Bahamas Sea Kayaking

"Everyone thought that I used a photo editing software to make the color of the water take on that impossibly exquisite turquoise. I didn’t, that actually was the color of the ocean as we paddled through it on our 6-day, 5-night ACA excursion. This was the second excursion that ACA organized, and the location of Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas was chosen from amongst many other locations. I first read the notice of this trip in ACA’s newsletter on a cold and dark January day in Ohio. The following day, as I was shoveling snow off my driveway, I made a decision..."

Read the full recap.

Learn more about the 2012 ACA Members Only Backcountry Paddling Excursions.

Nominations Due Today

Nominations for the ACA National Awards are due today.

Submit online

FAQ - ACA

Do you know the maneuver in the above photo?

If not, go to the ACA's new FAQ page to find out; along with other, more practical questions about your ACA membership!

ACA Award Nominations Due Friday

The ACA National Award Nominations are due this Friday, July 29th!

Take a few moments and submit the online form and nominate an indiviudal or paddling club that has done great things for paddlesports in your area.

The awards will be presented at this years National Paddlesports Conference in Louisville, KY.

Nominate online today!

New Online Form - SUBARU

Interested in driving the Official Vehicle of the ACA?

You can now request your Subaru Dealer Authorization online.

It's a simple process and it can save you over $3,000 through the ACA - Subaru VIP Program.

New ACA Insurance Coordinator

Please join us in welcoming Candy Patten to the full-time staff!

Candy is the new ACA Insurance Coordinator and will be the primary point of contact for:

• Paddle America Club Insurance




• Hull Insurance




• Instructor Insurance




• Event Insurance

Learn more about Candy...

Camping on Sugar Island

Join other ACA members and fellow paddlers on Sugar Island for the 2011 Annual Encampment.

It starts this week and lasts until August 7th.

Then there's the Labor Day Event.

Learn more... about this unique ACA member benefit.

NPC Registration

Registration is now open for the National Paddlesports Conference!

Places are limited, so reserve your spot today.

Online Registration & Conference Information

Looking forward to seeing you in Louisville, KY this fall.

FYI. Early bird discount ends on August 12th.

SUP Summit and NPC Registration

Opens tomorrow.

Click here to learn more.


Spaces will be limited, so register early.

Why Join the ACA?

The ACA is America's oldest paddlesports organization. For over 130 years, the ACA has represented paddlers in the areas of:

• Education


• Stewardship


• Recreation


• Competition

Whether you canoe, kayak, raft or SUP the ACA exists to help YOU!

If the above isn't enough, there are also the 'tangible' benefits of membership, listed here.

Learn more about your ACA.

3 Days Until...

...registration opens for the ACA National Paddlesports Conference and SUP Summit.

Preliminary Conference information.

New ACA eStore Items

Unique items in the eStore.

From patches and paddles to new quick dry shirts for men and women.

View

Oregon Canoeing

A group of hardy canoeists just returned from a multi day paddling trip down the remote John Day river in north central Oregon. Besides a fantastical wilderness experience, a percentage of the registration goes directly to supporting the ACAs mission of paddlesports Education, Stewardship, Recreation and Competition.

Thanks to Burt Kornegay of Slickrock Expeditions for providing logistical support.

Learn more about the 2012 ACA Members Only Backcountry Paddling Excursions.

SEI Focus - July

The July edition of the SEI Focus is now available online.

This monthly newsletter highlights Safety Education & Instruction information for ACA Instructors, Instructor Trainers, Paddling Clubs and Affiliates.

July Highlights:

• New ACA Peer Journal


• Graphic Design Help Needed


• Award Nomination Forms Available


• FAQ


• First Aid & CPR Reminder


• eStore -New Shirts


• Online Forms


• Important Dates

National Paddlesports Conference

Registration for the ACA National Paddlesports Conference (and SUP Summit) goes live on Friday, July 22nd.

Spaces are limited.

Learn more...

Annual Award Nominations

The ACA is accepting nominations for the ACA National Awards. These awards are presented at the annual National Paddlesports Conference (held this year in Louisville, KY).

Legends of Paddling
Excellence in Instruction
Sanctioned Event of the Year
Green Paddle for Waterway Conservation
Joe Pina Volunteer of the Year
Stroke of Achievement
J.Henry Rushton

The deadline is Friday, July 29th.

Online Submission Form

Recognize an outstanding indiviudal or club in your community!

Vote by Friday!

USA Canoe/Kayak has nominated Dane and Emily Jackson as US Olympic Committee Athletes of the Month for their outstanding performances at the Freestyle World Championships in Plattling, Germany. We think this is a great way to further associate Freestyle with the Olympic movement.

This is an online voting deal so bringing the entire paddling community together can make a critical difference. Links are:

For Emily - http://twtpoll.com/iawk07

For Dane - http://twtpoll.com/zelb6c

I thought it was pretty cool to open these links and see Emily and Dane’s names among these terrific athletes.

Thank you!

-Joe

Joe Jacobi, Chief Executive Officer
USA Canoe/Kayak

Spend time on Sugar Island

Join other paddlers for all or part of the ACA's Annual Encampment on Sugar Island.

2011 Dates: July 24-August 7

Kayak fishing, canoe sailing, swimming, camping, or simply hanging out with your family and friends - a great way to relax.

Visit Sugar Island - a unique ACA member benefit!

How do you get to the Water?

Upload a photo of your Subaru ride to the ACA Facebook page.

Remember, one of the unique ACA member benefits is a significant discount (over 3K!) on the purchase or lease of a Subaru vehicle.

Learn more...

ACA - QR Code

Be on the lookout, the ACA Quick Response Code will start showing up soon.

Get those smartphones ready...

Did you know, the ACA now has a mobile website?

www.americancanoe.org/m

Kids Canoe & Kayak Camp in GA

The Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club is sponsoring a kids canoe & kayak camp next week.

Learn more...

Did you know, the Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club hosted the 33rd ICF Flatwater Racing World Championships and received the ACA's Sanctioned Event of the Year Award?

NEW - Lake Michigan Water Trail

Many of you have probably been hearing about the Lake Michigan Water Trail National Recreation Trail in the media. Newspapers have done a very good job of covering the story accurately. That being said, we thought that you should know what the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association has been working on for the past couple of years to help create this designation.

On June 2nd, 2011, representatives from the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, as part of the larger Lake Michigan Water Trail Association http://www.lmwt.org/, met in Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan at Northerly Island. There, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes, National Park Service Regional Director Michael Reynolds, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced the 41 newly designated National Recreation Trails for 2011 in anticipation of National Trails Day on July 4th.

The Lake Michigan Water Trail was chosen as the best site to announce all 41 trails because it is a project of national significance. The Lake Michigan Water Trail will not only be the longest continuous- loop water trail in the world, but it fits perfectly with several national initiatives that were created out of the "America's Great Outdoors (AGO)" effort.

ACA Recommended Watertrails

4 U.S. Gold Medals at Freestyle Worlds

Team USA Shines at Freestyle Worlds
US Paddlers Wins 4 Golds, 8 Total Medals

The 2011 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Freestyle World Championships concluded this past weekend in Plattling, Germany with USA Canoe/Kayak athletes taking Gold Medals in four of the eight categories. Led by the record-setting performance of Dane Jackson (Rock Island, Tenn.), the U.S. Freestyle Team emerged as the top national team at the World Championships.

Jackson, 17, grabbed a total of four medals, taking gold in Men's Junior Kayak, Men's Kayak Squirt, and Men's Canoe followed by a bronze in Men's Open Canoe. Jackson's three gold medals at a single Freestyle World Championships surpass the previous record of two.

"Dane's performance on the water will be recognized by the international paddling community as one of the top individual performances of any ICF World Championships in 2011," said USA Canoe/Kayak Chief Executive Officer Joe Jacobi. "But the great thing about Dane is that as outstanding an athlete he is on the water, he's an even more impressive individual and ambassador off the water."

Lauren Burress (Evansville, Ind.) continued Team USA's momentum winning gold in Junior Women's Kayak in her first appearance at a World Championships. Other medal winning results for USA Canoe/Kayak athletes included 2009 World Champion Emily Jackson (Rock Island, Tenn.) placing second in Women's K-1, Stephen Wright (Rock Island, Tenn.) taking third in Men's Kayak and Devon Barker (McCall, Idaho) placing third in Women's Kayak Squirt.

Joining Team USA in Plattling were members of the Nantahala 2013 Organizing Committee, the site for the next Freestyle World Championships on the Nantahala River in Bryson City, NC. Sutton Bacon, Chief Executive Officer of the Nantahala Outdoor Center and Chairman of Nantahala 2013, and Lee Leibfarth, Chief Operating Officer of the Nantahala Outdoor Center and Nantahala 2013 Committee Member joined Jacobi to promote the 2013 event and receive the ICF banner which will be displayed at the Worlds venue on the Nantahala River over the next two years.

"We learned a lot from our friends in Plattling and commend the German Canoe Federation for hosting a great event," Bacon said. "We are honored to host the world's top freestyle athletes, build stronger partnerships between competitive and recreational paddling and help move Freestyle closer to the Olympic program."

Click HERE for complete results at the World Championships. For more information on the US Freestyle Team, visit http://usafreestylekayak.com/.

July 4th

In honor of the birth of the United States and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the ACA Office will be closed on Monday July 4th.

See you on the water!

Know Your Limits

Kayak Anglers & Canoe Fishermen

Clean Air Act - Sportsmen Support letter to Congress

The ACA teamed with the National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited and over 100 other organizations to oppose any effort to weaken the Clean Air Act.

This also has an impact on the mercury levels of fish in our nation's waters.

Learn more about the ACA's involvement on your behalf.