The ACA & You! Date: Location/Event: Education. Recreation. Stewardship. Exploration. Competition.

Who is the ACA? The ACA & YOU! Founded in 1880, the American Canoe Association (ACA) is a 501(c)(3) 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 COMPETITION, EXPLORATION and RECREATION.

ACA History 1880: Established on August 3rd by twenty-three 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 1979: ACA Slalom & Wildwater Teams win World Championships! 1980: Susan Chamberlin is the first woman to be elected Commodore 1990’s: Clean Water Act enforcement (24 cases) 2004: Strategic Tenets of the ACA defined 2008: Founded the National Paddlesports Conference 2010: Rapid Media becomes official magazine partner 2014: Hosted the inaugural Adaptive Paddling Summit 2017: Became the National Governing Body (NGB) for the Olympic sports of slalom and sprint, and the Paralympic sport of paracanoe 3

Education Stewardship Competition Exploration Recreation Strategic Tenets The ACA & YOU! Education Stewardship Competition Exploration Recreation

Education Safety Education & Instruction Council 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

ACA Instructor Certification Program The ACA & YOU! Established 1972 8,500 certified Instructors – 250 certified Instructor Trainers Canoe (Touring, FreeStyle, River) Kayak (River, Coastal, Surf, Prone, Surfski) Raft Safety & Rescue Adaptive Paddling Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) Estimated 809,000 students taught annually

Stewardship Water Trails Database L.L.Bean Stewardship Grants The ACA & YOU! Water Trails Database L.L.Bean Stewardship Grants Environmental Film of the Year Local, Regional & National Initiatives Founding Member - Outdoor Alliance Enhance water quality Support local waterway access projects

Recreation Support over 4,000 yearly events The ACA & YOU! Support over 4,000 yearly events Promote paddlesports events across the nation Sanctioned over 200 races Provide insurance for club events and festivals Support the development of new initiatives for paddlesports recreation opportunities

Competition – Olympic & Paralympic The ACA & YOU! The ACA is the National Governing Body (NGB) for the Olympic paddlesports of canoe slalom and canoe sprint and the Paralympic sport of Paracanoe. Both disciplines include events for both canoe and kayak.

Competition – International Canoe Federation The ACA & YOU! The ACA is recognized by the International Canoe Federation (ICF) for the non-Olympic paddlesports of: Whitewater Freestyle Ocean Racing (Surfski) Marathon Wildwater Canoe Polo Dragon Boat

Competition Outrigger FreeStyle Canoeing Canoe Sailing Canoe Poling The ACA & YOU! Outrigger FreeStyle Canoeing Canoe Sailing Canoe Poling Open Canoe Slalom Collegiate Canoe & Kayak Championship Race Series Whitewater Open Canoe Downriver Youth Races

Paddlesports Participation The ACA & YOU! Paddlesport participation is at it’s highest levels in the history of the sport. The paddlesport community needs to expand it’s entry level education opportunities for paddlers.

Insert customized slides here Today’s Objectives The ACA & YOU! Insert customized slides here

ACA Leadership Academy Oklahoma City, OK August 24-30, 2018 As part of the ACA’s leadership role in the paddlesports community, we have transitioned to the new ACA Leadership Academy to target all facets of the paddlesports community. This brand new program will have educational tracks for paddling clubs, competition disciplines, the SEIC, retail store employees, as well as whitewater and flatwater paddling opportunities. The new ACA Leadership Academy will take place in conjunction with Paddlesports Retailer.

Connect The ACA & YOU!

Canoe • Kayak • SUP • Raft • Rescue Contact Information The ACA & YOU! ACA Canoe • Kayak • SUP • Raft • Rescue 503 Sophia St. Suite 100 Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-907-4460 888-229-3792 [fax] aca@americancanoe.org www.americancanoe.org