Brian Sykes

Owner

Guiding Since: 1993

Brian is from Yamhill, Oregon and graduated from Portland State University. He enjoys his Scottish heritage and is happy to discuss his favorite beverage - single malt scotch whiskey

Will Sharp

Owner

Guiding Since: 1992

Will is from Tucson, Arizona and graduated from Linfield College. Along with being part owner of Ouzel he works full time as a software engineer. When Will isn't on the river for fun you might find him riding his motorcycle with Ouzel Guide Bobby or road tripping with his daughter Sonora.

Erika Litzer

Assistant Manager

Guiding Since: 2006

Erika is from Eugene, Oregon and graduated from Oregon State University where she was a collegiate  swimmer. She moved to Bend after school to pursue a career as a raft guide and found Ouzel, as well as her husband "Ringer Guide" Justin.  After many years of working seasonally as a Professional Ski Patroller at Mt Bachelor and Guiding she moved into the office hot seat as Assistant Manager at Ouzel year round. She enjoys ultrarunning in the mountains, skiing and camping. "My favorite thing to do is go rafting with my family and the other "old" Ouzel guides we worked with for years on the river and their families!"

Cameron Jordan

Operations Manager

Guiding Since: 2008

Cameron is from Los Altos Hills, California and graduated from CSUSB with a degree in Business Administration. He enjoys spending as much time outside as possible skiing, mt. biking, traveling, and scuba diving. Cameron spends his winters working in the ski resort industry.

AJ Untermeyer

Senior Guide/Training Manager

Guiding since:  2013

AJ was born in Bend, Oregon and still enjoys calling it home. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Business Administration. AJ is an avid outdoorsman and food lover he enjoys exploring the backroads of Central Oregon and the small town feel of the area. He grew up in a family of boaters and caught the rafting bug as a young kid and hasn’t looked back since. When he is off the river he can be found working on websites (like this one here!) and running audio/visual technical support for live events. 

Jenny Kutsher

Reservations

Jenny grew up in Claremont, California. She attended UC Davis and found a love for the great outdoors- exploring the Sierra Nevada mountains and the many rivers of Northern California. She met her husband, Bobby, on the South Fork of the American River. They made the move to Bend in the fall of 2000. Bobby began guiding for Ouzel in 2001, so Jenny has been in the Ouzel family for over 20 years. She officially became an Office Bum in 2022. Her favorite place to be is on the river with her husband and daughter. She loves multi-day river trips (one day is not enough!) spending those days with family and friends, living outside and falling asleep under the stars

Neely South

Guiding Since: 1993

Neely is a native Oregonian with webbed toes to prove it, seriously. She stumbled into guiding as a pre-college adventure and fell in love with river life.

When off the river she juggles two bartending jobs and a small business as a ceramic artist, not to mention a big garden, ducks, dogs, chickens, cat and a few fish. The only way it all works is the by the grace and support of her amazing six year old daughter and husband. 

Bobby Kutsher

Guiding Since: 1995

Bobby is from Fairfax, Virginia and started his guiding career in Northern California in 1999. He enjoys mt. biking, playing disc golf, fixing cars and spending time on the river with his wife and daughter. Bobby works in the Bend LaPine School District in the off season in a special education behavior program.

Tim Freeman

Guiding Since: 2000

Tim is a native Oregonian and has earned the nick name "Captain Oregon" during his 21 years at Ouzel. Tim graduated from the U of O and enjoys being outside (preferably without shoes on) as much as possible. An absolute wealth of knowledge about the natural world around him, Tim is an invaluable member of any crew he is on or leading.

Eamon O'Leary

Guiding Since: 2016

Eamon grew up in Saratoga Springs in Upstate New York. Adventuring in the Adirondacks and on the waters of Lake George he grew to crave the pursuits of all things outdoors. He made his way to Oregon where he found Ouzel and a love of guiding. Since then he has spent his summers on the river and in the off season drives around the west looking for nice places to take naps and explore. In the winter he makes a living as an entry level carpenter back east. Eamon once got hired to teach sailing with no sailing experience!

Brett Finney

Guiding Since: 2017

Brett is from Yorba Linda California and has lived in bend for 7 years.  In the winter time he snowboards and off roads in his truck, and when water ways unfreeze you can find him paddle boarding and fishing frequently.

Jarrod Donatelli

Guiding Since: 2003

Jarrod is from Lake Norman, North Carolina and was introduced to boating when his sister owned a whitewater photography business in Western N.C. and he would visit her in the summers. He graduated from Wingate University with a Psychology degree and started guiding on the French Broad and Pigeon rivers. He moved to Bend in 2002 and started working at Ouzel in the summers and Mt Bachelor in the winters. Jarrod loves the camaraderie, adventure, beauty and meeting all the guests. Jarrod enjoys private boating, snowboarding, and seeing live music. He owns a tattoo studio in Bend with his amazing wife, plays percussion in a local band and has seen his favorite band Widespread Panic over 350 times!

Hogan Hernandez

Guiding Since: 2018

Hogan is originally from Sisters, Oregon and learned to guide through her high school’s outdoor program locally on the Deschutes River. She quickly fell for the Ouzel family and has loved getting to guide on so many rivers around Oregon and Idaho and learn about life from her river people. She studied Public Relations and Mandarin Chinese at the University of Oregon and has continued her guiding career even after school. When she is hibernating during the off-season, Hogan enjoys fly fishing, skiing in the Elkhorn Mountains, exploring trails with her dog, traveling around the West or to other countries, and cooking/eating delicious food. 

Rylan Boggs

Guiding Since: 2019

Rylan is from Helena, Montana. Rylan started guiding because he thought it would be a great environment to learn how to swim! In the winter you can find him patrolling the slopes of Mt. Bachelor as a Professional Ski Patroller. When he's not guiding or ski patrolling he is mountain biking or traveling the world. One fun fact about Rylan is before he worked as a guide he was a newspaper reporter.

Helen Schoonmaker

Guiding Since: 2021

Helen was born and raised in San Diego, California. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in Marine Biology she moved to Bend and became friends with raft guides.  They introduced her to fresh water activities including rafting. When Helen is not rafting you can find her mountain biking, painting or in the garage making jewelry. An accomplishment she is particularly proud of is making a three-foot-tall blue ceramic squirrel in a pottery class in college. It is now on display at her dad’s house on the Oregon coast.

Hugh Russell

Guiding Since: 2017

Hugh is from Newport Beach, California. He 

 came to ouzel for the community, and diversity of whitewater. Hugh enjoys Rockhounding, skiing, coaching lacrosse, and playing dungeons and dragons with his friends on the weekends. Some fun facts about Hugh is that there are 7 other Hugh’s in his family, he had a pet scorpion in high school and he has drunk Martinelli’s out of the Stanley Cup. 

Gabe Field

Guiding Since: 2021

Gabe was born and raised in Takoma Park, Maryland. He began guiding in the summer of 2021 after deciding he needed to spend less time on land. When he isn't guiding, he enjoys playing music and reading. His favorite musician is Wesley Willis.

Carlos Larson

Guiding Since: 2010

Carlos grew up in Eugene, Oregon where his love for the outdoors was nurtured through activities including canoeing, backpacking, and swimming. He was introduced to raft guiding in 2010 and has been dedicated to it since. During the off-season, Carlos teaches at Central Oregon Community College. He is also passionate about protecting the natural spaces in which Ouzel operates. In his free time, Carlos enjoys playing disc golf, spear fishing, cooking, skiing, and adventuring with his dog, Birdie.

Erik Serbousek

Guiding Since: 2022

Eric is from Boulder, Colorado. His love and passion for the outdoors led him to become a guide with Ouzel Outfitters. During the off season he spends most of his time on the mountain as a snowboard instructor. Eric enjoys cooking in his spare time as well.

Stefanie Bartels

Guiding Since: 2021

Stefanie has lived in Bend since she was one year old, so considers herself a local Bendite. Growing up she was doing all the outdoorsy things that Bend has to offer like biking, hiking, skiing, kayaking, and now she’s rafting! Stefanie got introduced to rafting when she took a trip with some family friends with Ouzel in 2018 and ever since then wanted to be a river guide. Off the river Stefanie is into everything else outdoors - in the summer you can find her down at a lake and in the winter up on the mountain. Stefanie enjoys traveling and visiting family in Germany. “If I were asked to pick a favorite river, I’m not sure I could pick one quite yet, I enjoy them all!”

Nate Wren

Guiding Since: 2019

Nate is from Bend, OR and learned about the outdoor industry from working at Mt. Bachelor. He started rafting in the summer and loved it way too much to stop. Nate is an avid skier as well and attends Oregon State University studying landscape analysis with a focus on water and semi-arid ecosystems. He loves all things water including snow, whitewater, flat water, skiing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and swimming. If it involves water Nate is in! He is scared of the Ocean though...

Mary Nesbitt

Guiding Since: 2022

Mary is from Mt.Shasta, CA and has been coming to Bend since she was a kid to snowboard. She found  Ouzel through making friends with some raft guides in the area and it sounded like a good way to spend the summers. When she is not guiding you can find her snowboarding and hiking with her dog, Floyd. Mary spent the year after she graduated high school in New Zealand working as a snowboard instructor and her absolute favorite animal on the river are otters.

Garet Ewing

Guiding Since: 2022

Garet Ewing grew up in Mclean, Virginia and is a graduate of the University of Vermont. After finishing up school, she started working as a ski instructor in the wintertime and ended up guiding for Ouzel when she realized she would need an equally enjoyable summertime gig at a company she loves! When she’s not skiing or rafting, Garet likes to make art, watch scary movies, and hike with her dog, Ziti. She is also the mom of a 15-year-old cat named Ivan who was born with no eyes, and her favorite foods are cole slaw and raw oysters (not together).

Kent Koehler

Guiding Since: 2022

Kent grew up locally in Bend spending lots of time on the water, mostly fishing. He was persuaded to join Ouzel by his raft guide mom, and he quickly fell in love with guiding. When Kent isn't on the river, he enjoys skiing, playing video games, and reading fantasy and science fiction. He's passionate about teaching and hopes to become a professor some day.

Kole Lindor

Guiding Since: 2021

Kole was born in Issaquah, Washington and originally started rafting as a way to access more water for fly fishing. As he began to spend more time on the rivers of the Pacific Northwest he fell in love with rowing and multi day rafting trips. Kole loved taking friends and family on the water for the first time and guiding was the perfect way to do that for others as well. When he is not guiding in the summer Kole spends his time doing private trips on the water with his friends, backpacking in the Cascades, and exploring mountain bike trails. In the winter he spends as much time as he can skiing at Mt Bachelor and touring up as many peaks as he can find. Kole loves to travel and has been to 5 continents and 16 countries!

Sean Hildreth

Guiding Since: 2018

Sean is from Houston, Texas and loves Ouzel Outfitters for their fun family environment that all the guides bring. During his off time you’ll find him dog mushing, rock climbing and practicing yoga. He also has over 15,000 nautical miles under his belt between rafting and sailing! 

Hailey Howard

Guiding Since: 2023

Hailey is from from Georgia, but after graduating from Appalachian State in North Carolina she decided to move out west to be able to explore more of the outdoors. "I am super lucky to be working with a company like Ouzel in the summer and as a snowboarding instructor in the off season." In her free time she enjoys camping, hiking, travelling when she can, snowboarding, 

and playing music.

Grant Rogers

Guiding Since: 2023

Grant is from Wilmington, North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University. He grew up surfing along with other water fun. Grant has his rowing merit badge too. He found Ouzel through other guides and is glad he did. Outside of rafting, he enjoys all things outdoors. Grant used to be a telemarketing knife salesman. 

Hailey Gutowsky

Guiding Since: 2023

Hailey was raised in Bend, OR by two river guides and grew up rafting. She was brought to Ouzel from a want to spend life outside and find new adventures. When Hailey is not rafting, she loves backcountry skiing, hiking, and trying to knit. A fun fact about her is that she wrote this from her tent in the Patagonian Andes where she has been studying (not really) for the past 2 months.

Grace Lee

Guiding Since: 2023

Grace is from Cary, North Carolina and is a graduate of UNCW. She’s always been a big fan of being around water (the frozen and unfrozen kind) and a trip on the middle fork of the salmon river made her want to become a guide. In the winter she enjoys working as a ski instructor in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. And in her free time she likes to hike, snowboard, do yoga, and dabble in different creative things.

Justin & Bodi Litzer

Guiding Since: 2002

Justin is originally from Wisconsin and moved to Salem, OR with his family when he was 8. He graduated from the University of Washington where he played Rugby with a degree in Chemistry. He then found himself working as a Professional Ski Patroller and Ouzel  Guide where he met his wife "Office Bum" Erika. Justin pursued both his RN and Bachelors in Nursing and is currently an RN in the PACU after being an ER Nurse for almost 8 years. He enjoys rafting, skiing, camping and anything that involves being outside or in water with his family. 

Claire Seibold

Guiding Since: 2012

Claire grew up in Central Oregon and now lives full time in Missoula, Montana. She attended an outdoor program at Sisters High School that introduced her to rafting. She felt privileged seeing people who were opening their eyes to the beauty and joy of life on the river for the first time. It’s been a gift she can’t let go of. When she's not rafting Claire works for a biotech startup. On the spare days between that nonstop work and occasional Ouzel trips, she is riverboarding the waterways nearby or trail running with her dog. Claire was born in Germany and still speaks German at home!

Greg Chapman

Guiding Since: 2006

...

Ira Munkvold

Guiding Since:  2002

Born in Eugene, OR, Ira grew up on whitewater in a variety of vessels. First helping on a commercial trip at 15, Ira was raised on the whitewater Ouzel calls home. Taking minor time off to pursue a degree in Geography and following up in masters focuses in Hydrology and GIS, Ira continues to apply his passion for the river in most aspects of his life. Showing the wonder of the river to anyone and everyone is the fuel that keeps Ira sharing these rivers with guests. With a career in Remote Sensing Science, Ira stays engaged with the outdoor world from the rowers seat to the home office chair.

Anthony Sigg

Guiding Since: 2010

Anothony grew up in the Sierra foothills in California and has always loved rivers. He spent his youth exploring the American and Yuba rivers, rock hopping, rope swinging and cliff jumping. He had gone on a few river trips as kid and was always inspired by how charismatic and capable the guides were. When he was 22 his dad took him on a Colorado River trip, and after that he knew he had to be a guide. When he isn't guiding he enjoys reading, birding, hiking, climbing, surfing, mountain biking, fishing, sword fighting, and philosophizing. Anthony met his wife Ali who was also an Ouzel Guide while working on the river and together they hand built their own house. They still live their lives as Ouzels working together outside using creativity and ingenuity.

Larry Koster

In Memoriam

1956-2023

Guiding Since:  1984

Larry grew up in Northern Michigan and moved to Oregon in 1981.  In 1983, he got invited on an early spring trip on the Owyhee, his first real raft trip. This new way of seeing the out-back was really intriguing  and he bought a raft the next year. Larry ended up guiding a few trips that year (1984) in between guiding backpack and long distance bike trips. He realized he could eat much better on raft trips and started guiding full time with Ouzel in 1995. For many years, guiding was a joyful break from construction jobs, where his cabinet-making skills were constantly challenged, as well as fixing up his 120 year-old farmhouse in Ashland. Larry enjoyed traveling with his wife, Sylvia, and avoiding repairs on their house. Larry maintained that you can't be a real river pirate unless you have a parrot. Larry and his wife had a beautiful pet parrot named Alma for 24 years that enjoyed road trips and camping with them. Larry has touched the lives of countless people, and has left an indelible mark on Ouzel's culture and every guide who met him.

Connor Loza

In Memoriam

1993-2022

Guiding Since: 2016

Connor was kind-hearted, hilarious and you couldn’t help but love the guy for the honest and authentic person he was. He was an incredibly charming human and is greatly missed by so many.

Connor’s true passion was being on the river, and being a river guide. As a six-year-veteran at Ouzel Connor was as much a member of the Ouzel family as those who have been around much longer. Much has been written about the “band of brothers” and “fox-hole-solidarity” of soldiers. River guiding is not so different, and many of us spent time in “river foxholes” with Connor. The solidarity, familiarity and friendships that come from that last a lifetime.

We will continue to remember Connor over the coming years and beyond as he left a legacy of “Connorisms” and provided not only outstanding customer service but sincere experiences on the river for our guests. Cheers to Connor, we know he is floating on a river somewhere in the sunshine.

Ringer

Guiding Since: 

....