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THUMBS UP to Virginia U.S. Senator Mark Warner, Virginia U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Virginia Congressman


Rob Wittman, Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, USMC Col David Maxwell, Commander Quantico VA, and Quantico Mayor Kevin Brown for understanding and pushing the need to get veterans and those with disabilities equipment and access to America’s waterways.


Director’s Eddy I


The


t’s been another great year at the ACA, and we are continuing to get stronger. A big thank you to our members and sponsors for making the world a better place to paddle! Before we get in to a


few highlights, please make sure to see the ACA award winners, who are truly extraordinary ACA members, on the next page. Education: Over 7,300 instructors were certified last year in canoe, kayak, raft, SUP and rescue. The


ACA instructors reached almost 1,000,000 students in 2013. Keep up the great work, instructors! We created the ACA’s International Paddlesports Ambassador Program. The program has three


basic goals: provide technical assistance, learn more about different paddling cultures and help educate others about paddling issues in the U.S. and other parts of the world. If you think you fit the Ambassador criteria, contact the ACA office. Read about Dave Burden, our International Paddlesports Ambassador, in these pages. Stewardship: For ACA’s Stream to Sea Initiative, we want millions of boaters to add a Paddle Green


Bag to their gear as a reminder to grab trash as they see it and report it on the ACA’s Track Trash Data Collection (TTDC) website. Reporting helps focus clean-up efforts and gives policy-makers data to make informed decisions. The ACA also partnered with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Hōkūle‘a, a voyaging canoe on worldwide trip, to enhance education about the world’s marine debris issues and provide real-time information. The ACA wrote or participated in hundreds of letters to decision-makers urging them to make the


right choices for human-powered recreation, specifically paddling. Recreation: We’ve increased adaptive programs and started the campaign to look for colleges,


universities, state parks and federal property to have equipment in areas with relevant water features. ACA is providing the staff and employees in these areas with training if the equipment can be funded. See the Thumbs Up section at right for examples. Competition: The ACA hired its first full time Race Coordinator to help coordinate race events


from beginner to elite around the country. We are looking to increase the number of competitions in 2014. Insurance: We launched the ACA’s Outfitter Livery and Guide Insurance in 2013. ACA


continuously looks for ways to enhance member benefits and reward those who are getting people out on the water safely. Membership drives the organization, so please get involved. Please visit www.


americancanoe.org to see what your organization is doing to make the world a better place to paddle.


Wade Blackwood, ACA, Executive Director Canoe-Kayak-Raft-SUP-Rescue


60 …KAYAK ANGLER WINTER 2013


New ACA Endorsed Insurance Program


The ACA is pleased to announce our brand new insurance program for paddlesport outfitters, liveries and guides. By meeting certain criteria, these members will be eligible for discounted pricing on their various insurance policies. For detailed instructions and online documentation, please visit: www.americancanoe.org/ OutfitterInsurance. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the ACA Insurance Department at: insurance@ americancanoe.org. Proceeds from this insurance


program will benefit paddlers as they will be used to support the ACA’s mission of improving education, stewardship, recreation and competition for all.


THUMBS DOWN to the U.S. government shutdown which lasted from October 1 to 16


and denied paddlers access to national park waterways.


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