…his community and stepped up to the plate with Sioux Empire Paddlers. Sioux Empire Paddlers now has over 250 members and has taught over 600 students spanning more than 50 events every year. Through the club’s nonprofit status, Mitchell was able to apply for and obtain grant funding to help…

…Republic earned the gold medal, Jakub Grigar of Slovakia won the silver, and Hannes Aigner of Germany the bronze. Slalom competition has officially concluded in Tokyo. Canoe Sprint competition will begin on August 2 at the Sea Forest Waterway. Nevin Harrison will race in the C-1 200m on August 4….

…Packrafting course curriculum and instructor criteria, the ACA Packrafting Committee has outlined steps to allow currently certified ACA Level 3: River Packrafting Instructors and Instructor Trainers to upgrade. If you have questions about this program, please contact the Chair of the Packrafting Committee, Patrick Higgins. Photo courtesy of Eric Caravella….

…to the candidate evaluations. Watch this video recording from a recent live session with ACA River Kayak Committee Past Chair Kyle Thomas as he guides you through these improvements and revisions. The ACA River Kayak Committee welcomes your feedback on these improvements through this online survey. Meeting Recording Password: rbQL8=a%…

The November Instructor of the Month is Scott Eveland! Until recently, Scott was a Boating Specialist and Conservation Officer for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at Nebraska’s largest reservoir, Lake McConaughy. He recently transferred to Lincoln and now works as a Conservation Officer, but with the large number of…

…a strong partnership and active collaborations between RiversportTM OKC, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and the American Canoe Association (ACA), the U.S. Canoe & Kayak High-Performance program was able to organize a Thanksgiving Training Camp in Oklahoma City in the second half of November 2020. After several months of…

Dear Paddling Community, We are concerned about the misinformation circulating regarding ACA’s insurance offerings. We want to be very clear that: Races, events, and instructional courses held on Class IV whitewater are still covered by our current policy We do offer insurance coverage for open water coastal events including our…

The Coastal Kayak Committee is excited to announce an update of our curriculum for 2024 and beyond! Following three years of development by the committee, the SEIC and ACA Board have approved changes to the curriculum. Below is a summary of the changes: Updated Skills Assessments for Levels 2-4 Level…

The message below comes from Katie Bynum, USOPC Chief Strategy and Growth Officer. ACA Competition Members & Athletes, As we shared earlier this year following postponement of the Games, we have been working with our partners to extend their rights. This meant addressing the conflict in the airline category between…

…conditioning, observation and competition analysis, and teaching and coaching skills – all taught by university professors and ICF experts. The course begins in September and is completed in December. With Covid-19 restrictions, the normal one-month in-person program in Budapest, followed by 3 months of distance learning, has been altered to…

…and you inspired us all. As follow up to the conference, please share your feedback by completing this survey. It should take less than two minutes. We are committed to keeping you informed about the various initiatives discussed at this conference, primarily through our monthly newsletter, quarterly e-magazine, and social…

…whitewater kayak mentor, toward my kayak Instructor Trainer certification. I felt compelled to share my experience teaching beginner kayakers with new instructors. I also wanted to bring the movement analysis concepts that were drilled into me as a ski instructor to the boating world. Later, when I started teaching for…

Tokyo Olympics, here they come! We are so excited to recognize and congratulate all our National Team members and coaches, those who have competed on the international stage, and the following athletes who will represent the U.S. in Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, and Paracanoe in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics:…

…in planning will directly affect the quality of the course; make sure to have patience with new groups and communities, and be respectfully curious,” Jake suggests. Jake is currently back in Hong Kong, and he is planning to build up a strong community and to develop a collection of teaching…

Day 3 of competition at the Kasai Slalom Center in Tokyo, Japan, kicked off today with the women’s single kayak (WK-1) semifinal followed by the event final. 24 women competed in the semifinal and only 10 advanced. The United States’ Evy Leibfarth finished 12th in the semifinal and will not…

…his renowned rafting and adventure travel company Rios Tropicales have passionately worked to preserve and regenerate Costa Rica’s rivers and forests from the ravages of irresponsible development. From stopping dams, to planting nearly 31,000 trees, to rallying travel clients and community members to save the rainforest, Rafael and his followers…

…our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Fund. This fund aims to help remove barriers to participation for underrepresented groups or individuals to pursue paddling education, leadership development, competition, and/or instructor certification. Starting in 2022, you’ll see the realization of efforts made by our DEI Board Committee in the form of…

…in nature. Hillary Van Dyke, who is the volunteer for the local network which covers St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay-Orlando, wanted her members trained as kayak trip leaders after seeing Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders from across the nation successfully completed ACA kayak instructor training. FAMU and Empowered Minds also work in the…

Nevin Harrison Competing at the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships Image by: Dezco Vekassy, canoephotography.com/Dezco Vekassy (ICF) Nevin Harrison returned to the race course for the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships for the first time after winning gold in women’s 200-meter canoe sprint at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics….

…with the rollout plan laid out by the SEIC Standards Committee, Instructor Trainers or Instructor Trainer Educators may earn the Angler Endorsement via the completion of personalized virtual coursework (to include self-study of current fishing curriculum, submission of 3 teaching videos, online knowledge check/quiz passed with 80% or higher, and…

…– there is an endorsement available! The ACA guide certification complements any additional required training and or licensing. ACA certified guides must also comply with local, state, or federal certification and licensing requirements for raft guides within their given country, state, river, or waterway. Learn more on our curriculum page!…

…also puts high importance on physical education and won first place many times in youth basketball competition in Beijing. At school, Sun is active in basketball team. Thanks to the advanced physical education philosophy and diligent training, Sun has always maintained good physical fitness. Although physically and psychologically prepared, when…

…author: John Pinyerd has trained and/or competed in Slalom, Sprint, Marathon, Outrigger, Surfski, Dragon Boat, and of course in his favorite sports of Whitewater Downriver Open Canoe and Wildwater. John is a 15-time National Champion in Wildwater, a 4-time medalist in international competition, and is a 2-time Master’s World Champion….

…ACA’s mission, including safety, education, competition, stewardship, diversity, equity, inclusion, and recreation. ACA volunteers within the RAC play a central role in facilitating connections among paddlers, disseminating valuable resources, orchestrating events, and advocating for the interests of paddlers at various levels. With a steadfast commitment to promoting safe and enriching…

…profile for twelve months from the date of signing. The option to upload a scan of a signed hard copy waiver is still available. A detailed guide to the full functionality of the CMS liability waiver tool is available at www.americancanoe.org/CMS. Please be sure to read the posted “Update Bulletin…

Name* Email* Phone* My question pertains to:* General Competition USA Canoe/Kayak ACA Collegiate Race Series ACA Open Canoe Slalom ACA Whitewater Open Canoe Downriver ACA Canoe Sailing ACA Canoe Poling ACA Freestyle Canoe ACA Ocean Racing Other How can we serve you?* Comments This field is for validation purposes and…

SEIC Executive Committee Nominations If you wish to serve as the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, or At-Large member of the SEIC Executive Committee, please complete the form below. Name(Required) First Last Email(Required) Leadership Position(Required) Chair Vice Chair Secretary At-Large Why?(Required) Why would you like to be in leadership of the…

Updated as of: August 6, 2018 Membership in the ACA is a privilege and not a right. In order to retain this privilege, members must comply with the published Code of Conduct and other provisions of the Code. That privilege can be withdrawn by the ACA at any time where…

Join as an ACA Paddle America Club (PAC), Affiliate Organization, Outfitter, Livery, or Guide (OLG), or Apply to Become an ACA Pro School.

…and va’a have three different classes of events for men and women, depending on the classification of an athlete’s impairment, with KL1, KL2 and KL3 for kayak and VL1, VL2 and VL3 for va’a. At international level all paracanoe races are individual events and competed at a distance of 200m….

…the purposes of ACA’s insurance program, paddling clubs are defined as having dedicated individual members who: are informed and given opportunity to participate or vote upon policies and activities undertaken by the organization, receive regular communications from the organization, and renew their affiliation with the club on an annual basis….

-> Gift a Membership <- This holiday season, give the gift of paddling, community, and a year’s worth of discounts. In short, give the gift of an ACA membership! While supporting the ACA’s policy & stewardship efforts, community initiatives, and education & instruction programs, a gift membership unlocks: deep discounts...

The ACA signed on to a letter, led by the Winter Wildlands Alliance, alongside our partners in the human powered outdoor recreation community to support the fundamental intentions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is a fifty year old bedrock piece of environmental legislation that establishes a broad…

…Women 200m event, to be held at 7:18 East Coast Time and can bee seen on live stream at https://canoeszeged2020.com/. Nevin will also race in the World Cup event the following weekend, also in Szeged. She will race C1 Women 200m and team with fellow America Ian Ross in the…

The ACA’s newly ratified Regional Activity Council invites you to vote for the point person to coordinate local initiatives on behalf of the ACA Mission in your area! In the U.S., these will be State Directors. Internationally, we are electing the head of the International Committee. We have self-nominated candidates…

Photo Credit: Rob Giersch / Athlete: Bug Lokken The 2024 Canoe Slalom Olympic Team Trials are being streamed live on Peacock, NBC.com, or with the NBC/NBC Sports App! If you missed the first weekend of Team Trials at Montgomery Whitewater you can watch the live replays at the links below!…

…concern over the spread of the novel coronavirus, together with new international travel restrictions to the US announced on Wednesday March 11th, have left organizers with no option but to cancel the competitions. While everyone involved deeply regrets the inconvenience the cancellation will cause, the health and well being of…

March 2020 The Senate recently introduced a major public lands funding bill, S.3422: the Great American Outdoors Act, through bipartisan support from Senators Gardner, R-Colo., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Daines, R-Mont., Portman, R-Ohio, Warner, D-Va., King, I-Maine, Alexander, R-Tenn., Cantwell, D-Wash., Wyden, D-Ore., and Burr, R-N.C. The Act combines two previous…

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope that you and your family are healthy and safe. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new dimension of risk to our community. In response, a multi-faceted team of ACA members, medical professionals and others have developed a set of guidelines to help instructors, event…

…Trials will be held on June 27, 2020. The venue, Brooks Lake in Sugar Land, Texas, remains unchanged. This postponement date comports with requirements recently issued by the ACA, as well as current County and State social distancing guidelines. Due to the current pandemic, the following adjustments will be implemented…

The ACA Camp at Lake Sebago is opening on Saturday, June 27th! Clubs and cabin renters may come this weekend to start setting up their facilities, and tent platform renters may put up their tarps. Overnight stays are permitted, and members with boats can bring them to be stored. Season…

…between today and August 9, the Tokyo 2020 Games’ original dates, and we need your help! Please donate now. In the spirit of competition, ACA will award a Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal to our top three donors at the conclusion of the Giving Games! The donations you make through…

…to a more normal paddling season. In the ACA office, we are excited to see member activity begin to pick up, including course registrations, reports, insurance inquiries, and new events being added to our online calendar. On the Competition front, we are busy planning for our Olympic Team Trials for…

…semifinal advancement. In men’s canoe, the top 15 athletes progress and in women’s kayak, the top 24. Men’s canoe heats started the competition with Zach (Bug) Lokken finishing third after a great first run down the course with no penalties. With that run, he secured his spot in the semifinal….

The men’s single canoe (MC-1) semifinal hit the course today at the Kasai Slalom Center in Tokyo. Out of the 15 athletes who competed in the semifinal, the top 10 advanced to the final. None of the athletes had ever practiced on the semifinal course – the gates were changed…

…past Paddle Fests. Tamara Adelberg will be sending out more information in the coming days regarding Nationals and Paddle Fest, as well as working on getting a discounted registration fee for our ACA competition members who wish to join in the Paddle Fest Race. Please reach out to Tamara at…

As the International Olympic Committee relocates international paddling competitions out of Russia, Oklahoma steps up to host the 2022 Canoe Sprint Super Cup and the 2022 ICF Stand Up Paddling World Cup. To learn more about how the International Canoe Federation (ICF), the ACA, and RIVERSPORT in Oklahoma City worked…