Manhattan Kayak Company, New York

Founded by Eric Stiller, who documented his journey kayaking and bicycling around an entire continent in the book Keep Australia on Your Left, Manhattan Kayak spans a team of instructors who lead kayaking and standup-paddleboarding instruction and tours beneath the city's glittering skyline. Veterans of the fitness industry, MKC's instructors use the dynamic currents of the Hudson River to train paddlers of all skill and fitness levels in the body-first method, which emphasizes paddling from the core. Atlantic Super Girls Julieta Gismondi and Louanne Harris, are long time instructors and guides who paddled two Stand Up Paddle Boards 1500 miles from NYC to Miami in 2016 and earned SUP magazines Expedition of the Year. In addition to leading instruction and tours, MKC's crew also leads fitness classes including SUP Yoga, challenging participants to flow through poses while floating atop a paddleboard, aiming to boost participant health and learn the skills to earn the Statue of Libertys respect.