From Taiwan to Prince William Sound: A Return to Alaska

More than a decade ago, Dr. Benjamin Rush traveled to Taiwan to help train a new generation of American Canoe Association (ACA) kayaking instructors. One of those instructors was Chungshih Sun.

This summer, Sun returned to Alaska as part of the Taiwanese group that joined Prince William Sound College's 14-day sea kayaking expedition across Prince William Sound.

Sun is the founder of Gearlab Outdoors, an ACA Level 4 Coastal Kayaking Instructor, university lecturer, and paddle designer based in Taipei. Before discovering kayaking, he spent years hiking. He says paddling offered something different.

"Kayaking gives you freedom on the water," he said. "You can carry your own things and go outside by yourself. It opened another world."

Originally trained as an industrial designer, Sun began designing bicycles before combining his profession with his love of kayaking. Around 2010, he founded Gearlab Outdoors, where he now designs paddles and other kayaking equipment.

As an instructor and expedition leader, Sun believes the best way to teach isn't by spending all day practicing strokes.

"If you bring people somewhere beautiful, they discover a new world," he said. "Then they want to come back and become better kayakers."

That philosophy has taken him around the world, leading trips in Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and Alaska.

Although this was his second expedition in Prince William Sound, he said every trip is different.

"The people are different. The environment is different. Every trip is unique."

This year's group enjoyed more sunshine than his first visit, along with frequent whale sightings and countless Steller sea lions.

"You cannot choose what the environment gives you," he said. "But everyone learns something, and it becomes a lifetime memory."

Organizing an international expedition takes months of planning. Participants must arrange extended time away from work, prepare for two weeks of wilderness travel, and overcome language barriers. Even so, Sun believes the opportunity is unlike anything most people will ever experience.

"I think it's really an epic trip," he said. "Most people would never spend two weeks living in the wilderness on their own. With guides, equipment, and support, they have the chance to experience something they otherwise couldn't."

For Prince William Sound College, stories like Sun's are a reminder that the connections made through Outdoor Leadership don't end when a course is over. More than ten years after first meeting Dr. Rush in Taiwan, Sun found himself back in Alaska, once again exploring Prince William Sound, this time as part of the PWSC expedition.