ACA Pro School - Map

Looking for quality paddlesport education in the U.S. or Europe - check out the new ACA Pro School map. 

Canoe Poling National Championships



This past weekend, competitors from across the country came to the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg, VA to compete in the 2012 ACA Canoe Poling National Championships.
States represented:

• Maine
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• Texas

The ACA has been sanctioning the Canoe Poling National Championships since 1965!

Learn more about the unique art of Canoe Poling and read the FreeLance Star article here.

Clem Swift receiving the Ed Hayden Trophy from Canoe Poling Committee Chair Scott Stepenuck

Instructor Trainer Development Workshop

Photo Courtesy of ACA Pro School Cutter Aquatics

Have you ever though about going from an Instructor to an Instructor Trainer for the ACA?

If so, in conjunction with ACA Pro School Cutter Aquatics, two Instructor Trainer Development Workshops (ITDWs) are being held in Texas.

• June 14 - Waceo, TX
• November 17 - Dallas, TX

Learn more here.

FIBArk

2012 marks the 64th anniversary of FIBArk, the nation's oldest whitewater festival and Salida's signature event. Since 1949, every June during the Spring snow runoff, Salida has hosted FIBArk, "First in Boating on the Arkansas." 
 
Located in Salida's historic downtown, Riverside Park is the center of FIBArk activity and entertainment. Food, arts and crafts, and industry vendors are available, as well as a beer tent, a carnival, and a state-of-the art amphitheater for this year's extraordinary musical line-up. 

http://www.fibark.net/

RiverSUP DVD in ACA eStore

River SUP Volume One is an equal parts instruction video and action/adventure film. Concise clips and articulate explanations usher the aspiring SUP river paddler through the ins-and-outs of all sorts of river paddling, from coasting down mellow streams to the advanced techniques involved in paddling dangerous Class II & III rapids. Hosted by whitewater Yoda and ACA SUP Instructor Trainer, Charlie MacArthur.

Find RiverSUP and more in the ACA eStore!

Eppie's Great Race

Eppie's Great Race® is known as "The World's Oldest Triathlon®" and the "No Swim" Triathlon and is one of the largest paddling events in the United States!

The race features a 5.82-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike and a 6.35-mile paddle held along the scenic American River Parkway in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento.

http://www.eppiesgreatrace.org/

Ohio Riverway Paddlefest

The 11th Annual Ohio River Way Paddlefest is exactly two months from today - Saturday, June 23. 
 
Get all the basic info at: http://www.ohioriverway.org/paddlefest/general-info/
 
Some of the events this year:

• Dragon Boat Races on Lake Como during the "Roots on the River" Music & Outdoor Festival at Coney Island on Friday, June 22.
• Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) races on the Ohio on Saturday, June 23.
• Still time to register as a vendor or volunteer for one of America's largest paddling events! 

 

Canoe Poling National Championships

Come join fellow paddlers and ACA National Office Staff at the Canoe Poling National Champinships hosted in Fredericksbrug, VA.  Join us for this fun filled weekend on the Rappahanncok River.  For more information visit http://www.americancanoe.org/?page=Canoe_Poling or register here.

CKS Paddlefest 2012

PaddleFest is the interactive and hands on paddling experience of the year to prepare you and your family for the next on water adventure. Head on over to Buena Vista this Memorial Day weekend May 25-27th 2012.

Check out CKS PaddleFest in Buena Vista, CO. This is a great event for everyone, whether you are looking for new gear, education, instruction or just a great time by the river Paddlefest 2012 is for you. To learn more visit http://www.ckspaddlefest.com/ or http://www.youtube.com/user/ckspaddler

I Want Your Outdoor Job!

Chris Stec teaching a SUP Instructor Certification Course in Germany

The ACA's Chief Operating Officer was recently interviewed by PaddlingInstructor.com for their - I Want Your Outdoor Job series.

Read more - I Want Your Outdoor Job!

Learn more about YOUR ACA Staff who work on behalf of paddlers everday.

Rocky Mountain 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 

For more information visit ACA Paddlesports Calendar Listing for Rocky Mountain SUP Summit.

NEW - Journal of Paddlesport Education

The ACA is excited to announce the updated Journal of Paddlesport Education. This re-invented publication is a collaborative effort from the SEI Department and ACA volunteers. This new format will include peer reviewed professional articles as well as articles, updates and other information from the Safety, Education and Instruction Department of the ACA National Office.

Check out the Journal of Paddlesport Education page on the ACA website to learn more!
www.americancanoe.org/JournalofPaddlesportEducation

Highlights in this issue:

• The Missing Piece in the Forward Stroke Puzzle
• Tech Tips - SUP T'ed Up
• James Baker-Jarvis; In Remembrance
• SEI Department Update
• SEI Department Spotlight - Day Trip Leader Assessments
• Upcoming Outreach
• Featured eStore Items
• SEI Online Resources
• New Prodeal
• Important Dates

Read now Issuu / PDF

Whitewater SUP Instructors

Buck styling it during the course

Last week, in conjunction with ACA Pro School Potomac Paddlesports, the first Level 3: River SUP Instructor Certification Workshop took place.  The certification course took place in class I and II whitewater!



Level 3: RSUP Instructor Greg Miller's license plate - now that's dedication!

 The ACA is excited to be able to continue to provide training for the SUP community in the moving and whitewater venues.  More whitewater certification courses will be offered throughout the year, and we need and value your feedback and ideas.



ACA SUP Instructor Trainer - Chris Stec teaching the course

 The course was conducted on the Potomac River at two locations: upstream from Anglers and on the GW Canal.

Trey Knight, Greg Miller, Kevin Hagen, and Buck 

Learn more about upcoming SUP Instructor Certification Workshops across the country.

Rocky Mountain Surf Festival

The 2012 Rocky Mountain Surf Festival will be held June 9 & 10 in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. This one of a kind Polynesian themed extravaganza will feature surfing contests at the Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park, music, food and product vendors, costumes, limbo competitions, hula hooping, goof boarding, the American Rivers Raft Trash Regatta (a raft race/trash pickup event) and planet earth’s best river stand up paddlers displaying their paddling prowess on the snowmelt swollen Colorado River…and much more!

The ACA is proud to partner with this event and help support Stand Up Paddleboarding.

For more information check out http://www.rockymountainsurffestival.com/

 

NW Paddling Festival

The Northwest Paddling Festival had a great inaugural event in 2011 and is looking forward to an event better year in 2012. The will have a new site which should provide for easier and better access. For more information visit http://northwestpaddlingfestival.com/

The event features: 

• Sea Kayak and SUP Demo Beach 
• On-Water Instruction 
• On-Water Demonstrations 
• Open Air Paddlesports Market with Vendors 
• Alki Paddling Challenge Race on Saturday June 25 
• Classroom Presentations and Instruction 
• Music, Food, and Fun!

Exploring Oregon's Paddle Trails

Cate Huxtable, Stewardship Coordinator, will be exploring the Deschutes River with Riverkeepers from across the country. The Deschutes Paddle Trail was recently named an ACA Recommended Water Trail. To see if your water trail can become an ACA Recommended Water Trail, contact Cate Huxtable at chuxtable@americancanoe.org. 

Add your water trail to our database today! 

ACA at River Rally

(Photo credits to John Wathen, Hurricane Creekkeeper)

"You are part of the largest gathering of clean water advocates ever assembled," opened Todd Ambs, President of River Network, as he addressed the attendees of the 2012 River Rally in Portland, Oregon, this past weekend. More than 750 "watershed warriors" came together at River Rally to celebrate clean water victories, discuss future approaches to combat the many issues that continue to plague our rivers and coasts, and to develop partnerships and grassroots river networks that will be essential to promote a future of cleaner, healthier waters. "In an era of tight budgets and scarce resources, it's more important now than ever to work together," said Ambs. 

A conference filled with notable speakers and passionate crusaders for our waters, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, National Geographic Explorer, Alexandra Cousteau, and President of the Waterkeeper Alliance, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., addressed all the attendees and applauded the causes for which we all fight for. 

As Alexandra Cousteau said in her speech, "water is our most important legacy... it seems that we have all these pressing issues, and water doesn't seem to make it to the top of national discussion. The solution comes from the ground up: from communities, from the people who love their water and want to take their water back." 

For Cate Huxtable, ACA Stewardship Coordinator, "it was truly an honor to attend this year's River Rally and be surrounded by so many heroes that champion causes on behalf of our rivers. The spirit of the River Network and the Waterkeeper Alliance exists as a result of the many people who dedicate their lives to protecting our waters; it's amazing to hear their stories and to represent the American Canoe Association and the millions of paddlers working to preserve the areas that they paddle."

ACA and Adirondack Paddlefest

Adirondack Paddlefest is coming to May 18-20 and ACA members get in for free!


Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company is proud to present Adirondack Paddlefest 2012 in Old Forge, New York. Adirondack Paddlefest is the largest on-water canoe and kayak sale in the country and features over 75 of the leading manufacturers of canoes, kayaks, and accessories. Over 1,000 canoes and kayaks will be on sale all weekend at special show prices. There will also be big savings on paddling accessories and outdoor gear. The event “couldn’t be more convenient to millions of Americans” according to Canoe and Kayak Magazine, and you won’t find a better place to purchase a new canoe or kayak, or to outfit the boat you already have. The ACA along with Moutainman Outdoor Supply Company are excited to offer free entrance in to event for ACA members with membership card. This does not cover the on-water fee.

For more info on the Adirondack Paddlefest visit http://www.mountainmanoutdoors.com/events/adirondack-paddlefest 

Whitewater Canoe Instructor: James Baker-Jarvis



James "Jim" Baker-Jarvis, December 31, 2011

 
The ACA is sad to announce that longtime Level 4: Whitewater Canoe Instructor James Baker-Jarvis of Colorado has passed away.

While driving home with his wife, Karen, high winds blew a tree branch through his windshield.  Although severely injured, James was able to pull the car over and stop it safely, preventing any injury to Karen or other drivers.

When not teaching canoeing or paddling on his own, James was part of a team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) working on technology that they hoped would eventually be used for early breast cancer detection.

Jim and his wife Karen took many classes from legendary ACA Instructor Trainers Bob Foote and Kent Ford.  In addition they were active in open canoe slalom racing in Minnesota and Colorado.

The ACA would like to express our deepest condolences to his wife Karen, his children, and his extended family.  You will all be in our thoughts.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Physicist, James Baker-Jarvis

ACA Sponsors Eppie's Great Race

"The World's Oldest Triathlon®"

ABOUT THE RACE

• Eppie's Great Race® is known as "The World's Oldest Triathlon®" and the "No Swim" Triathlon and is the largest paddling event in the United States!
• Sacramento-area restauranteur/entrepreneur Eppie Johnson founded the event in 1974. It has been held every year since and is a Sacramento-area summertime tradition for elite athletes, fitness enthusiasts and families.
• The race features a 5.82-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike and a 6.35-mile paddle held along the scenic American River Parkway in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento.
• A concurrently held duathlon put on by Eppie's Great Race®, the U.S. Bank Kids Duathlon, is available to area youth.
• The event is presented by the Eppie's Great Race Foundation and the primary beneficiary is Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services.

To learn more about the race or to register visit http://www.eppiesgreatrace.org/

 

ACA Sponsors the River City Challenge

Jacksonville’s first paddling race is taking place downtown on the St. Johns River, May 5, 2012. Join fellow paddlers for a fast-moving, action-packed 3-mile/8-mile race and outdoor festival in the heart of beautiful downtown Jacksonville. Set on the banks of the Southbank Riverwalk, you can watch paddlers from all over the southeast challenge the mighty St. Johns River, along with a special exhibition paddle by the incredible dragon boats.

Come out and experience a world-class race, complete with festivities, live music, food, and fun for the whole family. The festival will include many of your favorite outfitters, tour guides, area Parks, and non-profit organizations wrapped around Jacksonville’s very own Friendship Fountain. Spend some time with our professionals watching and learning about kayak fishing, attend a paddling clinic, participate in ACA kayak Instruction courses, and, most importantly, recognize the need to protect one of Jacksonville’s most precious natural resources, the St. Johns River. Don’t miss the opportunity to enter the raffle for your chance to win an Epic Kayak V8 Surf Ski kayak, valued at $3,000. The event proceeds will be used to purchase and improve access to lands, adjacent to our rivers by North Florida Land Trust.

Visit http://www.rivercitychallenge.org/ for more information or to register.