Riley Gardner
Program: Mountain Bike
Title: Head of School
Courses Taught: Economics, Government, History, Literature of the Americas, The College Experience, World History, and World Literature
Resume:
B.A. in History – Gonzaga University
Riley has been a teacher, program director, and head coach at World Class Academy before becoming the Head of School for WCA MTB and WCA Surf.
Riley is originally from Southern California, where he grew up skateboarding, riding BMX, snowboarding, surfing, and playing “classic” team sports. Riley then moved to Washington to attend undergrad at Gonzaga University where he studied history. In Washington, Riley learned to take his athletic passions deeper into the mountains and in colder weather. Shortly after graduating from Gonzaga, Riley moved to Jackson, Wyoming, and fostered his love for whitewater kayaking and mountain biking. He also began to work as a substitute teacher in Teton County School District where he realized his calling in teaching.
2025 marks Riley’s eighth year working for World Class Academy. He started working for the Kayak Academy in 2017 and in early 2020, he helped WCA launch our Mountain Bike Pilot Program in Peru. Now, in 2025, Riley is helping to launch WCA’s newest venture – the Surf Academy.