Bringing the Reel Paddling Film Festival to DC!

The ACA is bringing the Reel Paddling Film Festival to DC! Partnering with DC Adventure Films and Patagonia of DC, the film festival will be held at the Arlington Cinema and Draft House on Thursday, May 24th. 

Join us for a cold brew and a night of adventure that will inspire you to get out and paddle!

Tickets are $12 for members/ $15 for non-members. Get yours today!

*Must be at least 21 years of age or accompanied by a parent/ legal guardian

ACA Sponsors the Texas Paddlesports Show

The Texas Paddlesports Show is coming May 12th, 2012 to Meadowmere Park, Grapevine, Texas. Easily accessed from Dallas or Ft Worth.

It could have been called a Kayak Show, or a Paddleboard Show, but we wanted to include it all. Kayaks, Canoes, Paddleboards and some craft you haven't even seen.

The show will open Saturday May 12th at 9am and run till 6pm. Hundreds of boats, paddle boards and paddles will be available to demo.

Professional Instructors and fishing guides will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate kayak and paddle board technique.

Bring a picnic and the family for a fun, informative and safe day at the lake.

Visit http://kayakingdallas.com/ for more information.

NY - NJ - CT Member Newsletter

Looking for places to paddle this summer?  Courses to take?

An ACA Camp to sleep at?

Read the latest issue of CanoeSport and learn more.

Produced by the volunteers of the ACA's Atlantic Division. 

ACA Sponsors Adventure Sports Festival

Come out to a fun filled weekend Mountain Biking, Kayaking/Paddling, Trail Running, and Standup Paddleboarding in Port Gamble, WA on the spectacular Kitsap Peninsula. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, young or old adventurer you will appreciate the weekend of fun filled racing, demos, classes, vendors, food and festival atmosphere.

All ages are welcome and no experience is necessary for this seriously fun event, so grab the kids, your buddies and your sense of adventure and head to historic Port Gamble for the day or the weekend.

Visit http://www.unleashthebeastnw.com for more information.

New Instructor Manual CD

The ACA Instructor's Manual CD has been revised!

It now includes:

• The entire ACA Instructor Manual as a PDF
• Course Registration Forms
• Course Reporting Forms
• Numerous brochures and pamphlets
• The entire Course Curriculum (skills courses, assessment courses, and instructor criteria) for all disciplines and levels
• Essential Eligibility Criteria

Plus, you can purchase this great resource online at the ACA eStore for only $15.00.

River SUP Instructor Certification Workshop



Photo courtesy of Potomac Paddlesports

 The ACA's Safety Education & Instruction Council recently approved the new River Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) curriculum.  

In order to roll the program out, the first River SUP Instructor Certification Workshop will be conducted on the Potomac River with ACA Pro School - Potomac Paddlesports.

The course begins on May 7th and space is limited.

Learn more about:

• First River SUP Instructor Certification Workshop - Potomac River
• All ACA SUP Instructor Certification Workshops
• The comprehensive SUP curriculum

Stand tall - paddle hard!

The ACA at the River Management Symposium

The ACA's Kelsey Bracewell and Cate Huxtable will be presenting at this year's Biennial River Management Society Symposium in Asheville, NC!

Kelsey, SEI Coordinator, will be presenting on engaging youth in paddlesports through the ACA Paddle Safe, Paddle Smart program. Cate, Stewardship Coordinator, will be presenting water trail development and using water trails as a platform for stewardship. 

If you are going to be at the symposium this week, be sure to stop by their presentations and say hi! 

Don't forget to keep an eye out for news about the ACA National Paddlesports Conference in Charleston this November!

2012 National River Rally

A Few Reasons Why You Don't Want to Miss River Rally 2012: Meet and network with more than 600 of your peers from around the US and the world; Over 90 cutting edge training sessions (including Blueways for Greener Waters presented by ACA); 12 amazing field trips and a service project; Clean Water Act at 40 celebration; Techno-Lounge; National River Heroes Banquet; Enjoy Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

River Rally is truly the one-stop shop for the water protection community. For more reasons to attend, visit www.riverrally.org.

Paddling towards a cleaner planet!

I'm proud to be a part of the the ACA who speaks for our waters, which you seem to be polluting without being bothered. Also in charge of the eddies and holes that paddlers like to play in and practice their rolls. SUPing on lakes or paddling the New, we all know the value of clean waters and views. Now, thanks to your damming and trashing and litter, paddlers and animals will start to be bitter! 

But we will not quit or run away with fear; we know that a cleaner planet is soon to be near! We value our waters for the fish and best lines, so we will continue improving the signs. Against the odds and the waste and the greed, we work to make sure that all our runs are freed. Freed for today and the day after that, for paddlers to come and new oyster spat.

We speak for the rivers who cannot speak for themselves. Keep your waters clean with these great bags on our shelves!

Get your own Paddle Green Bag today!

River Rally 2012

 

One of the many ways that the ACA supports conservation and stewardship of the waters we paddle is by attending and presenting at conferences where we can stay up-to-date with the latest research and projects related to conservation and resource management from specialists across the country.

Stewardship Coordinator, Cate Huxtable, will be presenting at this year's River Rally, hosted by the River Network and the Waterkeeper Alliance, in Portland, Oregon this May. Serving as a "confluence" of ideas and strategies, River Rally 2012 strives to convene the largest gathering ever of clean water advocates, and the ACA is proud to be on of them!

Check out other events the ACA will be attending and ways we are supporting conservation this year!

We Love Clean Rivers Awarded a 2012 CFS Grant!

                    

		We Love Clean Rivers, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non‐profit organization dedicated to cleaning high use rivers by mobilizing the river recreation community in partnership with local environmental, recreation, and educational organizations. By coordinating with kayakers, rafters, anglers, scuba divers and tubers to clean up waterways, We Love Clean Rivers broadens engagement with river restoration activities, increases the recreation community’s understanding of threats to watershed health, and provides unique opportunities for the community to give back to the incredible resources we use year-round. We Love Clean Rivers was awarded an ACA/ L.L. Bean CFS Grant to help fund the Clackamas Down the River Clean Up, which seeks to revitalize a 15-mile section of the Clackamas River from Barton Park, in Boring, OR, to the Clackamette Park, in Oregon City, OR. Since 2002, hundreds of volunteers return each year to participate in removing thousands of pounds of trash from the Clackamas River with We Love Clean Rivers. The ACA is proud to join the team and help make the Clackamas a healthier and cleaner river year-round! Check out where other CFS projects are being done across the country!

NOC's hosts CRS National Championships Post-Race Social

The ACA would like to thank the Nantahala Outdoor Center for hosting the 2012 Collegiate Race Series National Championships Post-race Social! The NOC graciously opened up its facilities on Saturday night, welcoming our larger-than-expected group and making it a blast for everyone.

The NOC presented Rapid Media's Reel Paddling Film Festival, free of charge for all of the competitors, coaches, and volunteers associated with the event.  Films rolled all night long and everyone was able to watch.

 The NOC also provided all-you-can-eat pizza (50 pies in total!!) and salad. NOC Gift cards were raffled off and coupons for discounted whitewater adventures were handed out as well.

After the competitors got their fill of food, drink, and film, the night ended with a medal ceremony awarding the top 3 finishers in each individual paddling class.

The ACA looks forward to partnering with the NOC in the future as we grow the CRS National Championships and related events in the western North Carolina region.

Camp Oty'Okwa and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio Awarded a CFS Grant

 
Big Brother Big Sisters of Central Ohio was awarded an ACA? L.L. Bean Club Fostered Stewardship grant to incorporate river and waterway clean-ups into summer camp programming at Camp Oty'Okwa. A residential summer camp that utilizes the Hocking River, Lake Logan, and several creeks and streams throughout the area, Camp Oty'Okwa often provides first time paddling and camp experiences to at-risk youth populations.

The ACA is proud to be able to contribute to this meaningful program and provide paddling experiences and stewardship education to populations that might not otherwise have the opportunity. 

See other CFS projects being funded this year! 

Google Map - Instructor Trainers

Photo Courtesy of Zoar Outdoor

In addition to PDF's that list all the certified Instructor Trainers and Instructor Trainer Educators by both discipline and state, there is now a color coded Google Map!



Just click on a marker and you'll get the Instructor Trainer's level of certification along with their contact information.


Google Map - Instructor Trainer / Instructor Trainer Educator

Sign up to take an ACA Instructor Certification Workshop today!

ACA Collegiate Race Series National Championships

The ACA Collegiate Race Series National Championships took place the last weekend in March in Dillsboro, NC.  With over 100 participants representing 10 schools from across the nation, the event was a great success!

Schools in attendance included Warren Wilson College, Brevard College, Hollins University, Albion College, Clemson University, Messiah College, Sweet Briar College, Georgia Tech, North Greenville University, and University of Alabama. 

After registration was complete and safety boats were in place, the individual class races began.  Individual classes included K1M, K1W, OC1M, OC1W, and OC2.  Races continued all day as teams shuttled to and from the take out to make sure everyone competed in the classes they signed up for.

After all racers had competed in their classes they dried off and headed over to the Nantahala Outdoor Center for the post race social.  At the NOC they enjoyed food, drinks, and the Reel Paddling film festival put on by the folks at NOC free of charge.

The night ended with a medal ceremony awarding the winners of that day's individual class races.  See below for a list of the winners from each class.

The following day was the Team Relay event which consisted of two OC2 legs and 2 K1 legs.  Each school put together their best relay team and raced head-to-head from Dillsboro River Company to Tuckaseegee Outfitters, trading off  their canoe or kayak at 3 different relay points to a different paddler or paddlers from their team.



After a close race, the winners of the of the Team Relay event were announced, door prizes were handed out, and finally, the overall team champion was announced. 

For a full list of results, points, and times, and for the official press release, visit the CRS National Championship website and click the link at the bottom for 2012 Race Results.


Congratulations and Thank You to all competitors who came out and participated in the race! Thank you to all the coaches and volunteers, without whom this race would not have been possible.


Additionally, the ACA would like to thank presenting sponsor the Nantahala Outdoor Center for accommodating our large group with the Reel Paddling Film Festival, food, and drinks, and a great social event.

Finally, a huge thank you to our other sponsors as well, without whom this event would not have been nearly as awesome:

Dillsboro River Company

Tuckaseegee Outfitters

Paddling Encampment

Join fellow paddlers anytime during the weeks of July 22 - August 4 on the ACA's own Sugar Island.

This two-week encampment of paddlers has been occurring for over 100 years!

Be a part of the history...learn more.

River Rally 2012!

From May 4-7, more than 600 people will join together in Portland, Oregon to enhance their water-related technical skills, learn how to build the capacity of their organizations, share best practices for watershed protection, and benefit from one of the most rewarding networking experiences of the year.

River Rally 2012 will feature more than 90 workshops and intensive sessions that focus on building stronger organizations and providing technical training on a wide range of topics such as watershed restoration, stormwater management, water quality monitoring, water and energy conservation, and more. Robert Kennedy, Jr., and Alexandra Cousteau are confirmed keynote speakers.

For the first time, River Network and Waterkeeper Alliance are joining forces to jointly host River Rally. Participants will hail from nearly all US states and multiple countries from around the world. Attendees represent local and statewide non-profits, as well as regional and national NGOs, tribes, public agencies and businesses. Find out more and register today at www.riverrally.org.

Wisconsin & Illinois Paddling Club

MONROE, WISCONSIN - The Friends of the Pecatonica River Foundation (FPRF) will be hosting an informational meeting on starting a canoe and kayak club in Southwestern Wisconsin and Northwestern Illinois on Thursday, March 29 and again on April 19, 2012 at 7:00 pm in the Monroe Public Library.

The FPRF will be holding this meeting to determine interest in forming a paddling club in the stateline region. There are over 565 registered canoes and kayaks in Stephenson County and over 5,500 in the (6) county region of Northwestern Illinois and at least 5,000 in the (6) county region of Southwestern Wisconsin.

Discussion will cover:

• Learning a "Lifetime Sport"
• points of access on the Pecatonica, Sugar, Rock, Kishwaukee, Platte, Plum and other rivers in our area
• Joining the American Canoe Association
• powerpoint presentation on "Illinois' Friendliest Paddle."

Please forward this to your paddling friends and those that may be interested in learning the benefits and recreational aspects of paddling.

Sincerely,

FRIENDS OF THE PECATONICA RIVER FOUNDATION

Roger Schamberger
rscham@hotmail.com
(815)238-7888 (C)