Celebrate the Rappahannock!

We want to invite you to a fun and educational day of family-oriented events that Celebrates the Rappahannock River!  Join us Saturday June 1st at Riverfront Park, the events kicks off at 10 a.m.

Next to the ACA National Headquarters  the Rappahannock River provides great resources to the community, one of which is an excellent venue for all kinds of paddlesports.  For more information click here.

Don't Make Her Beg - Learn How to Share Your Paddling Passion With Your Best Friend!

Pleeeease Buy the Book So I Can SUP With You!

ACA certified Stand Up Paddleboard Instructor, Maria Christina Schultz has created this "how to" guide so that others can enjoy paddling adventures with their best friends.  

How to SUP With Your PUP guides you through simple training and is designed to make the learning process smooth and safe for human and pup.  It includes everything you and your dog need to SUP - from types of gear to a full training plan.  

Buy your copy of How to SUP With Your PUP from the ACA's eStore.

Garden State Sea Kayak Symposium

If you haven't ever been to the Jersey Shore you might not find a better reason than the Garden State Sea Kayak Symposium June 8-9.  Join Tuktu Paddle and the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association for training from top instructors in:

• SUP
• Canoeing
• Surfing
• Rough water paddling
• ACA instructor classes
• Kayak fishing
• Greenland rolling
• and more...

Visit www.tuktupaddles.com/gssks.html for more information.

National Championships - Canoe Poling

2013 Overall Champion - Intermediate Division - Mena S.

Over the weekend, ACA members from across the country (representing 6 different states) converged on the Westfield River near Huntington, Massachusetts for the annual Canoe Poling National Championships.

A special thank you to Harry Rock and his wife for organizing and hosting this year's event and to the ACA Canoe Poling Committee Chair, Scott Stepenuck for his years of service to the poling community.

Stand tall!

Standing Tall on the River

Former Secretary of Defense Gates and the ACA

Executive Director Wade Blackwood and ACA Board member Kirk Havens meet with former Secretary of Defense, and current Chancellor of William & Mary College Robert Gates last week to discuss paddlesports programming for veterans with disabilities.

Learn more about the ACA's Adaptive Paddling Program.

Kokatat Instructor of the Month - May

The ACA is pleased to announce our May Kokatat Instructor of the Month—Ron Smith from Pinckney, Michigan!

Ron has been a paddling enthusiast for over thirty years growing up in the Great Lakes Region.  After becoming an ACA Instructor, Ron formed Black Parrot Paddling, LLC and along with his wife, Suzanne, who is also an ACA instructor, has taught canoeing, kayaking and SUP to hundreds of clients over the past 18 years.  Ron has served in the past on the board of the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Club and as Safety Officer for the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium held yearly on the shores of Lake Superior.  He serves as Senior Paddlesport Director overseeing the canoeing, kayaking and SUP programs for YMCA Storer Camps in Southeast Michigan. Splitting his time between southeast Michigan and Gulf Shores, Alabama, Ron is working to establish a cadre of ACA instructors along Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coasts in order to provide quality instruction resources for the growing Gulf area paddling community.  Ron is a Level 5: Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor, Level 4: Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor Trainer, Level 2: Essentials of Canoe Touring Instructor Trainer, and Essentials of SUP Instructor.  Ron also holds the ACA Adaptive Paddling Endorsement.

Congratulations Ron!

National Canoe Poling Championship

 

The ACA National Canoe Poling Championship will be held this Saturday May 25 at the Westfield River at Hillgate Park in Huntington, MA.

Join the event...or just show up to watch highly skilled paddlers navigate whitewater standing up!

Learn more about this canoeing art form.

Announcing Online Waivers!

As a service to our members, Paddle America Clubs, and event organizers, the ACA now has an online waiver system.

Events
Check an event's webpage via the Event Calendar to see if the event coordinator has chosen to use online waivers for their event.  If you are an event coordinator and would like to utilize online waivers for your event, please contact the Insurance Coordinator for details.  

Paddle America Clubs (PACs)
If you are a member of an ACA Paddle America Club and you are signing your annual waiver, please click here.

Note, you will then need to login to your account to proceed.  If you need assistance with logging in, please contact the Membership Department.

Instruction Courses
At this time, the process for using an online waiver for ACA instruction courses (skills, assessments, certifications, and endorsements) is still under development.

Save the Date & Join Fellow Paddlers from Across the Country in Bend, OR Next Fall!

All ACA Members Are Eligible to Attend

As part of the ACA's leadership role in the paddlesports community, we have established the National Paddlesports Conference to target all aspects of the paddlesports community.

The 2013 National Paddlesports Conference will take place September 27-29 in Bend, OR at the Mt. Bachelor Village Resort.  

Conference Highlights:

• Events for paddlers of all experience levels
• Family paddling opportunities
• High quality educational sessions
• Paddle Green (clean up) events
• Instructor updates
• Instructor Trainer update workshop
• Reel Paddling Film Festival
• SUP Summit
• Hiking, fishing & bicycling opportunities
• Flatwater, moving water & white water paddling opportunities only 10 minutes from the hotel!
• and so much more...

Get all the details from daily schedules to registration information on the National Paddlesports Conference webpage.

National Safe Boating Week

National Safe Boating Week starts today, Saturday, May 18th and runs through Friday, May 24th.

Learn more about events in your area, visit the SafeBoatingCampaign website.

Also, today is the "Ready, Set, Wear It!" Life Jacket World Record Day.

World Record Attempt - tomorrow!

Want to be a part of a world record for paddlesports tomorrow?

Click here to find out how...

Wear Your Lifejacket to Work Day

Tomorrow, Friday May 17th - join your colleagues, peers, and friends around the world in demonstrating how easy it is to wear a life jacket – even at work!

Mountain Sports Festival 2013

This year's Mountain Sports Festival will be held in Asheville, North Carolina on May 24 -26. The event will feature paddling, hiking, biking, running, cyclocross, races, local beer, lots of exhibitors, and an amazing lineup of live music all weekend! 

Check out the Festival's awesome Harlem Shake promotional video, click here!

For more information on the event, click here. 

Alaska Sea Kayaking Symposium

Mark your calendars! The Alaska Sea Kayaking Symposium will be June 1st and 2nd at Eklutna Lake! The event will feature on-water kayaking instruction and boating gear, an informative lecture series, and an evening barbeque! Who doesn't want to paddle and barbeque in Alaska? 

Space is limited so sign up today! 

For more information on this event, click here!

CKS Paddle Fest 2013

CKS Paddle Fest, the "kick off to paddling" annual event, will be held in beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado May 24 - 27. This event is an interactive and hands on paddling experience that prepares you and your family for your next on-water adventure.  Each year, the event draws thousands of novice and experienced enthusiasts from around the region to learn, share, watch, and celebrate what paddling has to offer. The multiple location venues include, flat-water demo center, on-water education, river competitions, and other non-paddling events for people of all ages. 

Make sure to stop by the ACA booth and say hello to our staff!

For more information on this great event, please visit the CKS website. 

The May 2013 Edition of the Journal of Paddlesport Education is now available.

Highlights in this edition include:

• Who Can Attend Your Course? A look into Essential Eligibility Criteria
• New ACA Proschool - Welcome Wet Planet Whitewater! 
• Kokatat-ACA Instructor of the Month 
• ACA's Swiftwater Rescue Conference
• Upcoming International Events
• Fun summer paddling events!
• Welcome Joe Moore to the SEI Department Staff
• Subaru VIP Program
• and More!

Read now on Issuu or in a downloadable PDF

To learn more about the Journal of Paddlesport Education visit www.americancanoe.org/JournalofPaddlesportEducation

South Platte RiverFest, June 22-23

Don't miss your chance to attend Denver's free two-day festival in Confluence Park in downtown Denver.  Activities will feature Stand Up Paddleboard lessons and demos, live music, food, and drink while highlighting local businesses and non-profits.

The RiverFest is a benefit for The Greenway Foundation.  For the past 40 years, The Greenway Foundation has worked to reclaim, restore and revitalize the South Platte River and it's tributaries in Denver.  These efforts have led to the construction of over 100 acres of riverside parks, over 100 miles of interconnected greenway trails, and the elimination of over 250 sources of direct pollution into our waterways.

Check here for event schedule information as it is added to the website:  South Platte RiverFest.

William D. Havens, Jr.

Bill Havens, Jr. - long time ACA member

Bill Havens, Jr., 94, of Williamsburg, VA passed away May 5, 2013.  

Bill was born January 29th, 1919 in Washington, DC to William D. Havens, Sr. and Ruby Rothy Havens. He married Virginia "Ginny" Brune Havens in 1946. He attended Washington-Lee High School and George Washington University where he was an outstanding athlete excelling in football, boxing, track, swimming, and wrestling.  He gained national acclaim in canoeing at age 16 when he finished third in the 1936 Olympic trials to become an alternate on the U.S. Olympic Team.  He went on to win many national championships in canoeing and was named to the 1940 and 1944 U.S. Olympic Teams though both the 1940 & 1944 Olympic Games were cancelled due to World War II.  In 1941 Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps where he served as a radio operator on C47 aircraft and rose to the rank of Sergeant.  After WWII he continued competitive canoeing and was named to the 1948 U.S. Olympic Team, finishing 5th in the London Olympic Games.

He resided for many years in Vienna, VA where he served as an Arlington County elementary school teacher and then as a school principal for Thomas Jefferson Junior High School and Ashlawn Elementary.  He retired to Manteo, NC where he enjoyed crabbing, fishing, gardening, and paddling on the Roanoke Sound.  He and Ginny ultimately moved back to Virginia to a retirement community in Williamsburg.  He continued to compete in Senior Olympics and World Master Games well into his 80's.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ginny Havens of Williamsburg, VA, his brother Frank Havens of Harborton, VA, his three sons and daughters-in-law William "Dodge" Havens, III and Jo Carol (Richmond, VA), Keith Havens and Sue (Deer Lodge, TN), and Kirk Havens and Karla (Plainview, VA) and five grandchildren Zaak, Ben, Zane, Katie, and Kade.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Hospice House & Support Care of Williamsburg, 4445 Powhatan Parkway, Williamsburg, VA 23118.

Sea Kayak Georgia ACA Paddlesport Week

Let's Paddle!

Sea Kayak Georgia will host the first annual SKG ACA Paddlesport Week on Tybee Island, GA, September 11-15, 2013.  ACA courses and specialized skills training courses will be available for all skills levels and everyone is invited.

For detailed information about courses, presentations and registrations, visit the Sea Kayak Georgia website.

Subaru's VIP Program now includes all models

The ACA and Subaru make great partners

As one of the ACA's corporate sponsors, Subaru offers all ACA members a great Membership Benefit.  Through the Subaru VIP Program, eligible ACA members can save up to $3,300 off the purchase or lease of any new Subaru from participating dealers.  Subaru now allows all models to be covered under the VIP Program.

Don't forget that Subaru also supports the ACA's stewardship and conservation program when an ACA member purchases a Subaru through the VIP Program.

ACA Welcomes Joe Moore to the Staff

Joe Moore joins the ACA staff!

Joe learned to sea kayak on a NOLS semester in 1990. Since then he has taught skills and lead personal and professional day trips and expeditions from Alaska to Belize, from Baja to Maine. Joe has just joined the ACA staff as the new Education & Outreach Coordinator.

Read more about Joe and your ACA staff...

ACA Members Support Amateur Paddlesport Competition at All Levels

BIC One Design SUP Competition

Did you realize that as an ACA member you are supporting amateur paddlesport competition at all levels?  That's right, the ACA is committed to developing and promoting competition in paddlesport at the local, regional and national levels.

Through an extensive network of volunteers and partnerships with other organizations, the ACA sanctions over 200 races and produces 6 national championships each year.

This is just one of the many benefits of being a member of the ACA.  Click here to learn more about the:  ACA's membership benefits.

Black River - Paddle Green!

Do not forget to register for this Paddle Green Event!

Click here to register