National Paddlesports Conference Video Invitation

 

The 2012 National Paddlesports Conference is ultimate paddlesports event, featuring education, stewardship, recreation and event competition all in one place.  You could read more about, but why not just enjoy this great video about what to expect in Charleston, SC November 2-4 at the National Paddlesports Conference. To register or learn more visit http://www.americancanoe.org/?page=NPC_Registration

REI Outdoor School

REI Outdoor School Stand Up Paddleboard Class

Are you looking to gain a new perspective of the outdoors from the deck of a kayak? Or, are you interested in learning about the great total body workout you get on a Stand Up Paddleboard? Then check out the REI Outdoor School, an ACA Proschool. REI's professional instructors are ACA trained and will teach you how to paddle, self-rescue, and navigate a variety of water bodies.

REI Outdoor School paddling courses are available in 13 cities across the United States, including:

• Atlanta, GA
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Denver, CO
• Los Angeles, CA
• Washington D.C./Virginia/Maryland
• Minneapolis/St Paul, MN
• New York - Tri State
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco Bay, CA - North & South
• Seattle, WA - Puget Sound
• Sacramento, CA - Reno(Sierra), NV

REI Outdoor School strives to provide the best outdoor education programs possible and have a 100% satisfaction guarantee that their classes and outings will meet your standards. Their commitment to outdoor education is why the REI Outdoor School is 1 of only 12 ACA Proschool across the nation.

For more information about the REI Outdoor school, click here.

Welcome Keller Torrey to the ACA Staff

Keller is rising Senior at the University of Mary Washington and will graduate in May 2013 with a Business Administration major. 

She joins the ACA staff as the Event Promotions & Marketing Intern, working with the ACA Competition Department. Keller's primary focus will be on the ACA Collegiate Race Series. This growing event has expanded to Texas and the Pacific Northwest in 2012. The Competition Department is fortunate to have Keller on board for the fall semester. Keller is an avid paddler and these skills along with her marketing and business education should help the ACA Competition continue to grow.

To learn more about Keller or the other ACA staff working for you and paddlers everywhere visit the About Us page of the ACA website, http://www.americancanoe.org/.

Midwest Outdoor Experience

The Midwest Outdoor Experience held October 5-6, has grown beyond just gear and explod-ed into a multi-day event, featuring camping, competitions, regional music acts, exciting demos, a Friday and Saturday night beer garden and much more! 

Midwest Outdoor Experience offers something for the budding weekend warrior to the hardcore outdoor enthusiast. With over 12,000 visitors during the 2011 event, Midwest Outdoor Experience is one of the largest festivals celebrating the outdoor lifestyle in the Midwest. 

The ACA is proud to be a sponsor of this great event. Make sure to stop by the ACA booth and check out the ACA Subaru in the Subaru Village. 

Visit http://www.metroparks.org/outdoorx/ to learn more.

ACA at AW Gauley Fest

One of the largest  whitewater river festival is coming up in September, Gauley Fest.  All proceeds from the festival support American Whitewater's river conservation and access works throughout the nation. Started in 1983 to celebrate the derailment of a hydro-electric project that would have disrupted the flows on the Gauley River, Gauley Fest has grown to become one the largest paddling festival in the world. 

Make sure to stop by the ACA booth and check out the ACA Subaru at this year’s Gauley Fest September 14-16. 

Visit the Gauley Fest website for more information.

Early Bird Registration is now Online

Online registration is now available for the ACA National Paddlesports Conference and SUP Summit.

Educational Sessions are now online as well as a range of other conference opportunities:

• SUP Race
• Adaptive Paddling Workshop
• Instructor Updates
• Ocean surfing
• Guided kayak tours
• Shem Creek clean up on SUPs
• Reel Paddling Film Festival
• and much more

See the latest...

New River Trail Challenge

New River Trail Challenge Triathlon

Sept. 15, 2012 - Foster Falls, Va. 


New River Trail Challenge Website

We're glad to announce that the 2012 Virginia New River Trail Challenge will be held on Saturday, Sept. 15. After a hiatus, the 2011 race was a resounding success, and this year's challenge promises to be bigger and better than ever. New this year - and covered by registration - are complimentary hot showers and cold adult beverages.

The Challenge consists of three stages. It starts at Foster Falls with a 40-mile bike ride, followed by a 12-mile kayak stage, and ends with a half marathon (13.1 miles) all in New River Trail State Park. Be as competitive or casual as you like, the Challenge attracts the hardcore athlete and fun lover alike! And you can join the Challenge as a relay team or really tough it out and go solo!

In addition, Virginia State Parks and Wythe County are pleased to present the New River Trail Challenge Family Fest. This year's festival has even more fun activities for all ages. The kids will enjoy the moon bounce, obstacle course, face painting, pony rides, snow cones and fishing in the duck pond. Food vendors, music, local artisans, demonstrations and outdoor displays round out the fun. Adult beverages will be sold as well, with all proceeds donated to back to New River Trail State Park to make the event even better next year!

Hope to see you there!

Rescue for River Runners Episode 4

Episode 4 of Rescue for River Runners is released!

Rescue for River Runners is a series of educational videos in swiftwater rescue.  This video series is the product of Five2Nine productions, the ACA and several other supporting partners.  The ACA is excited about this new resource!  Stay tuned for new episodes at www.americancanoe.org/R3 or the ACA YouTube Channel!

The ACA Welcomes New Green Affiliate - Olympic Kayak & Raft

The ACA is excited to announce a new Green Affiliate. Olympic Raft & Kayak in Port Angeles, WA.

For over 25 years they have been the leader of outdoor adventures on the Olympic Peninsula. They love what we do and it shows! Whether you are joining them on a guided rafting or kayaking tour of some of the most beautiful areas in the world, renting a kayak to explore it yourself, or allowing them to get you started in the exciting world of kayaking, they are the local professionals for all your paddlesports needs. 

They are pleased to offer the ONLY whitewater rafting on the restored Elwha River, inside of Olympic National Park. These next few years are very historic, the dam removal and restoration process on the Elwha is underway and they are looking forward to sharing the Restored Elwha River experience with you.

Other rafting trips include the Hoh River in the heart of the Hoh Rain Forest, near Forks and Class III rafting on the Sol Duc River during winter months.

They offer guided kayak tours of Lake Crescent, Freshwater Bay on the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Port Angeles and Dungeness Spit and National Wildlife refuge near Sequim. Sea Kayak rentals are available for many local waterways including Lake Ozette for overnight camping.

For more information or to get out on the water with the newest ACA Green Affiliate visit www.raftandkayak.com

Rescue for River Runners: Episode 3

Episode 3 of Rescue for River Runners is released!

Rescue for River Runners is a series of educational videos in swiftwater rescue.  This video series is the product of Five2Nine productions, the ACA and several other supporting partners.  The ACA is excited about this new resource!  Stay tuned for new episodes at www.americancanoe.org/R3 or the ACA YouTube Channel!

Upcoming Adaptive Paddling Workshops

The ACA is know as the “Gold Standard” in paddlesports instruction. This is the case whether you are talking about canoeing, kayaking, SUP, raft or rescue; but it is also in reference to paddlers of all and varied abilities. The ACA’s Adaptive Paddling Workshops prepare instructors and participants alike with the information they need to integrate paddlers with disabilities into their programs.

This year's National Paddlesports Conference will host a post-conference Adaptive Paddling Workshop on November 4-9 in Charleston, SC.

There are several additional upcoming Adaptive Workshops:

• September 9-6: Michigan
• September 9-12: Alaska
• 
  

More information about the ACA Adaptive Paddle Programs here!

Level 2: Essentials of SUP Instructor Certification Workshop in Boston, MA

The ACA is partnering with Charles River Canoe & Kayak to bring New England a much awaited Level 2:Essential of SUP Instructor Certification Course September 7-9. 

This course will cover both ACA Level 1 and Level 2. The Instructor Trainer for this course is long time ACA guru of paddling and Waterman Keith Keller out of Jacksonville, FL.

If you are looking to hone your instructor and SUP skills and become certified by the leader in paddlesports education then sign up!

For more information or to register online click here

The ACA is taking over Pinterest!

Did you know the ACA is on Pinterest? That’s right. The ACA is stepping up its social media presence in order to connect with more paddlesport enthusiasts.

In case you aren’t on the Pinterest bandwagon yet, Pinterest is a pin board-style social photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies, and more. Pinterest's mission is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting" via a global platform of inspiration and idea sharing.

ACA Pinterest Board

The ACA’s Pinterest page caters to the entire paddlesport community and features fun, interactive boards, including:

·         Photo of the Week

·         ACA Gear

·         Top 10 Paddlesport Safety Tips

·         Paddlesport Fun!

·         Subaru – Official vehicle of the ACA

·         Sugar Island

·         National Paddlesport Conference

·         Recreation

·         Stewardship

·         Education

·         Competition

·         And many more!

To view the ACA’s Pinterest page, visit click here. If you have a Pinterest account, follow us to find out what’s going on in the paddlesport world! If you do not have a Pinterest account, we encourage you to sign up!

The ACA Pinterest page is another way for the ACA to connect with the paddlesport enthusiast. If you have suggestions or pin ideas the ACA should feature, we’d love to hear from you! Contact Sarah Kadis, ACA’s Social Media Video Grant Coordinator, at skadis@americancanoe.org.

Journal of Paddlesport Education - August Edition

The ACA is excited to announce the next edition of the Journal of Paddlesport Education. This re-invented publication is a collaborative effort from the SEI Department and ACA volunteers. This new format includes 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

Read now on Issuu or the PDF version!
 
Highlights in this issue:

• Kokatat Instructor of the Month
• SEI Department Update - Level 3: Whitewater SUP ICW & Level 2: Essentials of SUP ICW
• National Paddlesports Conference Update
• Rescue for River Runners and Essentials of SUP Videos
• SEI Department Spotlight - Pinterest & Boat US PLB Rentals
• Upcoming Outreach
• Featured eStore Items
• SEI Online Resources
• Important Dates 
• And More!

SUP: Lifejackets, Leashes & Legislation

Lifejackets, Leashes, & Legislation

Have your voice heard from the water's edge to the halls of Congress on important topics like:

• Lifejacket wear
• Leashes
• Legislation

Whether you Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) once a year or 5 times a week, your opinion matters.

Please take this 14 question survey and help shape the future of SUP.

•  SUP Survey

ACA certified Level 3: Whitewater SUP Instructor



Photo Courtesy of Werner Paddles



ACA - Staff Position Available

Our 'other' office

Do you want to work for a national non-profit and make a difference in paddlesports?

If so, and you have a financial background, consider applying for the ACA's

Financial Coordinator position

SUP DVD - Now Available!

The ACA has partnered with Heliconia Press and Jimmy Blakeney of BIC Sport Paddlesurf to bring you the latest resource for Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP).

Whether you are just starting out, or are an experienced rider, this is a great resource to add to your collection.

ACA members get a discount off the MSRP.

Learn more...

YOU are the face of the ACA.

 Send us your pictures to be featured in our photo albums! 

So often we post about what WE are doing. We write all the time about where Chris' next big presentation is, what event Trey recently traveled to, what new feature Kelsey has implemented to better serve our instructors, the new forms of insurance that Candy will assist you with to better support your events, where Cate's next Paddle Green event will be... and it's GREAT that you know all of these names because they are here to serve YOU. But we want to know what YOU are doing! How are you spending your time on the water? 

With members and instructors in every state and in 26 other countries, we want to hear about your experiences and what the ACA can do for you! 

Send us pictures of you in your favorite paddling places and you might see yourself in our next ACA Collage! We will be posting a collage each week featuring the faces, places, and paddlers that make up the ACA. 

E-mail your photos and message to aca@americancanoe.org to be included.

Be sure to check out some of our current photos on Facebook or our Picasa Web Albums!

ACA at Outdoor Retailer

Are you going to be in Salt Lake City this week for Outdoor Retailer?

If so drop by the Paddle Zone on the main show floor and visit the ACA booth.  Whether you want to talk Stewardship with Cate or Instruction with Chris, we'll be there to answer your questions.

If you're interested in SUP, join the ACA at the Outdoor University seminar series:

SUP: Lifejackets, Leashes & Legislation

• Saturday, August 4
• 10:00am
• Deer Valley Salon
• Marriott Hotel

See you in SLC!