Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission - ACA Pro School

ACA Pro School Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission (CCPRC) offers a variety of Canoeing, Stand Up Paddleboard and Kayaking skills classes and trips, including educational outings for beginner to expert paddlers. From day-trips, weekend skills classes, to certification courses, our ACA certified paddling instructors and trainers focus on safety and fun. Learn the essentialsneeded tomake your paddling experience an enjoyable one from our friendly and knowledgeable instructors. Serving over 25,000 individuals of all ages and abilities annually, our Outdoor Adventure Program is the first of its kind to be accredited by the Association for Experiential Education. CCPRC also brings you the East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival every April.

For more information visit http://www.ccprc.com/ or contact customerservice@ccprc.com

ACA Regional SUP Summit

Come join the ACA for a Regional Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) Summit. The purpose of this summit is to bring together all aspects of the discipline (flatwater, coastal, surf and river users) along with the manufacturers, retailers, liveries, competitors, and instructors. 

The SUP Summit will focus on education and instruction. There will be discussions on: 

• Best Practices
• Course Curriculum Development
• Tips & Techniques
• Expansion of the sport 

The San Diego Regional SUP Summit will take place at the Mission Bay Hyatt, San Diego, CA from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM on March 4, 2012. Please contact the ACA with any and all questions.

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival

ACA & Subaru presents the East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival. Come out to James Island County Park and immerse yourself in a full weekend of the history, technique, hands-on experience, and fun of canoeing, kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding. The East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival includes lectures, on-water classes, and demonstrations directed to the novice and the experienced paddler. The heart of the festival is four classrooms run simultaneously throughout the three-day event. Refine your skills in a master class presented by many of the leading experts in the paddling world. Learn new strokes, rescues, or rolls with expert instruction and meet other knowledgeable paddlesport enthusiasts.


Dozens of commercial exhibitors will be on-hand to give you a chance to try before you buy. At the East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, you will be able to test boats, paddles, and accessories on the water at the festival site. You will also have the opportunity to speak with equipment designers and manufacturers throughout the weekend.

For information visit http://www.ccprc.com/ecckf.

SUP The Coast from Wind Powered Productions on Vimeo.

Mardi Pardi Eco-Adventure

The ACA is sponsoring a great event that promotes both health and fun, the upcoming annual Mardi Pardi Eco Adventure 5k Run and Triathlon .

The 2012 Mardi Pardi will include a music festival as well as a race. It promises a full weekend of New Orleans musical talent, as well as running, kayaking and biking served up with plenty of great, local food, beer and, of course, a Mardi Gras parade! Come out and set a personal goal to run, paddle and let the good times roll!

Race Details

The race will take place Saturday, February 18, at the Washington St. Pier on S. Beach Blvd. in Bay St. Louis, Miss. The triathlon is a 2-mile kayak in the calm waters of the Mississippi Sound along the Gulf of Mexico paired with a 5k run and 12-mile bike ride along the beach road from Bay St. Louis to Waveland. The race can be completed either as a 5K run or as a triathlon solo or relay race. See http://www.mardipardiadventure.org/ for details and to register.

Participants are encouraged to wear their Mardi Gras “racing best” for the Mardi Pardi multi-prize costume contest on the day of the race. And, racers can attend the Pass Parade on Sunday where they will have a reserved location from which to watch the parade.

For more information about the race or to register online, visithttp://www.mardipardiadventure.org/ or http://www.gulfcoastrunningclub.org/.

Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium

The ACA glad to be able to support the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium. The Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium is a skills symposium in one of the most spectacular and dynamic locations in the world — the Marin Headlands and San Francisco Bay. This event is dedicated to the sheer joy of paddling well and paddling safe. Many ACA Instructor Trainers will be in attendance teaching many of the great course offerings. Spring tides and powerful Pacific swells will ensure challenging conditions for even the most seasoned paddlers. The area has beautiful surf, rock gardens, tide races, flatwater and challenging navigation. Take one look around and you'll see Mt. Tamalpais, the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Skyline, Berkeley, Alcatraz, Angel Island, the Bay Bridge and more…

GGSKS Website

NOBA Winner - Rio Grande

ACA member, Dr. Paul Bauer of New Mexico recently received a National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) for his new book, The Rio Grande.

From the NOBA website:
"This colorful and remarkably well done guide, covering 153 miles of the Rio Grande, is packed full of information for flatwater and whitewater paddlers.  But it’s not just for river runners.  Hikers, anglers and cyclists will also find it invaluable in their trips to Rio Grande country.  The maps are first rate.  They were developed from an aerial photo base and use a blend of colors and shaded relief to make the river topography stand out.  The geological information, both textual and illustrative, is some of the best the judges have seen in a river guide."

Congratulations Paul!

For additional information about the book, click here.

ACA Quickdry Hats back in stock

Need a hat for paddling with a built in moisture management system?

The ACA now has two quickdry hats available at the eStore.

Show your support of America's oldest paddlesports organization, order one today...wear it this weekend.

Rocky Mountain Surf Festival

The ACA is proud to announce that it will be a partner for the 2012 Rocky Mountain Surf Festival and the C4 Waterman Whitewater SUP Championship. The 2012 Rocky Mountain Surf Festival will once again be held at the world famous Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park in Colorado.


This one of a kind Polynesian themed extravaganza will feature surfing contests, music, food and product vendors, costumes, a hula contest, limbo events, a Goof Board competition, a floating parade of rafts punching the monster wave/hole and the world’s best river stand up paddlers displaying their paddling prowess on the snowmelt swollen Colorado River. The weekend includes nonstop action on both sides of the river. Festivalgoers migrate back and forth across the bridge from kid friendly activities held at the park’s stadium seating to the event beer garden, sponsors’ and food vendor’s tents and the event HQ and surf judging zone.

The Rocky Mountain Surf Festival will feature competition for:

• Downriver SUP


• SUPcross


• SUP Surf Contest


• River Surf Championship

The Rocky Mountain Surf Festival will also host the ACA Regional SUP Summit.

For more information on the 2012 Rocky Mountain Surf Festival visit the following websites or view the video below. The RMSF video can also be found on the ACA YouTube Channel

http://www.rockymountainsurffestival.com/ or find the RMSF on Facebook

Clean Water Victories

 (Photo Credit: Ben Morton)

Our fellow water lovers at American Rivers dubbed 2011 "the year of the river" because of huge successes for river restoration across the country, including dam removals on the White Salmon and the Elwa (the largest dam removal in history!)


It seems like the "year of the river" continues as we move into a new year, and the ACA is proud to help keep the clean waters flowing in 2012! Earlier this year, the ACA put in calls to senators and representatives to oppose proposed uranium mining around the Grand Canyon. On Monday, January 9th, Secretary Salazar formally signed a 20-year moratorium, the longest allowed by law, on new uranium and other hard rock mining claims on a million acres of federal land around the Grand Canyon. Salazar said it was "a serious and necessary step" to preserving the canyon, an American natural icon, and the river that runs through it.


And yesterday President Obama rejected the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline.  The proposed pipeline would have crossed major rivers, including the Missouri, Yellowstone, and Red rivers, as well as critical sources of drinking and agricultural water, such as the Ogallala Aquifer, supplying water to more than two million Americans.

Check out other ACA Stewardship Initiatives!

National School for Paddlesports Business

Do you own a paddlesports outiftter or retail business? If so, the PPA National School for Paddlesports Business is a great opportunity to learn from industry experts and peers.

Sponsored by:

• Nova Craft Canoe & Aqua Fusion Kayak
• Canoe Kentucky & Nathan Depenbrock (ACA Instructor Trainer)

Learning Tracks:

• Social Networking
• Google Analytics
• Web based marketing/advertising
• Print based marketing/advertising
• Cause based marketing/advertising
• Frequent floaters - getting & keeping them

When:  February 5-7
Where: Milton, FL

For registration information, please visit: www.propaddle.com

Protecting Florida's Public Lands (and Water)

 

Yesterday, the ACA strongly opposed Florida House Bill 1103 proposed by Rep. Goodson. The proposed bill provides criteria for determining location of "ordinary high-water line" for navigable, nontidal waterbodies. If passed, this bill could trigger the loss of tens of thousands of acres of state-owned sovereign submerged lands at the edge of rivers, lakes and streams by changing the definition of  the ordinary high water mark, which specifies the boundary of state-owned lands. Lowering this mark would make now public lands vulnerable to privatization and would result in losses in environmental protection; revenue from lease fees; and public access to Florida's waterways for paddlers, sportsman, and recreational enthusiasts. 

ACA's opposition to the proposed bill was delivered to Rep. Goodson and committees of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee at yesterday's session to consider the bill. The Florida Senate has an identical bill (SB 1362) that was introduced January 13, 2012. If passed, this legislation would go into effect on July 1, 2012. 

Check out other ways the ACA has supported conservation recently! 

ACA Affiliate - Southwest Kayak Rentals

The ACA is fortunate to welcome Southwest Kayak Rentals as an ACA Affiliate Organization. Southwest Kayak Rentals is located in Seabrook, TX on the north shore of Clear Lake, just 30 minutes south of Houston.

Southwest Kayak Rentals offers:

• Rentals
• Instruction
• Guided Tours
• Galveston's Trails
• Armand Bayou

Southwest Kayak Rentals has supported the Lake, Bayand Bayous since 1988 and can support groups up to 30.

To learn more about Southwest Kayak Rentals visit, http://www.houstonrowing.com/

Or contact: Captain John Coggin at 281-532-1518 or at bayarearowing@aol.com.

Adaptive Paddlesports and Sailing

The ACA is presenting on adaptive paddlesports at the US Sailing National Sailing Programs Symposium in Long Beach, CA this weekend.  This is one of the premier sailing education events in the country. 

The ACA is honored to have been invited to share tips, techniques, and insights into how sailing educators can incorporate adaptive paddlesports into their community programs across the country.

The ACA would like to thank Kevin Carr of Creating Ability for providing the ground-breaking equipment that allows people of all abilities to enjoy their time out on the water.

To learn more about the ACA's role in adaptive paddlesports, please visit www.americancanoe.org

SUP Surf!

Once again, the ACA will be at Surf Expo in Orlando, FL talking SUP this Friday on the main stage at 11:30am.

Some of the topics to be covered are:

• When to wear a leash and lifejacket and when not to?


• The National SUP Education Curriculum


• SUP Instructor Certification

Learn more about SUP Public Policy...

Public Policy Update - National Plan

Public Policy Update:

It's not just about power and sail boats, but all aspects of paddlesports too.

The Strategic Plan of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program is now available on-line.

Learn more...

How to Video's - Insurance

*If you're a member of paddling club and you'd like insurance for an upcoming trip...

*If you're an organization and need 1 time insurance for a paddling event or festival...

*If you're a certified Instructor and need coverage for an upcoming course...

View these short, informative, How to Video's about the ACA's Insurance Program:

Insurance Video's

Or view the ACA Insurance webpage

Check Out What Paddlers Are Doing For Our Waters

                                                  Photo Credit: Elise Knox

Since 2002, the ACA has partnered with L.L. Bean to sponsor the Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) Program. The CFS Program provides funding to local and regional paddling clubs that undertake stewardship projects on waterways in their area and take an active role in protecting and improving the nation's rivers, lakes and coastlines.

Check out what 2011 grant recipients did with their funds! Including restoration work, trail development, community building, cleanups, improving access for adaptive paddling, and more, the individuals and organizations featured here have demonstrated a love for paddling and a commitment to preserve the environments that we all hold dear. 

Read their stories here.

To find out more about the CFS Grant Program or apply for a grant today, click here.

Hand Crafted Paddles

ACA Member Highlight

Fritz Orr

In addition to volunteering at paddlesports events across the southeast, Fritz is an ACA Level 5: Advanced Whitewater Canoe Instructor Trainer (1 of only 4 in the entire country). He is also a member of the Safety Education & Instruction Council. He was a member of the U.S. National Paddling Team from 1990-1996 and has taught thousands of campers the art of canoeing at both Camp Merrie-Woode and Camp High Rocks in western North Carolina.

However, his contributions to paddlesports extend even farther. His attention to detail, patience, and craftsmanship help keep the art of paddle making alive.

Learn more about Fritz's hand made paddles, click here.

Supporting Conservation

The ACA is one of the largest, most active paddlesports organizations in the world. With over 50 million people paddling each year, there are a lot of different interests to represent. But one thing that all paddlers have in common is a vested interest in the health of our waters and environment.

While the ACA works to promote good on-water stewardship at an individual level, we also partner with or support other organizations working to create a healthier, more sustainable planet. This year alone, the ACA has written letters of support, commented on proposed federal legislation, and co-signed letters with other organizations on a variety of topics ranging from preserving roadless areas in Colorado to supporting the Clean Air Act, protecting the menhaden population, and more!

Check out ways the ACA supports conservation!

Happy New Year

Thank you for your support of the ACA and paddlesports throughout 2011.

We're looking forward to working with (and for) you in 2012!

Learn more about what the ACA does for paddlers:

• Education



• Stewardship



• Public Policy



• Competition

Have a great New Year!

The ACA Staff

The ACA Office will be closed on Monday, January 2nd. The Office will re-open on Tuesday, January 3rd.