Don't miss the ECCKF!

Join staff from the ACA National Office at the East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, April 17-19 in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Be sure to stop by during our ACA Social on Saturday evening, April 18th from 5 to 6pm: Learn about the latest plans for the ACA’s new National Paddlesports Center, discuss our new stewardship initiatives, tell us about your local paddling club’s needs, take home the latest paddlesports safety information, or simply sit back and enjoy the live music, refreshments, and festive atmosphere.
 
The East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival is hosted by the Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission and the ACA is a presenting sponsor of the event.

Home sweet home

Conceptual design, National Paddlesports Center

Many of you know that the ACA moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia just over one year ago. The motivation was the opportunity to build the new National Paddlesports Center on sweet piece of property near the historic Rappahannock River. 

While the new facility will serve as our national headquarters, it is much more than that. Designed by architect Maynard Ball (a key architect in the US Fish & Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia), the center will be a hub for all ACA programs--from paddlesport safety to waterway stewardship. 

In these difficult economic times, we do not undertake this project lightly. The National Paddlesports Center will act as a small catalyst for a larger regional ecotourism project in Celebrate Virginia, being developed by Silver Companies, by introducing critical infrastructure needs. After it opens, the center will attract thousands of visi

tors each year, supporting the local ecotourism economy.

Recently I had the chance to speak with Norm Bellingham, chief operating officer of the US Olympic Committee, and 1984 gold medalist in canoeing. He told me: “The pipeline to getting more youth involved in canoeing and kayaking is broken. The ACA is in a perfect position to fix that.” 

We couldn’t agree more. The National Paddlesports Center will serve as a magnet for youth and family participation in canoeing and kayaking. More importantly, it will include state-of-the-art training and education facilities for the disabled, as part of our Adaptive Paddling program.

We currently have the support of premier organizations like The Conservation Fund, Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail, and Disabled Sports USA, as well as key legislators like Virginia Senator Edd Houck and Speaker Bill Howell. 

Of course, we need your support, as well. True, the National Paddlesports Center will be our place of business, but it will be a home for paddlers everywhere. As we embark on this bold vision, we hope you'll consider a one-time donation or recurring gift.

Kind regards,

Martin A. Bartels

Executive Director

Wild & Scenic Rivers

On my way to the Green River in North Carolina to host the 2009 Southeast Canoe & Kayak Collegiate Championships this past weekend, I could not resist taking a slight detour, just north of Morganton, NC.

Wilson Creek was designated a Wild & Scenic River by the US Forest Service on August 18, 2000. Twenty-three miles of Wilson Creek are now designated as either Wild, Scenic or Recreational. It is a spectacular area for trout fishing, hiking, and of course whitewater paddling.

According to the National Wild & Scenic Rivers website, the US has approximately 3.5 million miles of rivers and only 11,434 miles are included in the Wild & Scenic River system.

Through the ACA's Stewardship and Public Policy Department, we constantly strive to help local communities protect their valuable water resources.

For more information about how you can contribute to the health of your local body of water, please contact the ACA's Stewardship Director.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

How the ACA Supports Local Paddling Clubs

Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club 

The American Canoe Association supports more than 140 Paddle America Clubs across the country. This suppor

t comes in many forms, from club insurance for paddling activities to cash support in the form of the LL Bean Club-Fostered Stewardship Program.

Over the past three years, the ACA has distributed 44 grants totaling more than $35,000 to local clubs in support of volunteer-driven waterways stewardship projects. This money has been used for everything from the creation of water trails to waterway clean-up projects. A few examples include: 

> A $500 grant to assist the Badger State Boating Society (Wisconsin) in the development of the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail.

> A $660 grant to Bay Area Sea Kayakers (California) to assist with two major beach clean-ups.

> Funding to help the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance (Oregon) map and install safety signage along the Deschutes Paddle Trail.

> Grants over several years to the Sebago Canoe Club (New York) to support the Open Paddle program, a series of weekly volunteer-led paddling trips introducing city residents to the local Jamaica Bay.

These are just a few examples. Visit our website for more information on our LL Bean Club-Fostered Stewardship Grants, and on other ways we support Paddle America Clubs around the country. 

It's also a great example of how ACA works with our many partners to forward our important mission.

Martin A. Bartels

Executive Director

ACA & College Competition

College Competition!

Calling all Colleges and Universities:

Whether you have an experienced paddling program or one that is just starting up, attendance at any of the ACA College Championships will provide camaraderie, networking, and of course all the fun associated with racing! More importantly, once a student experiences the fun and excitement of paddlesports they will be able to carry those skills and enthusiasm past their collegiate years and develop it into a family and lifetime activity.

Register your school now for any of the upcoming ACA College events:

• March 21: Carolina Canoe & Kayak Collegiate Championships


• April 4-5: Virginia Canoe & Kayak Collegiate Championships


• October 10-11: Collegiate Canoe & Kayak NATIONAL Championships!

You never know, you just might win a gold medal in the Olympics, like the ACA's Frank Havens.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

Why the ACA is Relevant Every Day, Part I

Every few days I receive a sobering email from Chief John Malatak of the United States Coast Guard. It’s not the kind of thing you usually expect to find in your inbox. The emails list the numerous paddlesport “incidents” that the Coast Guard and other rescue workers respond to on an almost daily basis around the country.

The incident descriptions are usually accidents culled from news reports: missing boaters, dramatic rescues, and all too often, fatalities. As I said, these are sobering reminders that put into stark context why the safety mission of the American Canoe Association is so critical.

Here’s one example, taken verbatim from Chief Malatak’s email:

“02-14-09 INDIANAPOLIS, IN Indy man still missing a day after canoe capsized in White River [indystar.com]  (02-16-09) After searching for parts of 2 days, emergency responders Sun.(02-15) still had not found a man whose canoe capsized in the frigid White River. Ethan Runnels, 25, and Sara Pugh, 30, both of Indianapolis, were paddling on White River on Sat.(02-14) when the nearly 14 mph current trapped their canoe against an obstacle, said Indianapolis FD Division Chief Dave Owens. The strong current caused the canoe to go sideways and tip over about 6 p.m. Pugh managed to swim to shore but saw Runnels floating downstream near the canoe. IFD spokeswoman Rita Reith said Pugh was a little hypothermic after exiting the water but otherwise OK. The two had lifejackets in their boat, although they weren't wearing them." All indications are they were very outdoorsy people who got in above their heads," Owens said.

According to the Nat'l. Weather Service, White River was nearly 2 ft. above flood stage about the time of the mishap. The water temperature was estimated to be 40 degrees. IFD and other agencies searched several hours on Sat. night, then resumed the search at 8 a.m. Sun. Rescue personnel used sonar equipment to scan the river. The search was called off at 3 p.m. because firefighters had not located Runnels' body using sonar technology and the current still was too fast, about 7 mph, to safely send in divers even if they had. Scuba divers are expected to resume their efforts at 9 a.m. Mon.(02-16) if the current slows to about 3.5 mph or less.”

There’s a common theme in many of the incident reports. All too often, even experienced paddlers are caught off-guard, and often fail to wear lifejackets. So here’s a reminder: Wear it!

The U.S. Coast Guard provides the ACA significant funding each year to produce paddlesport safety programs and literature designed to reduce these statistics. And the effort does work. Still, we face an enormous challenge: As canoe and kayak sales remain the fastest-growing segment of the overall boating sales, more and more people take to the waterways and are sometimes under-prepared for the challenges they may face.

We’ll continue to work every day to distribute these safety messages. They’re no less important in an economic recession—in fact, some statistics suggest people are more likely to take part in paddlesport activities because they’re relatively inexpensive and can be done close to home. So if you haven’t joined the ACA yet, or are waiting to renew your membership, or if you would just like to donate, please do.

I’d love to have a week without an incident email.

Martin A. Bartels

ACA Executive Director

Bluewater, Blackwater, Whitewater

Hopefully no one needs reminding about the importance of water. Whether it is viewed as providing life sustaining nourishment or a medium for recreation, water plays a role in everyone's daily life.

From the open ocean or waves crashing onto a beach, to tidal marshes and tannin stained creeks, to the white froth of rapids in a river, the ACA strives daily to make sure we have access to these natural resources. In addition, the ACA promotes responsible stewardship of these water environments as well as proper education before stepping into a boat. For example, always wear your lifejacket while paddling, whether it's on a peaceful lake or navigating the Wilderness Waterway Trail in the Florida Everglades.

There are those in our organization who focus on the thrills of class IV, whereas others spend their time on expeditions off the coast of mainlands and islands around the world. Other ACA members devote their paddling time by taking trips with friends to nearby rivers, maybe even at a local state park. Still others concentrate on educating the public about the joys (and hazards) associated with pushing a boat off from shore.

So, whether you paddle on bluewater, blackwater or whitewater, the ACA is here for you, and has been since 1880.

To learn more about what we do on behalf of all paddlers, visit www.americancanoe.org.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department