Back in 2000, I landed in Glenwood Springs to attend the local community college set on the idea of becoming a backcountry EMT. And needing something to do in the summer months, I became a raft guide for Rock Gardens Rafting (now Defiance Rafting Company). Through my experience as a raft guide and days spent on the Colorado and other rivers, my ambitions were set.
So, why Defiance? The name Defiance is a nod to the original naming of the townsite that was later changed to Glenwood Springs. Defiance also resonates with Heather (the other half of Defiance) and my story of defying convention. Not so long ago, our lives were complete with a lovely home, and professional careers and the creature comforts those careers provided. Yet, something was missing, and we seemed to be moving further away from our personal motivations while stuck in the daily grind. We desired community, getting outside, and sharing our love of the river. Without looking back, we left it all to launch Defiance Rafting Company.
Three years after launching Defiance Rafting Company, the Defiance brand is evolving to include Defiance River Outfitters. While providing river rentals has been standard practice for commercial rafting companies from the beginning, we found that how that service is provided to today’s river user requires more flexibility in outfitter response, increased opportunity for direct dialogue, and developing supportive relationships with brands and organizations engaging with today’s river-use community. Our response to this need is Defiance River Outfitters.
Defiance River Outfitters allows us to build and support a rental fleet of rafts, rigging, gear repair, and shoreside essentials that responds to the needs of today’s river user. It allows us to staff a river concierge who can have a dedicated dialogue with a client from initial inquiry through their return. And it allows Defiance to engage authentically with fellow river enthusiasts through education, support, and advocacy on issues affecting the river use community.
We’re excited about what this programming evolution brings to us as a company, the opportunities and the challenges we’ll encounter, and discovering the known unknowns awaiting us as we implement our vision for what a river rental and outfitting company ought to be.
See you on the river!
– Gregory
