Education. Stewardship. Recreation

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The ACA and You!
Event
Date
Presented by
Education. Stewardship. Recreation
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Do You Know?
The ACA YOU!
1) How many people participate in paddlesports
(canoe, kayak, raft) annually?
A) 15 - 25 million B) 32 - 42 million
C) 48 52 million
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Answer
The ACA YOU!
1) How many people participate in paddlesports
annually? C) 48 - 52 million 48 - 51.8 mil
lion according to the National Survey on
Recreation and the Environment (conducted by the
US Forest Service 2000-2004)
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Do You Know?
The ACA YOU!
2) Which paddlesport activity has the highest
level of participation? A) Rafting B) Ca
noeing
C) Kayaking
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Answer
The ACA YOU!
2) Which paddlesport activity has the highest
level of participation? Tie) Rafting (
20 -22 million) Canoeing (20-22 mil
lion) Kayaking has approximately 8-10 million.
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Do You Know?
The ACA YOU!
3) Which paddlesport activity has the highest
level of growth over the past 5 years?

A) Rafting B) Canoeing C) Kayaking
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Answer
The ACA YOU!
3) Which paddlesport activity has the highest
level of growth over the past 5 years?
C) Kayaking 272 growth in 2000 - 2004 G
rew from 2 million to 10 million participants in
5 year period.
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Who is the ACA?
The ACA YOU!

• Founded in 1880, the American Canoe Association
  (ACA) is a national, nonprofit organization
  serving the broader paddling public by providing
  EDUCATION related to all aspects of paddling
  STEWARDSHIP support to help protect paddling
  environments and sanctioning of programs and
  events to promote paddlesport RECREATION.

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ACA History
The ACA You!

• 1880 Established on August 3rd by twenty-three
• notable canoeists on Lake George,
  NY
  
• 1903 Purchased Sugar Island in Canada
• 1927 Incorporated in NY
• 1944 Women given the right to vote in ACA
• 1978 ACA Slalom Wildwater Teams win
• World Championships!
• 1997 Paddlesport Publishing, Inc formed
• 2004 Removal of Embrey Dam

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Education
The ACA YOU!

• Safety Education Instruction Council
• Learn to Paddle Initiative
• Youth Development Program
• Extensive Paddlesports Safety Education
  Information
  
• National Leader in Paddlesports Education
  Instruction
  
• Courses Skills, Assessments, Certifications

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ACA Instructor Certification Program
The ACA YOU!

• Established 1972
• 4000 certified Instructors 250 certified
  Instructor Trainers
  
• Canoe (Touring River)
• Kayak (River, Coastal, Surf)
• Raft
• Safety Rescue
• Adaptive Paddling
• Estimated 809,000 students taught annually

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Stewardship
The ACA YOU!

• Water Trails Database
• Stewardship Grants
• Local, Regional National Initiatives
• Outdoor Alliance
• We work with
• - U.S. Forest Service
• - Department of the Interior
• - White House Office of Management and Budget
• - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• - House Natural Resources Committee
• Clean Water Network
• Land and Water Conservation Fund Task Force
• Trust for Public Land

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Recreation
The ACA YOU!

• Sanctioned 1400 events in 2008
• Promote paddlesports events
  across the nation
  
• Provide insurance for club events and festivals
• Support the development of new initiatives for
  paddlesports recreation opportunities
  

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Competition
The ACA YOU!

• Freestyle Canoeing
• Canoe Sailing
• Canoe Poling
• Open Canoe Slalom
• Whitewater Open Canoe Downriver
• Collegiate Canoe Kayak Championships

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Paddlesports Participation
The ACA YOU!

• Paddlesport participation is at its highest
  levels in the history of the sport.
  
• The paddlesport community needs to expand its
  entry level education opportunities for paddlers.

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Paddlesports Participation
The ACA YOU!

• More people are trying paddling and they are
  entering from numerous non-boating related
  activities
  
• Hiking
• Bicycling
• Camping
• Fishing

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Paddlesports Participation
The ACA YOU!

• Its CRUCIAL that these new boaters receive
• - Opportunity
• - Guidance
• - Safety Information
• - Basic Education

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Todays Objective
The ACA YOU!

• Roundtable Discussion
• Current ACA Programs
• What can the ACA do specifically
• for YOU?

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New Online Course
The ACA YOU!

• www.iPaddleOnLine.com

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ACA National Paddlesports Conference
October 23-25, 2009 Fredericksburg, VA

• This is the premier event for all
• paddlesports enthusiasts
• The latest in paddlesport instruction
• New teaching methods
• Emerging national paddlesports trends
• Instructor or Instructor Trainer Updates
• Network with fellow paddlers, vendors,
• Instructors and Trainers from across the
• country

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Contact Information
The ACA YOU!

• American Canoe Association
• 1340 Central Park Blvd. Suite 210
• Fredericksburg, VA 22401
• 540-907-4460
• 888-229-3792 fax
• aca_at_americancanoe.org
• www.americancanoe.org

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Wear your Lifejacket!
The ACA You!