We've teamed up..

...to bring ACA members a unique member benefit.

Your pre- selected copies of either Kayak Angler, Canoeroots, Adventure Kayak and Rapid are in the mail!

Online versions for digital subscribers are available tomorrow, February 1st.

www.americancanoe.org/rapidmedia

New Partnership for Boating Safety

Saturday, January 29, 2011

St. Louis, Missouri

The ACA has just signed a new Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary to enhance educational efforts and vessel safety checks for paddlers across the country.

"With this cooperative effort, we will reach out to the growing population of paddlers providing needed training to keep them safe on the water" said Jim Vass, the Auxiliary's National Commodore.

"The ACA is proud to continue our partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary as we continually strive to improve the boating experience for the recreational paddler." - Chris Stec, ACA Chief Operating Officer

News Release

ACA People

Burt Kornegay of Slickrock Expeditions is an ACA Instructor and led one of the initial ACA Members Only Backcountry Paddling Excursions to the Rio Grande in 2010.

What does he do to unwind after a busy season of guiding canoe trips across the country...why, he heads to Florida...with his whitewater canoe!

Enjoy the video of this multi-talented ACA Instructor.

Magazines for ACA Members!

After a 36-hour ink-on-paper marathon, Rapid Media founder & publisher Scott MacGregor approved the final pages to print yesterday morning. “Normally it takes about 15 hours to print our four magazines,” says MacGregor. The extreme cold had frozen the printer’s environmental filters and shut down the presses. “I like to be there to ensure the color is as vivid and accurate as possible, but this was a long haul. So much for my New Year’s resolution of not drinking coffee!”

The Spring issues will be bound and shipped later this week. The online versions goes live for print and digital subscribers on Tuesday, February 1st, including digital extras like video boat reviews, interviews and photo galleries.

"The ACA is extremely excited about our continuing partnership with the great folks at Rapid Media. We hope you enjoy your upcoming issues of Canoeroots, Kayak Angler, Adventure Kayak or Rapid." -Chris Stec, ACA Chief Operating Officer

For more information, visit: www.americancanoe.org/rapidmedia

Warm Weather Paddling

2011 Florida Freestyle Symposium March 18th -21st in Yulee Florida

FreeStyle Canoeing is the "art and science" of precision paddling. FreeStyle Canoeing emphasizes smooth, efficient technique and precision boat control. FreeStyle techniques can be applied to all canoeing situations, from touring to whitewater. Freestyle instruction has been referred to as "Obedience Lessons For Your Canoe".

The Florida Freestyle Symposium is first and foremost about teaching. We will be offering classes from beginner level to advanced. If you are new to canoeing and still fighting to go straight or you're an expert looking to for that special edge, we've got classes for you. In addition to offering the complete ACA Freestyle curriculum ( Levels 1 through 5), we will be offering afternoon enrichment classes in the following topics.

• Heeling and Kneeling (how to confidently heel and pitch your boat to the rail)
• Classic Form (A review of classic FS technique)
• Touring Technique (Commonly known as hit and switch)
• Forward Stroke including the inside circle and X inside circle (advanced forward technique)
• Canadian Style paddling (just how it sounds)
• Creekin Freestyle (use of FS technique for navigating streams)
• Make Every Stroke Count (To be practiced on a buoy course)
• High Kneel Thrust (technique to enhance pitch and heel)
• Paddleography (How to develop an Interpretive FS routine)

Instruction will be by some of the best paddlers and instructors in the country. All are ACA certified. Classes are small with no more than 5 students per instructor.
On Saturday evening there will be a Giant Slalom Competition where freestyle maneuvers will be used to navigate a slalom course. On Sunday evening there will be an Interpretive Freestyle Exhibition, where freestyle technique and maneuvers will be combined with music in a manner similar to long program figure skating.

Low cost bunkhouse style accommodations as well as camping are available on site. A catered meal package is also available. Motels and restaurants for those that prefer, are a short distance away.

Combined with evening social activities and pre/post event trips being organized by some of the participants, the Florida Freestyle Symposium is excellent way to jump start the canoeing season.

For more information, go to www.freestylecanoeing.com, or contact Marc Ornstein by email at dogpaddle @ frontiernet.net

Former ACA Board President

Ever wonder what ACA volunteers do when they're not canoeing or kayaking on the water?

Learn how former ACA Board President Kirk Havens is working everyday to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

Access to clean water - a key component to paddlesports.

Read more...

Werner Paddles & the ACA

Choose to make a difference, with Werner Paddles Healthy Waters Initiative.

Register your Werner Paddle online and Werner will make a donation to the ACA's Stewardship program in your name.

Learn more...

L.L.Bean & the ACA

Did you know?

The ACA partners with L.L.Bean to provide paddling clubs across the country with monetary grants to help clean up their local waterways.

Highlights of the 2010 grant recipients are now online.

Is your paddling club interested for 2011, learn more.

ACA - L.L.Bean CFS Grant Program

Nantahala Access Update!

Legends of Paddling Award Recipient Payson Kennedy guides ACA members through Nantahala Falls.

The U.S. Forest Service announces additional Temporary Special Use Permits for the Nantahala River.

The ACA recognizes that there are a wide diversity of users seeking access to this classic whitewater river and the U.S. Forest Service has been faced with a challenging situation.

Although the decision of District Ranger Michael Wilkins of the Nantahala Ranger District is a step in the right direction, it ultimately fell short of providing the appropriate acccess needs to the diverse range of groups involved.

The ACA will continue to work on behalf of all paddlers to improve access to the Nantahala River in western North Carolina.

During this process, the ACA partnered with American Whitewater as well as the Carolina Canoe Club. Read the joint comments.

Read District Ranger Wilkins letter to interested parties pertaining to the new Nantahala River Temporary Special Use Permit Issuance.

As we move forward, we need your input as we continue to advocate for appropriate access to the Nantahala River for a variety of paddling groups.

Please email your thoughts, suggestions and comments to the ACA Director of Stewardship & Public Policy.

Thank you for your continued support as we continue to work on behalf of paddlers on public policy issues from coast to coast.

www.americancanoe.org

Exclusive ACA Member Benefit

Did you know the ACA protects a pristine island?

Learn more about how you can access Sugar Island.

2011 camping information is already online.

Canoe Sailing?

Need instruction in Canoe Sailing? Join the Atlantic Division at ACA Camp Sebago on Saturday June 18th for a day of training and practice.

Then, prepare for a series of canoe sailing competitions all summer long...

Oh yeah! Check out the latest from this historic paddlesports discipline -

ACA Canoe Sailing

SUP Summit

Calling all those who Stand Up Paddleboard!

Whether you are a manufacturer, retailer, livery, instructor, or just like standing tall and paddling, mark your calendars for September 30 - October 2, 2011.

The inaugural ACA SUP Summit will take place in Louisville, KY.

Go online for a complete description on the focus of this summit.

SUP Summit

ACA & Professional Paddlesports Association

For years, the ACA and the Professional Paddlesports Association (PPA) have been partners, from sharing office space to working on joint paddlesports safety initiatives.

Our partnership with PPA continues...new for 2011:

When you join or renew with PPA, you will also get an individual membership with the ACA! This will include all the benefits of ACA membership. From access to Sugar Island to stewardship support to your choice of one of Rapid Media's magazine titles.

*Please note, if you are a PPA member, and are currently a certified ACA Instructor, your PPA membership fees do not include your yearly $25 SEIC dues. You will still need to log in to your ACA account and pay these dues.

For additional information about how this works for PPA members, please contact either Rachel of PPA or Anne in the ACA Membership Department.

"The ACA is proud to continue our partnership with the great folks of the Professional Paddlesports Association." -Chris Stec, ACA Chief Operating Officer

Waccamaw River Blue Trail

Waccamaw River Blue Trail Public Input Sessions Scheduled:

We are looking for Brunswick County Community members to provide feedback on a project called the Waccamaw River Blue Trail. We will be hosting public meetings to describe the project and to get feedback from citizens about the project. The meetings will be held in the evenings from 7:00-8:00pm January 27th at the Waccamaw Community Center (Ash, NC) and February 1st at the Wild Life Bait & Tackle (Pireway, NC).

This project is in the beginning stages and community feedback is greatly appreciated. There will also be an opportunity for questions.

If you would like to find out more about this project, please contact Jennifer Holcomb at 910-640-2818 or call Brunswick County Parks and Recreation at 910-253-2670.

Watertrails

Do One Thing For Paddling

From "I'll introduce one new person to paddling this year" to "I am going to get with my friends and start a new state paddling association",

how can you contribute?

The ACA's - Do One Thing For Paddling on Facebook.

ACA Family Receives Prestigious Lifesaving Award

From NCAA.com

Albion College swimming and diving coach Keith Havens and his sons Zane, ’12, and Zaak, ’10, were among the 21 individuals from around the United States and Canada to receive Carnegie Medals in December. The award is presented to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.

The heroes announced in December brought to 85 the number of Carnegie awards presented in 2010. Carnegie Medal Commission President Mark Laskow stated that each of the awardees will also receive a financial grant.

The Carnegie Medal is in addition to the Certificates of Merit, signed by President Barack Obama, from the American Red Cross and Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition the Havens trio received in December of 2009.

The Havens family didn’t plan on becoming heroes while vacationing in Hawaii in June of 2009. They were taking in the beauty of Larsen's Beach on the island of Kauai when they spotted a man and a woman who had been caught in a very strong current that carried them seaward through a channel in the reef. Unable to return to shore, they shouted and waved their arms for help.

"We looked out, and there's this couple waving and hollering out there quite a bit from shore," Keith Havens said. "I said to my wife, 'Sue, we should go out and swim where they're doing it. It looks like they're having a good time. They're hootin’ and hollerin’. ‘She said, ‘Keith, they're calling for help.’”

According to the citation published on the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission’s website, “They entered the water and swam out toward the victims, reaching the woman at a point about 300 feet from shore. As Zaak and Zane continued to the man, who was about 100 feet farther out, Keith had the woman hold to him while he swam toward shore. Unable to escape the current by swimming parallel to shore, because of the channel configuration along with converging waves, Keith swam directly against it. After taking the woman to wadable water, he returned to the channel with a rescue tube that had been offered from shore. Zaak and Zane, meanwhile, had reached Jason. On either side of him, they grasped him by the arms and started to swim against the current toward shore, en route pausing to rest on the coral. Keith joined them, had the man hold to the rescue tube, and again swam against the current the rest of the way toward shore, towing the man as he was accompanied by Zaak and Zane. Progress was arduous, Keith at one point swimming under water and pulling himself along the coral outcroppings. He and his sons reached wadable water with the man, and all exited to safety. Keith and his sons sustained lacerations from the coral, and they recovered.”

"Both our training as American Red Cross lifeguards and our experience as American Canoe Association whitewater open canoeists gave us the skills, knowledge, and confidence to handle the big waves and strong currents that we had to deal with during the rescue. It was pretty hairy out there!" -Keith Havens

Zack was also a summer intern at the ACA National Office in Fredericksburg, Va.

Carnegie Hero Medals

Do One Thing For Paddling

What can you do?

"I will pick up trash on my next river trip."

"I will introduce 100 new women to the sport".

Get involved, make a commitment today...Do One Thing For Paddling

ACA Members - Choose Now!

Make sure you receive the magazine you're most interested in as one of your many ACA member benefits.

The deadline for making your selection is Friday (January 7th). If we don't hear from you by then, your first issue will be Canoeroots magazine.

Click here to make your selection.

Returns and Refunds

Did you receive what you really wanted this holiday season?

There are still a range of items at the ACA eStore that need a home, books, dvds, custom items, clothing, etc.

Used Electronics for Paddlesports

Quickly, if you have old or outdated electronics, consider

http://americancanoe.gazelle.com

They will send a check to the ACA for the value of the equipment, or, if it has no market value, they will responsibly recycle it.

This is a great program, a good way to clean up some of the 'clutter' all the while supporting your association.

ACA Insurance

Have questions?

We've got answers...

Whether your padling club needs insurance for an event or you're an instructor who needs to cover a skills course, Cireena, the ACA's Insurance Coorindator, is available to answer all your questions.

Insurance is only 1 of the many benefits of being an ACA member or Paddle America Club.

Learn more...

ACA & River Gauges

Do you ever use the USGS river gauge pages?

(Example - Rappahannock River, Va)

If so, you should begin to notice that on a wide range of frequently paddled rivers, a Boating Safety Tips link is now there.

Imagine, the number of people, especailly those new to paddlesports, who will now have the opportunity to "learn a little more" than the river level before heading out. Who knows, one of those tips might even save their life.

Help the ACA spread the word, and keep people safe out on the water.

*Special thanks to ACA volunteer Kirk Havens, and John Malatak of the U.S. Coast Guard for spearheading this noteworthy initiative. Additional thanks to the staff at the USGS for their significant efforts towards making this project a reality.

Decisions, Decisions...

Don't forget...it's time to choose...deadline is January 7th...

Click here to make your selection.