ACA Paddlesports

10/16/2023

10/15/2023

On Saturday Sage Donnelly became a canoe freestyle world champion, three years after falling out of love with competing, and just one hour after battling to get her blood sugar levels under control so she could get back on the water.She had been at the top of the mountain before. In 2015 she became....

10/12/2023

10/11/2023

10/10/2023

Each year, the ACA presents a series of prestigious national awards to individuals and organizations who have illustrated exemplary leadership, service, and dedication to various aspects of paddlesports.

The deadline to submit a nomination is November 20th!

Follow the link below to submit your nominations!
https://americancanoe.org/national-awards-nomination-form/

10/10/2023

🇺🇸HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM USA Squirtboat medalist !!! 🇺🇸
Rose Wall-Gold 🥇
Taft Sibley- Gold 🥇
Andy Grizzell- Silver 🥈
Clay Wright- Bronze 🥉

10/10/2023

10/10/2023

Rose Wall claimed back her sq**rt world title and Taft Sibley’s love affair with the Columbus feature continued as the first gold medals of the 2023 ICF Freestyle World Championships were decided on Monday. The battle between 2019 champion Wall and Great Britain’s reigning world champion, Ottili...

10/06/2023

Returning Men’s Squirtboat World Champion, Clay Wright, is looking for some sweet down time at the ICF Freestyle World Championships. Come help cheer him on this Monday!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

10/06/2023

Last weekend, more than 80 paddlers came together to network and learn about the latest advances is swiftwater safety and rescue techniques at the ACA Swiftwater Rescue Conference.

Legendary rescue professionals presented both on and off the water, speaking to a variety of topics including but not limited to:
- Hands on scenario building
- All you need to know about flips
- Knife work
- Wading
- High water operations
- Pins and entrapments
- Various medical topics

This event was a tremendous success thanks to the professionalism of the presenters, the attentiveness of the participants, and the generosity of the volunteers and sponsors.

There’s no better time to practice rigging z-drags than autumn in West Virginia under the watchful eye of SWR legends!

Thank you to for capturing these great photos from the Conference!

10/02/2023

In case you missed it, twelve American athletes represented the United States last month at the 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Lee Valley, Great Britain. Athletes prepared for the event by competing in World Cups throughout the summer as well as training at the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre, which as built for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Athletes were not only competing for the title of “best in the world”, but they were also qualifying all important Olympic quota spots for the 2024 Paris Games. Well done to Evy Leibfarth and Casey Eichfeld for securing the U.S. Olympic quotas for both Women’s and Men’s Canoe!

The U.S. will have the opportunity to qualify men’s and women’s kayak and kayak cross quotas next spring at the Continental Qualifier in Brazil. Stay tuned as these athletes continue to work hard throughout the winter in preparation.

For more, click the link below!
https://americancanoe.org/two-canoe-slalom-olympic-quotas-secured-at-the-2023-icf-canoe-slalom-world-championships/

Photo Credit: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images
Athletes: and

09/27/2023

Kira Tenney, ACA Instructor of the Month for September 2023, doesn’t simply teach kayaking. She teaches her students to be compassionate individuals united by their love of rivers.

Kira has been teaching kayaking for almost two decades and is currently in the process of becoming an ACA Instructor Trainer. She most often teaches for Ríos to Rivers, an incredible organization whose mission is to inspire the protection of rivers worldwide by investing in underserved and indigenous youth who are intimately connected to their local waters and supports them in the development as the next generation of environmental stewards.

We are honoring Kira for her understanding that environmental stewardship and activism must be part of kayaking and instruction.

Read more about Kira in her complete Instructor of the Month feature, linked below.
https://americancanoe.org/education/for-aca-instructors/instructor-of-the-month/

Photo Credit:
📸1: Will Stuaffer-Norris; Kayak Instructing for Last Descents in China
📸2: Kayak Instructing for River Guides of Panbang with the support of the Bhutan Foundation and Tourism Council of Bhutan
📸3: Ríos to Rivers
📸4: Ríos to Rivers

09/25/2023

The International Whitewater Hall Of Fame (IWHOF) was established to honor the pioneers, explorers, advocates, and champions who helped to form and protect the sport and waterways we cherish. They are excited to honor these legends in 2023: Pioneer – Bryce Whitmore (USA); Explorer – Mike Jones (UK); Champions – Jamie McEwan (USA), Manfred Vogt (DE); Advocates – Isamu Tatsuno (JPN), Peter Skinner (USA).

Help celebrate these legends of whitewater by donating to this fundraiser, organized by the IWHOF Board of Governors: https://gofund.me/d71a587b

Calling all paddlers and lovers of whitewater! Now is the time to support the 202… Pamela Dillon needs your support for International Whitewater Hall of Fame

09/21/2023

Who else is going to the SUP World Cup and Recreational 5k SUP Race and Costume Contest at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL this October 13-15??

Register today: https://paddleguru.com/races/ICFSUPWorldCupSarasotaFL

🎃🎃🎃

3 Epic stand up paddleboard races hosted at Nathan Benderson Park with competitors from all over the globe competing for $10k in prize money. Open to SUP ath...

09/18/2023

The 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships kicks off tomorrow, September 19! This event is the first opportunity for canoe slalom athletes to secure Olympic quota's for their countries. Curious how qualification works? This article can help make sense of this "exciting, entertaining, often beguiling but never predictable" process.

It’s exciting, it’s entertaining, often beguiling – but never predictable.The race for slalom Olympic quotas kicks off at Lee Valley in London on Wednesday, and while on paper it seems like a fairly straightforward proposition, in reality it never is.From Wednesday through to Saturday more tha...

09/08/2023

09/01/2023

Great feature on paracanoe athlete Jack Wallace!! Pages 30-33!

The August edition of the USA Hockey Magazine is out now!

Read it here ➡️ bit.ly/3qRXVN0

08/28/2023

Please join us in celebrating JoAndra Proia, this month’s recipient of the ACA Instructor of the Month Award! Jo is a kayak, SUP, and yoga instructor based out of North Carolina, and Owner of the guide company, Outdoor Women by Jo Proia. What makes Jo standout is her passion for educating, empowering, and exciting women of all ages to pursue adventure through kayaking.

Jo is a fierce believer that no matter how much time or money you have, there are still abundant opportunities to have “micro-adventures” close to home. Over the past 12 years Jo has taught over 3,000 women how to kayak.

Congratulations, Jo! This recognition has been well earned! Keep up the good work and thank you for your commitment to helping women safely rekindle their adventurous spirit through paddlesports!

08/26/2023

🚨 2024 Paralympics Qualified 🚨
‼️ Medal Alert ‼️

Blake Haxton has officially qualified a ticket for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France next summer!

Congratulations Blake Haxton for earning a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships and officially qualifying the United States a Paralympic quota for the Men’s VL2 200m! 🥉

👏👏👏

08/25/2023

We are excited and proud of you, Jillian!! ⭐️👏

🚨2024 PARALYMPIC QUALIFIED🚨

Jillian Elwart has officially qualified a ticket for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France🇫🇷 next summer⏭️

Her performance at the 2023 World Championships have officially qualified the United States🇺🇸 an Olympic quota for the Women VL3 200m

08/25/2023

Way to go, Nevin Harrison!! 🏅⭐️

🚨2024 OLYMPICS QUALIFIED🚨

Nevin Harrison has officially qualified a ticket for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France🇫🇷 next summer⏭️

Her performance at the 2023 World Championships have officially qualified the United States🇺🇸 an Olympic quota for the Women’s C1 200m

08/21/2023

Huge congratulations to for his third place finish in the Men’s Junior Kayak Cross event at the ICF Junior/U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships!

We love to see familiar faces representing the United States up on the podium at international events! So proud of Kyler and his team.

08/21/2023

evy leibfarth | canoe slalom is racking up medals at the ICF Junior/U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships!

❗️Medal Alert❗️

A day after becoming the 2023 ICF U23 World Champion, Evy Leibfarth stood on the podium again. A super performance landed her a bronze medal in the C1W class. 🥉

Congratulations, Evy, on an incredible World Championships! 💪🙌

📸

08/21/2023

So proud of evy leibfarth | canoe slalom for her stunning performance at the ICF Junior/U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships!

✨U23 World Champion!!!✨

Congratulations to Evy Leibfarth on an outstanding performance at the ICF Jr. & U23 World Championships in Krakow, Poland! She dominated the K1W class and came home with the gold!

Please join us in celebrating her great success. 💪🎉 We are so proud of you! 💗

📸

08/19/2023

And it’s a 🥇 for USA Canoe/Kayak Team member, evy leibfarth | canoe slalom!!

Sometimes you need to remind yourself that Evy Leibfarth is still just 19-years-old.It seems the American teenager has been on the international slalom circuit for ever. And it has been more than a fifth of her life. She made her international debut at 15, and has rarely missed an event since. In he...

08/09/2023

The 2023 ACA Sprint Canoe National Championships took place August 1-4, with paddlers coming from as far as Hawaii to race at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida. This event was the culmination of these athlete’s hard season of training and is one of the largest annual gatherings of sprint canoe and kayak athletes in the United States.

This year’s National Championships brought stout competition and inspiring sportsmanship from all athletes in attendance. , a club out of Washington, earned the Yonker’s Canoe Club Trophy for most points earned by a club at the National Championships.

Well done to all athletes and THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this event a success!

We especially want to thank the staff at , all the volunteers & officials, and Steve Kelly whose hard work and dedication to this sport was instrumental in the organization of this National Championships!

Photos by: Dale Edwards Photography

08/09/2023

These sprint canoe and kayak athletes are stars on an off the water! Elena Wolgamot, Andreea Ghizila, and Azusa Murphy tell the world about what makes this sport so special in a TV interview with Fox13!

More than 300 athletes took to the waters at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota for the 2023 ACA Sprint Canoe National Championships.

08/07/2023

08/03/2023

We love to see our community being recognized for how rad they are! Go Elisha Lynn McArthur! Great article and well deserved recognitions for her trailblazing leadership and inclusive approach to instruction! 🙌🙌🙌

Tutu-wearing Elisa McArthur is leading more and more women into Colorado’s rafting industry by being a powerhouse guide and instructor.

08/02/2023

So excited about this partnership 🙌

07/25/2023

Congratulations, Amanda Lasley, ACA’s Instructor of the Month for July 2023!

Amanda and the ACA share a desire to help anyone, and everyone experience the joys of paddling, regardless of craft or waterway. She has been an ACA instructor since 2014 and teaches at multiple North Carolina State Parks, primarily educating the park’s rangers and staff.

“For me, being on the water is the closest thing I've found to the meaning of life. I have always loved to teach, but what really motivates me is knowing that I'm providing North Carolina State Park rangers with an exciting way to engage future park visitors and allow them to experience some of our best public resources by being on the water, learning, and having fun!”

To read Amanda’s complete IOM Feature or nominate a new IOM, click the link below!

https://americancanoe.org/education/for-aca-instructors/instructor-of-the-month/

07/21/2023

And the first place winner of the Summer Solstice Essay & Photo Contest is…

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

Kim Karbon!!

In addition to the incredible photo she submitted, Kim’s essay is nothing short of a celebration of what makes paddling so special: her friends.

When reading her essay, we couldn’t help but smile and reflect on our own paddling communities.

We too have a “Josh” who is a skillful outdoors-person and a wonderful teacher;

a “Kerry” who brings both the snacks and the stoke;

a “Liz” who inspires us to be better stewards and the best version of ourselves;

a “John” who’s creativity is makes everything better;

and last but not least, a “Kim” who never fails make us laugh and even manages to catch the special moments on camera so we can smile back at them later!

Click the link below to read Kim’s triumphant reflection of why she paddles.

https://americancanoe.org/community/summer-solstice-celebration/

Thank you, Kim, for making us smile :)

07/20/2023

Today we are proud announce the second place award recipient for the Summer Solstice Essay & Photo Contest!

Congratulations, Jackson Bichsel!

Jackson’s essay titled, “A Question Answered with Love”, is an incredibly thoughtful, relatable, and emotional expression of why he paddles and races.

Nice work Jackson and thank you for sharing this with us! Click the link below to read Jackson’s essay!

https://americancanoe.org/community/summer-solstice-celebration/

Check back tomorrow for the winning essay and photo!

07/19/2023

We are so excited to begin announcing the winners of the Summer Solstice Essay & Photo Contest, starting with the 3rd Place recipient…

Martin Welch!

Congratulations, Martin! Thank you so much for taking the time to reflect on what makes paddling special and for sharing this wonderful photo with us.

Martin’s essay has been published on the Summer Solstice Celebration page on the ACA website which can be found linked below!

https://americancanoe.org/community/summer-solstice-celebration/

Stay tuned for the first and second place prize winners and thank you to everyone who participated! It was a pleasure to review each piece of content that we received!

07/04/2023

You asked and we heard you, the ACA got a brand new store! We are excited to be able to support the USA Canoe/Kayak Team and our LEAD Initiative events with proceeds from this store when you purchase items with the corresponding logo!

USA Wildwater and USA Freestyle Kayaking gear will be added to the store soon!

Order today, July 4th, for 20% off orders $199+ with the code: INDEPENDENCE20

https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/ #/lockers/american-canoe-association

07/03/2023

You know that we will be paddling over the 4th of July and we hope that you will be too! If you are getting out over the holiday stay safe, have fun, and take advantage of these free paddling safety resources brought to you by the ACA and Respect the Rapp!

Have plans to get out on the water this summer. The Ameican Canoe Association and Respect the Rapp provide all kinds of safety information before you ventu...

06/24/2023

This June we are excited to honor Lizzy Gardner as ACA’s Instructor of the Month!

Lizzy played a huge role in making the first year of ACA Leadership, Exploration, and Development (LEAD) Initiative a success and the ACA is excited to be working with her again this year. She has also worked with Anna Levesque to plan and facilitate Paddlesports Leadership Academy programs, developed by Gerry Seavo James.

Lizzy is a wonderful instructor and human and we are so proud to have her as part of the ACA community!

"I’ve always enjoyed teaching and helping people gain skills and confidence. A huge part of being successful in this is creating an environment where people feel seen and safe, and that opens doors for people to get outside of their comfort zone to try, fail, learn and grow. Those programs have demonstrated for me that paddling is so much more than just paddling. It can be a space for personal and community development, a chance to provide opportunities to those who have historically been excluded from paddlesport, and I can be a conduit for that."

For more, click the link below and read Lizzy's complete IOM feature!

https://americancanoe.org/education/for-aca-instructors/instructor-of-the-month/

06/23/2023

Join us in celebrating Olympic and Paralympic Day!

We could not be more proud of the Canoe/Kayak athletes who have represented the United States at the Olympic and Paralympic Games!

A little history for you on this special day:
- Sprint Canoe/Kayak made its official Olympic debut in Berlin at the 1936 Olympic Games.
- Canoe/Kayak Slalom was first introduced in the Olympics in 1972 in Munich.
- 2016 was the first year that Paracanoe, the Paralympic equivalent of Sprint Canoe/Kayak was included in the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
- 2024 will be the first year that Kayak Cross will take place in the Olympic Games in Paris!

It is so wonderful to see our amazing sport grow in global prevalence and popularity! Happy Olympic and Paralympic Day!

Image credit:
1. Laurence Griffiths
3. Dean Mouhtaropoulos
4. Adam Pretty
5. Cameron Spencer
6. Dean Mouhtaropoulos
7. Adam Pretty