Presenters

David Hepp is a former Team USA athlete with the Canoe/Kayak Whitewater Slalom Team. Hepp has spent the last 20 years opening and operating whitewater parks. He has held positions as paddlesports director with the U.S. National Whitewater Center, vice president of RIVERSPORT Adventures with the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, and most recently CEO for Montgomery Whitewater. He is the first person to open and operate the three largest whitewater parks in the world to date and has served as an operational consultant for the International Canoe Federation and Vector WERO Whitewater Park in New Zealand, which opened in April 2016. 

Hepp is proud to be one of the key leaders in the emerging whitewater park industry and has a goal to expand the development of outdoor recreation centers as focal points for the communities they serve. He is licensed in commercial real estate, and serves North and South Carolina. 

During his competitive career, Hepp was on the USA Canoe/Kayak Team for 11 years, a World Cup medalist, 3x Olympic Alternate, 2x National Champion. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Western Carolina University, he is married, and the father of three daughters. He and his wife owned and operated two coffee and chocolate shops to support his athletic career.