ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit Coming to Grand Rapids, Michigan, This Fall

The ACA will host its inaugural Adaptive Paddling Summit in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on September 15-17, 2014. 

Paddling enthusiasts from all over the globe are invited to attend the summit to refine best practices, network, learn, and have fun!

Registration will be available on the ACA website beginning May 1st, 2014. 

The event is sponsored by Subaru, Rapid Media, Disabled Sports USA, and West Michigan Sports Commission. If you have any questions about the Adaptive Paddling Summit, please contact ACA Education and Outreach Coordinator, Joe Moore.

New Spring Stuff in the ACA eStore!

We've got brand new hats and retro t-shirts in the ACA eStore. If you're in the mood to sport some ACA apparel, grab these items before they're gone!

ACA Microfiber Hat

The new ACA cap is lightweight and moisture-wicking.

Retro ACA T-Shirts

More retro t-shirt styles available in the estore.

Don't forget to log in to receive your member discount.

Congratulations to April Kokatat Instructor of the Month, Grier Fricks!

Grier began her paddling career as a raft guide at the Natahala Outdoor Center (NOC), guiding commercial raft trips on the French Broad River. Since that time, she has relocated to Kane'ohe Bay, Hawaii, where she works at Holokai Kayak & Snorkel.

Learn more about Grier's story...

The ACA would like to thank Kokatat for sponsoring the Instructor of the Month program. Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized? Submit a nomination here! 

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!

Become an ACA State Director

ACA members who are truly passionate about our mission for paddlesports now have an opportunity to apply for a State Director volunteer position. This is your chance to make a positive difference for paddlers in your state!

Applications will be accepted through April 15th.

Details can be found here: State Director Program

We look forward to reviewing your application!

The Best Use of 1980's Nostalgia Ever

With their new advertising campaign, Maritime New Zealand channels the decade of mullets and acid wash jeans to make an important statement about lifejackets. 

The ad features two American police officers, Brandon Reynolds and Joe Lyons, in the midst of a bust on the docks. Comparing lifejackets to bullet-proof vests, we think the ad succeeds in all its Starsky and Hutch-like glory. What do you think?

Source: Maritime New Zealand.

Become a State Director and Strengthen Your Paddling Community

State Directors will have the opportunity to foster relevant ACA programs depending on the unique needs of each state. 

Paddlers will be able to convey their ideas, along with state and local issues, to their State Director, and the ACA can then provide support and assistance. In addition, through this enhanced volunteer network, more paddlers will learn about the ACA and all the work ACA members do for paddlesports throughout the country.

If you or anyone you know would be a good fit for a State Director role, please complete the State Director Application by April 15th.

State Directors Can Make a Difference!

Do you feel as though the ACA is out of touch with the issues facing paddlers in your state?  If so, now is your chance to do something about it!

We are currently seeking members who are interested in volunteering as State Directors to bridge the gap between paddlers on the ground and the ACA.  

Learn more about our State Director Program and then complete an application to help the ACA be more effective in your state!  State Director applications will be accepted through April 15, 2014.

New ACA Instructor Patches

Becoming an ACA Instructor, Instructor Trainer, or Instructor Trainer Educator is hard work. Wear your certification with pride with one of our all new custom, 3-color ACA patches! 

Order yours from the ACA eStore today.

State Director Application Announcement

Are you interested in helping the ACA focus its efforts in your state? This is your chance.

We are currently seeking volunteers for our new State Director Program. Online applications will be accepted starting tomorrow, March 14, through April 15, 2014. 

Please review the details of the State Director Program and don't hesitate to contact us with any questions. We're always happy to hear from you!

Make This Headline Your Own

Submit 1-2 paragraphs telling us what paddling means to you, and we'll feature our favorite responses right here on the ACA Water Blog. We want to know what motivates you to pick up your paddle and get out on the water.

Please email all submissions to: clloyd@americancanoe.org. 

Don't forget to include a picture or two!

Happy New Year!

Thanks for being a part of the ACA in 2013. Your support made a world of difference.

Cheers to the new year ahead!

If you haven't seen it already, check out our recap of 2013 here. 

You Helped Make 2013 a Great Year for Paddlesports!

As the end of the year approaches, the ACA would like to extend a big THANK YOU to all of our members, friends, and sponsors. Your support means the world to us. And if our oceans, rivers, and streams could talk, we know they'd be saying thanks, too. 

You're making a big difference by supporting the ACA. Here are just a few of the things we've accomplished with your help in 2013:

• Actively supported public policy to clean up America's waterways and protect paddlers' rights. Most recently, the ACA played a major role in the state of Maryland agreeing to provide more public bridge access to paddlers. We are currently working with other states, encouraging them to follow suit.
• Designed the ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit (the first event of its kind), scheduled for September 15-17, 2014. The ACA continues to spearhead new initiatives to bring paddlesports into the lives of those with disabilities.
• Certified 1,800 new ACA instructors, reinforcing the Gold Standard of ACA paddlesport education throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries.
• Created the International Paddlesport Ambassador Program. Read more about Dave Burden's efforts on behalf of paddlesports in the Middle East here. 
• Unveiled a brand new ACA insurance program for paddlesport outfitters, liveries, and guides. 
• Continued to provide safe and enjoyable paddlesports opportunities for youth nationwide. For example, the ACA recently partnered with the Boy Scouts of America to introduce a new Stand Up Paddleboarding Award for scouts. 
• And that's not all. Please visit our website to find out more about the ACA's ongoing initiatives in education, stewardship, competition, recreation, and more.

Do you want to help the ACA continue its important work on behalf of paddlesports? Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the ACA National Office. We're always happy to hear from you!

Thanks for your support. 

What Does Paddling Mean to You?

You can't wrap these up, but...

Adventure. Escape. Solitude. Challenge. These are just a few of the intangible (and priceless) gifts that paddlesports give to us. 

If you have some time to reflect today, and through the weekend, tell us what motivates you to get out on the water! Submit 1-2 paragraphs telling us what paddling means to you, and we'll feature our favorite responses right here on the ACA Water Blog.

Please email all submissions to: clloyd@americancanoe.org. 

Don't forget to include a picture or two!

Send us Your Best Paddling Photos

It doesn't matter if you're new to paddlesports, an experienced instructor, or somewhere in between-- the ACA wants to see you in action! 

Upload photos of your latest paddling adventure here, and tell us why you love being an ACA member. 

We'll feature your picture and story on our blog, Facebook page, and/or print publications.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Fredericksburg

The ACA is excited to once again sponsor the SYRCL's (South Yuba River Citizen's League) Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival hosted by Friends of the Rappahannock. This festival is the largest of its kind and is shown in over 100 cities around the country. Aiming to inspire activism, this festival will feature award winning films about conservation, water, energy, climate change, wildlife, environmental justice, agriculture, Native American and indigenous cultures.

This year's selections will not only take audiences to some of the most remote and beautiful places on the planet, but introduce them to the courageous individuals who are working to protect and preserve them for future generations.

http://www.riverfriends.org/Events/WildandScenicFilmFestival/tabid/558/Default.aspx