Scott Duffus is from Owatonna, Minnesota. He has been on the water with a paddle in hand since the age of 5. As that was 63 years ago, it also makes him the oldest member of the team. In addition to paddling, he competes in gravel bike races, runs ultra-marathons, and competes in cross country ski marathons. His interest in marathon length events started almost 40 years ago.

His top performances include: a 1st and 2nd men’s tandem finish in the Missouri River 340, as well as finishing 4th in men’s tandem in the long race at the Mississippi Paddle Opener every year they have held the race. In 2024, he and Scott Miller established a “Fastest Known Paddle on the Minnesota River” from source to confluence.

In addition to paddling, he has become known for his creative canoe modification skills, which he will be putting to use on the canoe preparing it for the Upper Missouri. He attributes his boat upfitting, general problem-solving, and do-it-yourself skills to a combination of being an Eagle Scout and a free-range childhood that among other things, included the unsupervised use of a table saw starting at age 9 (he still has all ten fingers).

Scott is a retired Lutheran pastor. He and his wife of 45 years, Kathy, have three adult children, and one grandchild.