Doug Ammons

Doug Ammons (born March 14, 1957) is an adventurer and is best known for his kayaking expeditions. He has degrees in mathematics, physics, and a masters and PhD in psychology from University of Montana. He learned to conquer both its currents and depths by becoming scuba certified at the age of 12. Ammons also was a competitive swimmer, making it to nationals several times in high school and then competing in college on the varsity Grizzly team. He has accomplished many first descents, from the western states of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Ammons comments later in an interview with the Missoulian, saying, "I tried to do the hardest thing I could conceive of, in the purest style possible". Doug is a solid kayaker but is very humble at the same time. He believes kayaking will take paddlers to beautiful places, "but only in context."

Recognition/Work

In Outside Magazine, Ammons was named number seven in the top ten adventurers of the 1900s. He was recognized for running the Stikine solo. Outside even compared him to Reinhold Messner: "What Reinhold Messner did for alpinism, Ammons did for paddling".

Doug Ammons also contributed to seven documentaries about beautiful rivers; he wrote scripts for four and paddled in all seven. The movies were done for ESPN, National Geographic Channel, and Outdoor Life Network. Out of the seven documentaries, four won Emmys. Also, Doug Ammons "won an Emmy award as a cinematographer for a film shot in Bolivia." Most recently he contributed as co-writer and co-producer to an eighth documentary, Anson Fogel's Wildwater.

Doug Ammons has written two books about his view and relationship with a sport he loves: The Laugh of the Water Nymph written in 2005, Whitewater Philosophy written in 2009. Ammons's forthcoming work The Stikine will capture the experience of his solo run on the Grand Canyon of the Stikine.

Personal life Ammons currently resides in Missoula, MT with his wife Robin Ammons and their children and grandchildren.