…allow landowners to completely restrict the public from floating or wading through these river sections after legally accessing the river. In 2019 five such permits were granted, including sections of the Rio Chama and Pecos rivers – both commonly used by whitewater and recreational paddlers, as well as anglers. In…

…“Two elements that life cannot survive without, hydrogen and oxygen, come together to form Water. Water that quenches and cleanses, that heals and destroys, is an essential component of Indigenous foodways, technology, medicine, ceremony, spirituality, life…Water Is Life and that is why we fight to protect it. In this presentation,…

…into navigable waters from pipes or wells to obtain a federal permit. But the question presented in the case was whether permits are also required for pollution that travels some distance from the pipe or well through groundwater and makes its way into navigable water. The Clean Water Act’s primary…

…the call was made, Katie Vincent won the gold medal and achieved a new World Best time of 44.12 seconds, just one-one hundredth (0.01) of a second faster than Nevin Harrison who secured the silver medal after an incredible race. Cuba’s Yarisleidia Cirilo Duboys took home the bronze medal with…

The ACA supports teams across many different paddling disciplines, including the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines of Sprint, Slalom and Paracanoe, and other International Canoe Federation disciplines such as Freestyle, Wildwater, Stand Up Paddling, Canoe Polo, and more.

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…

…from 10:00am – 2:30pm EST & 5:30pm – 8:00pm EST. Don’t have Peacock? Watch for free through the NBC/NBC Sports App or on NBC.com! We will add links to watch the second weekend of trials when they become available! Weekend 2 – Day 1 – April 26 – OKC RIVERSPORT…

…the Paddlesports Angler Instructor Endorsement, the SEIC approved an online only endorsement available to ACA ITs/ITEs who attest to previous fishing knowledge and expertise. This is intended to help leverage our in house expertise to expand the program more rapidly in more parts of the country. Through a combination of…

…here. We would also like to remind you to please complete the Board of Directors Strategic Planning Survey if you have not already done so; we value your feedback!   Zoom Meeting Information: Topic: Member Information Session Time: Oct 23, 2022 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom…

…Stewardship & Public Policy, Competition, Regional Activities Council, and Safety Education & Instruction. The individual who fills this role will be responsible for creating new programs and building on established ones. Our strong preference is to hire someone from within the ACA community. We encourage interested members to apply by…

…on YouTube 2/28/24 at 7 PM Eastern ACA Competition Council: Understanding how Competition fits in the ACA Watch the recording on Facebook Watch the recording on YouTube 4/3/24 at 7 PM Eastern ACA Safety, Education and Instruction Council Watch the recording on Facebook Watch the recording on YouTube 5/8/24 at…

…volume of training and competition. Monitor the intensity and duration of a child’s sport participation each week and encourage rest and recovery. Ask for feedback from coaches on your child’s development and maintain interest in your child’s experience over performance outcomes. Be prepared to invest an extraordinary amount of time…

Dear ACA Community, In these unsettling times I am amazed by the acts of courage and selflessness exhibited by the heroes among us. On behalf of all paddlers, please allow me to express my heartfelt gratitude to every ACA member who serves as a healthcare worker, emergency services provider, retail…

The ACA Rafting Committee recently completed a comprehensive review and revision of their Level 3 and Level 4 Whitewater Rafting (Paddle & Oar) curriculum documents. Currently certified rafting instructors should familiarize themselves with the currently published documents so they are fully aware of the revisions. In addition, the Rafting Committee…

…regional representative will work to galvanize stakeholders across their region across all SEIC disciplines and ACA silos (e.g. coastal kayaking, river canoe, whitewater kayaking, SUP, safety & rescue, competition, DEI, etc.) within their region to organize regional initiatives and execute those initiatives in conjunction with the RAC Council. The RAC…

…commitment, offering immense rewards for those dedicated to the advancement of paddlesports and community engagement. While board membership is a voluntary position, individuals are elected to serve on two-year terms, ensuring continuity and effective governance within the organization. To learn more about the Board of Directors position click here!  …

…new plan for the Games in 2021, we commit to serving as your advocate and voice as decisions are made. We also pledge to communicate transparently and quickly as developments occur. Please be sure to read Sarah Hirschland’s letter to all Team USA Athletes which we have re-printed below. As…

…Joe Pina Volunteer of the Year The J. Henry Rushton Award (for Organizational Excellence) Nominations for the 2020 ACA National Awards are due by Sunday, September 27th. For more information, and to submit a nomination, please visit: www.americancanoe.org/awards Thank you for assisting us in recognizing excellence in the paddling community!…

…J. Henry Rushton Award (for Organizational Excellence) Legends of Paddling Award Havens Leadership Award Nominations for the 2021 ACA National Awards are due by Monday, October 25th. For more information, and to submit a nomination, please visit: www.americancanoe.org/awardnominations Thank you for assisting us in recognizing excellence in the paddling community!…

In partnership with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, we have migrated our members to the Center’s new learning management system called “Absorb.” All future SafeSport training will be done at their new website, safesporttrained.org. Your current account and records of SafeSport training have been moved to this new system, preserving…

…Insurance Department directly. In addition, the following changes have been implemented and are applicable to PAC memberships for the coming year: ACA now has two online waivers available for use at PAC activities and events. One is for ACA members and the other is for non-members. The older online waiver…

On behalf of the SUP Committee and the ACA SEIC Board, we’re pleased to announce the new ACA SUP Yoga Leader curriculum! Please check out the curriculum documentation on the ACA website….

…be individual, multiple individuals, and/or teams.   History: The Higgins & Langley Memorial awards were established in 1993 by members of the Swiftwater Rescue Committee of the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) in honor of Earl Higgins, a writer and filmmaker who lost his life in 1980 while…

To submit a grievance or complaint to the ACA Grievance Committee, please complete the form below. To report SafeSport-related allegations of emotional or physical misconduct to the ACA, submit this form. All allegations of sexual misconduct, should be reported immediately to the United States Center for SafeSport….

…which “ism’s” we should focus on and have begun to further define the structure of our group. We have reached a consensus on a few guiding principles: We really want this to be community “bottoms up” effort and not a staff controlled “top down” process. We should not shortcut this…

…contaminated mine seepage resulting in significant negative water quality impacts. Scientifically, it is clear that mining within the Rainy River Watershed will harm water quality and, in turn, the paddling experience for those who recreate in the region. Economically, examining a graph of employment by industry in the region since…

…the conclusion of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan with the best canoe sprint athletes in the world invited to compete in the ICF Super Cup. A small number of wildcards will be available for local athletes as well. The ICF Super Cup is unique in that it holds races…

We want to hear from you! P.O. Box 7996 Fredericksburg, VA 22404-7996 (540) 907-4460 If you need to get in touch with us, please contact a staff member or complete one of the contact forms below: Membership Insurance Safety, Education, and Instruction Stewardship / Public Policy Competition International Other…

ACA Members, Athletes, Coaches, and Supporters, A quick note regarding international Canoe Slalom and Canoe Sprint competitions: The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has postponed the final decision regarding the Canoe Slalom Junior/U23 World Championships, Ljubljana (SLO), until June 15, 2020, and the final decision regarding the Canoe Slalom World Cups,…

Fall 2020 Upcoming International Competitions Slalom 2020 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup (Ljubljana, Slovenia) – October 16-19 2020 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup (Pau, France) – November 6-9 Sprint Olympic Hopes Regatta 2020 (Szeged, Hungary) – September 19-20 2020 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup (Szeged, Hungary) – September 24-27…

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…

…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…

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…

…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…

…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….

…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…