ACA Paddlesports

ACA Paddlesports The American Canoe Association supports paddlers through policy & stewardship efforts, education, competition, and community.
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🥉 BRONZE FOR NEVIN HARRISON AT THE 2026 CANOE SPRINT AND PARACANOE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 🥉Congratulations to Nevin Harriso...
08/30/2026

🥉 BRONZE FOR NEVIN HARRISON AT THE 2026 CANOE SPRINT AND PARACANOE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 🥉

Congratulations to Nevin Harrison on her bronze medal finish in the Women’s C1 200m event in Poznań!

In a very tight podium, Nevin Harrison finished 0.14 seconds off of Sophia Jenson 🇨🇦🥈 and 0.64 seconds behind Liudmyla Luzan 🇺🇦🥇

Well done, Nevin!!

🥇 BLAKE HAXTON IS THE MEN’S VL2 200m WORLD CHAMPION!!! 🥇Blake secured his first World Championships win with a dominant ...
08/29/2026

🥇 BLAKE HAXTON IS THE MEN’S VL2 200m WORLD CHAMPION!!! 🥇

Blake secured his first World Championships win with a dominant A Final race in Poznań today. In a sub 50 second race, Blake pulled out 1.63 seconds ahead of the previous World Champion, Fernando Rufino de Paulo of Brazil.

Less than 2 years out from LA28, this victory has got to feel especially sweet. Congratulations, Blake on your well deserved win!

Proud moment for the ACA!On August 27 in Oklahoma City, ACA Emeritus Instructor Trainer Educator and former Safety & Res...
08/28/2026

Proud moment for the ACA!

On August 27 in Oklahoma City, ACA Emeritus Instructor Trainer Educator and former Safety & Rescue Committee Chair Sam Fowlkes had the honor of accepting the Higgins and Langley award on behalf of the ACA Safety & Rescue Committee.

This is a rare and meaningful recognition in swiftwater rescue, and a great example of the leadership, service, and expertise represented within the ACA. Having ACA ITE Mike Mather present this award to was also an especially meaningful moment and a real point of pride for our organization.

The event also highlighted the collaborative spirit behind this work, with other ACA leaders and contributors Nate Ostis, Pat Barry, and Chris Davis also attending to help make it all happen. We were glad to have the chance to promote ACA’s safety and education programs, connect with others in the field, and represent the ACA’s commitment to safety, rescue education, and professional excellence.

A big thank-you to Mike Mather for his support, leadership, and outstanding role as awards ceremony emcee. A great day for swiftwater rescue and a great moment for the ACA.

The National Recreational Boating Safety Survey (NRBSS) is a nationwide survey sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard to unde...
08/28/2026

The National Recreational Boating Safety Survey (NRBSS) is a nationwide survey sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard to understand how many people go boating, what types of boats they use, and how often they are on the water. As part of the survey, we are asking for volunteers to complete a brief sign-up page asking about their boating habits and share their contact information with the Coast Guard so a wide range of boaters can be invited to participate in the larger NRBSS survey later in the year.

To take the survey, please go to: https://norcfed.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ezfBlrTYxLdG4e

Introducing our Instructor of the Month, Darron Laughland!Darron teaches Swiftwater Rescue and River Safety throughout N...
08/26/2026

Introducing our Instructor of the Month, Darron Laughland!

Darron teaches Swiftwater Rescue and River Safety throughout NH’s White Mountains — training river guides, teens, clubs, and fire rescue personnel alike.

“The American Canoe Association curriculum and instructors set a high standard for instructional excellence, and it is humbling to be recognized amongst esteemed peers,” Darron says. “I look forward to continuing my journey as an instructor to share the knowledge others have so generously shared with me, to honor those our community has lost, and work to grow the skills, decision making, and humility needed to make paddlers safer as we enjoy our amazing sport and the beautiful places we paddle.”

Congratulations, Darron!

Racing kicked off today in Poznań for the 2026 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships!Results -> paddleworldwide...
08/26/2026

Racing kicked off today in Poznań for the 2026 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships!

Results -> paddleworldwide.com
Watch -> Everything canoe, kayak, and SUP’s YouTube Channel

Please join us in wishing good luck to the team on this important step towards LA28!

FREE resource alert!!We’re excited to share the newly updated Smart Start for Safe Paddling textbook, designed to give n...
08/18/2026

FREE resource alert!!

We’re excited to share the newly updated Smart Start for Safe Paddling textbook, designed to give new and developing paddlers a strong foundation in paddling safety, preparation, and responsible decision-making.

For a limited time, the Kindle edition is available FREE on Amazon, making it easy to share this resource with paddlers, students, clubs, organizations, and communities. Don't wait - this deal ends at midnight on Friday! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HD23Q2P3

Smart Start is part of a complete suite of paddling safety resources that includes a free online course, student workbook, presentation slides, videos, infographics, and ready-to-use teaching materials, all aligned with national boating safety priorities and standards.

Best of all, these resources are available for anyone to use. You do not need to be an ACA member, instructor, or course participant.

Help us get more paddlers started safely. Download your copy and share Smart Start with your community!

Safe paddling starts with a Smart Start.

We are proud to share that all ACA curriculum documents and Leader & Guide Pathway materials are now available in Spanis...
08/17/2026

We are proud to share that all ACA curriculum documents and Leader & Guide Pathway materials are now available in Spanish!

Expanding access to these resources is very important to the ACA and we hope that paddlers, instructors, leaders, and guides are all able to benefit from this increase in accessibility!

Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers

The 2026 Pan American Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross Championships took place from July 31 to August 2, 2026, at the Canoe...
08/13/2026

The 2026 Pan American Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross Championships took place from July 31 to August 2, 2026, at the Canoe Meadows course on the Kananaskis River in Alberta, Canada.

This was a great event on a beautiful river near Banff National Park. Despite the windy conditions, the 11 athletes representing the USA Canoe/Kayak Team had great runs and brought home 5 Gold, 4 Silver, and 1 Bronze medals, putting the USA in second place for team medals behind Canada.

🥇Evy Leibfarth - U23 WC1
🥇Evy Leibfarth - U23 WK1
🥇Evy Leibfarth - WKX Head-to-Head
🥇Evy Leibfarth - WKX Time Trial (open)
🥇Carden Oetting - Junior WC1

🥈Evy Leibfarth - WC1 (open)
🥈Carden Oetting - Junior WK1
🥈Olivia Long - Junior WKX Time Trial
🥈Connar Haakenson - Junior MK1

🥉Evy Leibfarth - WK1 (open)

📸: Stanislava Smiesko

Reliving moments from the 2026 ACA Sprint National Championships!Four days of racing on Harsha Lake at East Fork State P...
08/11/2026

Reliving moments from the 2026 ACA Sprint National Championships!

Four days of racing on Harsha Lake at East Fork State Park, 212 paddlers, 17 clubs, and non-stop action from Bantam to Masters.

Congrats to Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club (Lanier canoe & kayak club) on claiming the National Champions Yonkers Trophy for the 13th time in club history — and to Southeast Paddle Sports (Southeast Paddle Sports) for a standout Masters showing that had our own Steve Kelly raving about the energy on the water. 👏

Huge thanks to the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau for hosting us and making this week unforgettable.

Swipe through for highlights from the event courtesy of Dale Edwards Photography (Dale Edwards)

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