiding: I was a rookie in ’96, so this is my tenth year.
And on the Penobscot: This will be my seventh year.
Worst crib run: Actually it happened today, the day of this interview. A Pillow Rock flip. I was a little too far left on Pillow and kissed it, and then….basically, a junkshow. Glad to report that no broken bones.
Companies worked for: Moxie, Wilderness, Unicorn, 3 Rivers, Aqua Adventures...
And your favorite: Wilderness, due to the best lunch.
Boats Owned: Wavesport Godzilla, I have been Kayaking for 7 years on and off.
Where have you paddled: I have rafted on the big three rivers in Maine. Kayaked/Canoed on the Souadabscook, Kenduskeag, and the Seboomook.”
So Gil, What do you think about your facial hair: I like to go for the mean look. If you scare the shit out of them they listen. Sunglasses are a must. Never let them the white’s of your eyes. It instills fear.
How long do you plan on guiding: Until I’m 70.
From: Born in 1974 in Baltimore moved to Brewer at 6 months.
Got into whitewater: Started canoeing in the early 90s.
Family: Owns a Springer Spaniel named Page. A girlfriend named Leah.
Favorite river dog: Brian Taylor’s Rasta.
Favorite beer: PBR.
Best crew ever: There’s a group that comes up every year for Wilderness that we like to refer to as the Reardon group. One Double Trouble I decided to run the S-chute on the second run. Being a hung-over idiot I ran Telos straight and launched into the water. Swimming up from the bottom, I watched the sunlight grow and pulled myself onto the raft to find a fight brewing over whom was the best to fill my position. Less than five seconds out of the raft and I was forgotten, how do like that? Anyway, after banging a few heads, I assumed command and the rest is history.
Zeke Callanan is a Penobscot Guide and a kayaker. He will be entering law school in the fall, so all you down-on-your-luck paddlers out there will finally have someone to turn to in times of legal trouble.
Stick it to the man, man!
Email nick [at] noumbrella [dot] com with your questions, comments and concerns.
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