It’s True, Boating the Grand Canyon Will Change Your Life, with Steve Kenney

Steve Kenny has spent nearly three decades rowing boats and has the rippling shoulders and permanent tan to prove it. But under his ZZ Top-length beard, weather-battered Hawaiian shirt, and woman’s skirt he often sports, Steve is a lot more than an ace boatman. He’s a poet with a recently published collection of work—Scribblins: Poetry from Mountains, Deserts, and Rivers—and he had three careers before settling on this one: as a basketball coach, a college professor, and an investment banker. Steve thought he committed to life on the river for the thrill of the white water, but over the years he’s realized the real reason is the way time on the river inspires, invigorates, and even heals his guests. PaddyO talked to Steve in the midst of his own life-affirming trip through the Grand earlier this summer.