See The World's Best Paddling Films

The RPFF World Tour is an international film tour screening in 110 cities. At its first showing in Toronto in March, the 9th annual RPFF drew the largest premiere audience in festival history. 

Click here for a list of this year's award-winning films, and be sure to attend the RPFF at our ACA Paddle Green Event in June!

ACA Pro School Spotlight

We're pleased to announce the newest ACA Pro School, CanoeSport Outfitters from Des Moines, Iowa!

Since 1992, CanoeSport Outfitters has been serving paddlers in the Midwest by organizing informative events, providing quality gear, and offering superior instruction. Whether you're picking up a paddle for the first time or have years of experience, the knowledgeable instructors at CanoeSport Outfitters will help you improve your canoeing, kayaking, and SUP skills. 

Along with a wide range of courses, the new Pro School also offers many educational outings to local destinations and provides learning opportunities in the Apostle Islands, Everglades National Park, and coastal regions of Louisiana and Georgia. 

In their retail store, you'll find knowledgeable staff eager to help you select the best canoe, kayak, or paddleboard for the type of paddling you want to do. CanoeSport Outfitters also offers a wide selection of accessories to help you paddle safer and transport your gear more easily. Rentals and test paddling opportunities are also available at their concession location at nearby Lake Ahquabi State Park.

Please feel free to visit their website or contact jeff@canoesportoutfitters.com for more info.  

ACA Pro Schools are some of the best organizations across the country to find top quality ACA certified instruction. Current ACA members also receive discounts on certain Pro School instructional programs. 

To see a full list of ACA Pro Schools, click here. 

2 New Crosstrek Hybrids Join the ACA Subaru Fleet

We're proud to call Subaru the official vehicle of the ACA, and we're super excited to welcome two new Crosstrek Hybrids to our fleet of Subaru vehicles!

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient and lowest-emissions All-Wheel Drive hybrid crossover vehicle in America. It can also go off-road and clear 8.7 inches of bumps, rocks, and drifted sand and snow. 

In other words, it's easier on the environment AND equipped for adventure! The Crosstrek is also ACA office dog-approved. 

Stella gives the Crosstek her paw-stamp of approval.

Subarus make our various paddlesport initiatives possible. Our Stewardship Coordinator uses the Outback to help haul the marine debris collected during Paddle Green clean-up events to the local recycling center. To increase ACA membership and support paddlesports recreation, the ACA Membership Coordinator drives the Forester to paddlesports events throughout the country. Our Education Coordinator uses her Crosstrek to get to rivers, lakes, and other instruction locations. 

ACA employees depend on their Subarus to get them to work safely in the morning, and home again at night. Subaru helps us make the world a better place to paddle. Every day. 

Will Winter Ever End?

We're dreaming of warmer temps, sunny days, and the 34th annual Great Rappahannock Whitewater Canoe Race (GRWCR)! 

This classic Fredericksburg event takes place every year on the first Saturday in June. Races are open to participants of all ages and include both whitewater and flatwater canoeing, kayaking, SUP, and canoe poling competitions.

When: Saturday, June 7th, 2014
Where: Fredericksburg, VA (Old Mill Park)

Online registration will be available in early May, or you may register on-site starting at 7:45 on race day at Old Mill Park.

The GRWCR is part of the ACA's annual Paddle Green Festival--Celebrate the Rapp! This all-day, stewardship-focused festival features environmental education programs, on-water paddling instruction, river clean-ups, and an outdoor showing of the year's best paddling films from around the world (courtesy of the Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour).

Top 5 Reasons to Attend Paddlefest 2014

This year's CKS Paddlefest is expected to be bigger and better than ever. From May 23-26th, paddling enthusiasts from all over the country will gather in beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado for an action-packed weekend full of outdoor fun!

Here's why you need to check it out:

1. BV Pro Kayaking Rodeo - Watch the best freestyle kayakers from around the world compete in the Buena Vista Whitewater Park in South Main.
2. Gear sales - Get huge savings on the latest gear for 2014.
3. Something for everyone - Are you a flatwater paddler? Kayak fisher? Whitewater enthusiast? Paddlefest has it all. And you may even be inspired to try something new!
4. Evening fun - The fun doesn't stop at sundown. Live music and various film screenings will continue into the night. And the whole event is family-friendly.
5. For a good cause - Registration for CKS Paddlefest supports the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chaffee County and the Buena Vista Optimist Club. 

The ACA is an official sponsor of this event. If you decide to attend, please stop by our booth to say hello! We look forward to seeing you.

ACA Pro School Spotlight

Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center offers professional ACA-certified instruction and guided trips in the beautiful Arkansas River Valley. The Pro School's outpost sits along Highway 285 between the famous Brown's Canyon Wilderness Area and the towering 14,000 foot peaks of the Sawatch Range.

Activities include kayaking, rafting, inflatable kayaks, standup paddling, and more. At Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center, you're invited to 'Choose Your Own Adventure' in their wonderful outdoor playground.

ACA Pro Schools are some of the best organizations across the country to find top quality ACA certified instruction. Current ACA members also receive discounts on certain Pro School instructional programs. 

To see a full list of ACA Pro Schools, click here. 

New Kayak Fishing Excursion for 2014

Have you participated in one of the ACA's Members Only Backcountry Paddling Excursions yet? If so, then we don't need to tell you how much fun they are. For those who haven't taken advantage of this membership benefit yet, we hope you'll consider joining us for our NEW Kayak Fishing Excursion scheduled for this summer. 

This trip will take you to Sugar Island, Ontario and the famous West Brand of the Ausable River in upstate New York. During the 8-day excursion, you'll enjoy fly fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and even canoe sailing (if you're so inclined).

Please visit our website for a sample itinerary and to request additional information about the 2014 Members Only Kayak Fishing Excursion. 

Mark Your Calendars!

Don't miss the 2014 Canoe Poling National Championships May 23-24 in New Portland, Maine. This is a great event for canoe polers of all abilities.

Get more info about the championships here. We hope to see you in May!

Meet the Newest ACA Pro School

Coastal Kayak SUP & Sail has been teaching paddlesports for 19 years. They have an ideal teaching location on the Delaware Coast only minutes from Ocean City, Maryland with conditions from flat, calm and protected bay waters to rough surf, current and everything in between. 

Let the professional staff of more than 9 ACA certified instructors show you how much fun paddling can be, while you learn at your own pace. They offer everything from beginner classes and kids camps to Instructor Certification Workshops in both kayaking and stand up paddling. 

Coastal kayak staff members are experts in the coastal region with over 30 years of paddling the area's waters which are convenient to Baltimore, DC, and Philadelphia. They are one of the few schools authorized by permit to operate at Assateague Island National Seashore! 

Coastal Kayak also offers all types of kayak rentals including sit-on-tops, recreation and touring kayaks, as well as many different types of paddle boards available to rent right off their bayside beach. In addition, Coastal Kayak has been running guided eco-tours since 1997.

To learn more, visit coastalkayak.com or send an email to info@coastalkayak.com.

ACA Pro Schools are some of the best organizations across the country to find top quality ACA certified instruction. Find a Pro School near you and provide your ACA membership number during registration to receive a discount!

Sugar Island - A Spectacular Member Benefit!

Getting to Sugar Island is an Adventure

Sugar Island offers all ACA members the opportunity for an exceptional paddlesport camping experience. Arriving at the island is as much a part of your trip as your stay. The island is located approximately one mile from the Canadian mainland. You can paddle out to the island, or you can have the unique experience of using the water taxi offered by the Misty Isles Lodge in Gananoque, Ontario!  

The 35-acre island is primitive, with no modern amenities but is a wonderful place for families to enjoy a paddling/camping vacation. Sugar Island is a pristine, pure environment with crystal clear water, clean air, and beautiful night skies.  

Sugar Island is privately owned by the ACA and is available to all members for year-round use. New ACA members receive 2 FREE nights of camping! Take advantage of this great ACA member benefit and make your reservation today!

The BIC SUP One Design World Championships in Puerto Rico Have Begun!

SUP boards ready to go at the BIC SUP One Design World Champs. 

The rain has finally cleared in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the first round of race results are in! The BIC SUP One Design World Championships are off to a great start. 

The ACA is proud to be one of the sponsors of this exciting event.

The ACA tent today in spectacular San Juan, Puerto Rico.

If you're serious about SUP, check out the ACA's SUP Instructor Certification Program by visiting our website or contacting our Safety, Education, Instruction, and Outreach Department. 

Did you know: The ACA will be incorporating the BIC SUP One Design Challenge into our Collegiate Race Series. Stay tuned for updates!

BIC SUP One Design World Championships competitors race to the finish.

Preliminary race results: