Tom Johnson (USA)

Tom was the first kayak designer to make the leap from fiberglass to plastic with the River Chaser manufactured by Hollowform.

Though Tom is credited with building the first fiberglass canoe in 1942, his career spans over four decades from the 1940s through the 1980s as he designed numerous canoes, kayaks, paddles and other paddling gear for the whitewater industry. He was an ACA Pacific Division Vice Commodore from 1962 to 1967 and ACA Commodore from 1968 to 1969. Tom Johnson’s River Chaser design, the first rotationally molded plastic whitewater kayak in 1974, was responsible for the growth of plastic kayaks into all paddlesport markets today.

Tom has also been an advocate and supporter for racing for more than forty years both locally and nationally. As a competitor, he was National K-1 Wildwater Champion in 1967, National OC-2 Champion in 1972, and National C-2 Masters Slalom Champion in 1980. He was an assistant coach for the 1969 World Championships, and he created the Olympic training center on Kern River where 8 of 13 U.S. team members trained in 1972.

He continues to paddle and instructs on occasion while remaining involved in the Kernville whitewater racing community.