Instructor of the Month: Jeff Atkins Kaycee Maas | 02/18/2026 For February 2026, we are proud to recognize Jeff Atkins as our Instructor of the Month. Jeff’s depth of experience, passion…
2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships are Coming to OKC Kaycee Maas | 01/29/2026 Tickets are on sale now for the 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, coming to RIVERSPORT OKC, July 20–25. More…
Your Guide to Ticketing for Canoe/Kayak at LA28 Kaycee Maas | 01/29/2026 The countdown to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles is on, and excitement is building for the…
Boundary Waters Face New Congressional Threat Kaycee Maas | 01/28/2026 On January 21, 2026, the House passed a resolution using the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the 20-year mining…
Instructors of the Month: 2025 Mexico Drowning Prevention Clinic Instructors Kaycee Maas | 01/27/2026 This month, we are proud to recognize 17 outstanding ACA Instructors whose collective effort brought life-saving education to an entire…
Blackburn Challenge Selected as Host of the 2026 USA Canoe Ocean Racing / Surfski National Championships Kaycee Maas | 12/29/2025 GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS — ACA Paddlesports is pleased to announce that the Blackburn Challenge, the iconic 20-mile circumnavigation of Cape…
Instructor of the Month: Laura Kurup Kaycee Maas | 12/17/2025 Laura Kurup brings curiosity, joy, and deep respect for community to everything she does on the river. A Canoe, Kayak,…
2025 Annual Meeting Scheduled for Thursday, December 4 Kaycee Maas | 11/25/2025 The 2025 ACA Paddlesports Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place Thursday, December 4 at 5PM ET. During this virtual…
Instructor of the Month: Justin Barstow Kaycee Maas | 11/17/2025 For more than two decades, Justin Barstow has been a steady and influential presence on the Saluda River. Today, he…
ACA’s New Membership Platform is Now Live! Kelsey Bracewell | 11/12/2025 We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new membership platform, powered by Sport:80! This new system will provide…
ACA PaddleFest 2025: Celebrating 145 Years of Serving Paddlers Kaycee Maas | 10/31/2025 From October 17–19, the American Canoe Association (ACA) hosted the first-ever ACA PaddleFest at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in…
Paddlers on the Hill: ACA Joins Outdoor Alliance’s DC Fly-In to Advocate for Public Lands and Waters Kaycee Maas | 10/31/2025 Outdoor Alliance members posing for photos outside the United States Capitol. Captured in Washington, D.C., on October 21, 2025. —…
2025 ACA Annual Awards: Honoring Leadership, Service, and Legacy in Paddlesports Kaycee Maas | 10/29/2025 Each year, the American Canoe Association (ACA) presents a series of prestigious national awards to individuals and organizations who have…
Instructor of the Month: Jake Vitak Kaycee Maas | 10/27/2025 For Jake Vitak, kayaking has always been more than just time on the water—it’s a way to teach, connect, and…
USA Concludes ICF Racing Season at 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Penrith Kaycee Maas | 10/15/2025 Athlete: Evy Leibfarth / Image Credit: Romain Bruneau USA delivered strong performances at the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships,…
“The Art of Racing” by Georgia Lindemann Kaycee Maas | 10/07/2025 On race days at international canoe slalom events, it always feels a little like stepping into an art gallery. Boats…
ACA Board of Directors Voting Open Until October 14 Kaycee Maas | 09/30/2025 It is time to elect members to the ACA Board of Directors for the 2026-2027 term! This year the ACA will…
Strengthen Your Safety & Rescue Skills This October at ACA PaddleFest! Kaycee Maas | 09/26/2025 This October, join us at the 2025 Swiftwater Rescue Conference, part of the very first ACA PaddleFest, October 17–19 at…
Just One Week Left! Secure Your Spot for ACA Instructor & IT Updates at ACA PaddleFest Kaycee Maas | 09/26/2025 There is just one week left to register for Instructor and Instructor Trainer Updates at ACA PaddleFest! Great instruction goes…
Instructor of the Month: Maria Barroso Kaycee Maas | 09/25/2025 Maria Barroso’s paddling journey began at age 11 during a summer camp in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain, where she first…
Plan Your Stay for ACA PaddleFest! Kaycee Maas | 09/10/2025 Heading to Charlotte for the first-ever ACA PaddleFest? We’ve secured a variety of lodging options—from hotels close to the…
Join Us for the First ACA PaddleFest – Schedule Now Live! Kaycee Maas | 09/09/2025 We hope you will join us for a weekend of connection, learning, and adventure as we launch the very first…
USA Delivers Strong Performances at the 2025 Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Championships Kaycee Maas | 08/29/2025 Audrey Harper and Andreea Ghizila on the podium after earning bronze medals in the Women’s C2 200m event / Photo…
Fueling Performance: How USPC Nutrition Coaching Supports USA Canoe Slalom Athlete Marcella Altman Kaycee Maas | 08/28/2025 Photo Credit: Eric Francis/ Athlete Marcella Altman Competing at U23 Canoe Slalom & Kayak Cross World Championships in July As…
ACA Leadership, Exploration, and Development (LEAD) Program Continues to Make Waves in California and Pennsylvania Kaycee Maas | 08/28/2025 Earlier this month, Sea Trek and Outdoor Afro joined hands to deliver an ACA Leadership, Exploration, and Development (LEAD) program…
Submit Nominations for 2025 ACA Annual Awards by September 22 Kaycee Maas | 08/28/2025 Each year, the ACA presents a series of prestigious international awards to individuals and organizations who have illustrated exemplary…
Instructor of the Month: Sandra Newbury Kaycee Maas | 08/25/2025 Photo Credit: M Baxley at Bear Witness Media The ACA is proud to recognize Sandra Newbury as our Instructor of…
Seattle’s Green Lake Welcomes Return of Sprint National Championships Kaycee Maas | 08/19/2025 Seattle, WA – August 2025 — Paddlers from across the country gathered at Green Lake in Seattle, Washington, for the…
Bug Lokken Coaches the Next Generation as He Trains for LA28 Kaycee Maas | 08/12/2025 Zach “Bug” Lokken, a U.S. Canoe Slalom Olympian, has spent much of his life charging through whitewater gates at the…
The End of the First Chapter: Thank You for Being Part of the ACA Story Project Kaycee Maas | 08/04/2025 The staff and I have loved working on the first ACA Story Project. We have truly enjoyed reading all…
“Speed Demon” by Kianna Morse Kaycee Maas | 08/03/2025 My sprint kayaking journey started three years ago when I was barely eleven. My mom has a knack for (safely)…
“The Paddle That Changed My Life’s Course” by Loren Edelson Kaycee Maas | 08/02/2025 Though I grew up canoeing on the Potomac River near my childhood home in Maryland, I never really learned how…
“A Whitewater Safety Journey” by Charles Walbridge Kaycee Maas | 08/01/2025 It started back in 1959, at a summer camp in New Hampshire. Camp Mowglis introduced me to the outdoors and,…
“Teach Like Lives Depend on It” by Adrianne Burke Kaycee Maas | 07/31/2025 I didn’t grow up with generations of whitewater traditions or access to outdoor gear passed down from seasoned paddlers. What…
“Paddling’s Pivotal Role” by Mike Mather Kaycee Maas | 07/30/2025 I was asked about a pivotal role that paddling or teaching rescue has played in my life’s landscape. Funny enough,…
“Keep Your Boat Out of Storage” by Michael McHugh Kaycee Maas | 07/29/2025 My personal paddling story is twofold and takes place at separate times in my life. I first discovered paddling as…
“An ACA Life: Teaching Paddling” by Mike Aronoff Kaycee Maas | 07/28/2025 When people ask what I do, I say, “I teach paddling.” Beneath that simple answer lies a lifetime of connection…
“From a Beer Label to the Allagash: A Solo Canoe Adventure” by Will Law Kaycee Maas | 07/27/2025 In the summer of 2020, amidst the uncertainty and confinement of the COVID-19 pandemic, I desperately wanted the freedom of…
“My ACA Journey” by Sam Fowlkes Kaycee Maas | 07/26/2025 Sam Fowlkes on the Tuckasegee River in Western North Carolina. It was 1963 at Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Camp…
“Olivia’s Story and Two Voices” by Wayne Douchkoff Kaycee Maas | 07/25/2025 Several years ago, I ran a summer kayak camp. After the camp finished, the counselors gathered to celebrate. As we…
“Glitter Freckles and Gate Poles: How One Paddler Sparkled Her Way Into Canoe Slalom” by Colleen Crino Kaycee Maas | 07/24/2025 In June of 2020, the world was on pause. Schools were shut down, plans were canceled, and for one…
“Somebody’s Gotta Do It” by Charles Albright Kaycee Maas | 07/23/2025 When you see a need, you can’t just wait and hope someone else will address it. My urge for…
“Boy Meets Kayak and Drowns” by Michael Gray Kaycee Maas | 07/22/2025 The summer of my 21st birthday in 1981 I had my first encounter with a kayak. It was a…
“The Steak’s Sizzle” by Robert Kauffman Kaycee Maas | 07/21/2025 Like a lot of young people, my introduction to canoeing was at summer camp in the 1970s. Located in Wernersville,…
“A Lifetime of Leadership On and Off the Water” by David Mason Kaycee Maas | 07/20/2025 My journey in paddling started with a simple “mistake” my parents made — sending me to Camp High Rocks…
“Generations of Award-Winning Paddlers” by Kirk Havens Kaycee Maas | 07/19/2025 We’re deeply grateful to Kirk Havens for sharing his families story to the ACA Story Project. Dr. Kirk Havens,…
“Born in the ACA” by Marilyn Vogel Kaycee Maas | 07/18/2025 I grew up on the water near Long Island Sound, with paddling in my blood. My father was an accomplished…
“A Special Love for the French Broad River” by Marc Hunt Kaycee Maas | 07/17/2025 Marc (center) pictured with his wife Cat Pots (left) and son Colin Hunt (right). In Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”,…
U.S. Slalom Athletes Shine at Junior & U23 World Championships – Foix, France Kaycee Maas | 07/16/2025 U.S. U23 Women’s K1 Team on the podium after earning Bronze Medals in the U23 WK1 Team event at 2025…
Instructor of the Month: Dustin Miller Kaycee Maas | 07/16/2025 The American Canoe Association is proud to recognize Dustin Miller as our July Instructor of the Month! Dustin is…