Sam Fowlkes on the Tuckasegee River in Western North Carolina.
It was 1963 at Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Camp Cherokee when I was lucky enough to work on the Canoeing Merit Badge on the camp lake. This skill came easily and was my favorite merit badge. Ironically, I would later be part of the ACA team to rewrite the Canoeing Merit Badge book in 2004.
I wouldn’t revisit canoeing until I moved to Western North Carolina in 1972 to attend graduate school. Some friends introduced me to whitewater, and it quickly became a sink-or-swim situation when I was thrust into Class III rapids. Necessity required me to become a quick study in water reading and mastering the strokes that control the boat. From there, I began paddling all of the local rivers and eventually acquired a nice open canoe.
I went on to become a competitor, and I wanted a national ranking. To do so required me to join the American Canoe Association to have a race number assigned to me. I was very fortunate to win a number of canoe races and land a job as a guide/instructor for the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
In 1977, the NOC offered me an opportunity to take an ACA Whitewater Canoe Instructor course—and they would cover the fee. Thus, my ACA journey began. I was now an ACA Whitewater Canoe Instructor! The fun began as I started teaching courses for colleges, camps, clubs, and more.
In 1981, I qualified to become an Instructor Trainer. One moment stands out as a wake-up call for the importance of training and practice. I was teaching an ACA Instructor Certification Course when a tandem team capsized in a rapid. There was a long strainer with barbs, which caught one paddler’s footwear and pinned him in a full-on, head-down orientation with a completely compromised airway. Chris Stec and I immediately responded, and Chris was able to grab him and release the pin. Life saved!
That was my “aha” moment. From then on, I realized the critical need for rescue training for paddlers. This became my mission: “Make the world a safer place to paddle!”
I immersed myself in the study of swiftwater rescue and taught alongside all of the rescue gurus of the day. After several ACA leadership positions (SEIC Chair, ACA Director, and Chair of the ACA’s Safety and Rescue Committee), I acted on a dream: to create the first ACA Swiftwater Rescue Conference. That dream became reality in 2013—with additional conferences in 2015, 2017, and 2023! All were a great success and made significant contributions toward “making the world a safer place to paddle.”
After 45 years of continuous certification as an ACA Instructor, I stepped off the stage. It was time for our younger instructor cadre to take the lead.
I cannot say enough about all of the awesome instructor colleagues, the fantastic instructors, and the enthusiastic students I have met over the years. I am the luckiest guy ever!
My grandfather charge—“Sampa”—is to pass the love of paddling to our five beautiful grandkids. Thank you to the ACA for providing me the opportunities to make a difference!
Thank you to Sam Fowlkes for contributing “My ACA Journey” to the ACA Story Project! Sam’s story is a powerful reminder of how one moment can spark a lifetime of learning, leadership, and lifesaving contributions to our paddling community.
About the Author
Sam Fowlkes of Dillsboro, North Carolina, has been an ACA Instructor for over 45 years and is widely recognized as a leader in paddlesports safety and rescue education. Sam served as SEIC Chair and Chair of the ACA’s Safety and Rescue Committee. In 2013, he launched the first ACA Swiftwater Rescue Conference, a series that continues to make significant contributions to paddler safety.
The next ACA Swiftwater Rescue Conference will take place this Fall during ACA PaddleFest, October 17–19 in at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Sam has been honored with the ACA Excellence in Instruction Award (2005) and the Joe Pina Volunteer of the Year Award (2002) for his exceptional contributions. In 2018, he accepted the prestigious Higgins & Langley Award for Special Commendation on behalf of the ACA for its work advancing swiftwater rescue training. An ACA member since the 1970s, Sam remains passionate about education, safety, and passing the love of paddling on to the next generation.
