C-Forum

I know some folks don't feel the love with AWA (not sure I do either).. but the recent mag has a few canoe shoots in it.

Who's the C1er with the style dropping Ohiopyle Falls?

I still find the Chris Bell photo pretty cool (National Paddling Film Festival 2011) ad. with the "Commit now" header!

Anyone entering that film fest this year? Or thinking of writing an article or two during the colder season?

Just thinking out aloud...

aw rocks! i don't know of anyone that feels otherwise

I sure like not having to paddle across the lake at the Watauga. They do more for the sport than any other organization. I think i just talked myself into re-upping my membership for the first time in entirely too long.

The best advocacy in the country for river access and flows. No organization is perfect.

I also agree that the AWA does the most good, of any organization out there. They fight ongoing legal battles for protecting rivers, getting and creating new river access points, preserving streamside corridors, etc.

JKaz

You might want to check AW's 2011 calendar. Cover photo is a tandem canoe running a falls. I agree that they do more than any organization for something that matters a lot--access to rivers. AW is well worth supporting.

BigNasty wrote: Who's the C1er with the style dropping Ohiopyle Falls?

That's Jordan Poffenberger. He's a good kid and a really good C-boater.

Cboaters need to drive the AW content not sit back and be grumpy about it. (not a crack on you louie, just a statement). This year I've heard of or seen some amazing cboat stories unfold before I met Tom and certainly after I met Tom. I'm Newer to it all I don't know what stories have been written where. I've only seen the canoe issue by AW awhile back.

At some point I'll probably write about some of what boating with Mark Z, Tom and other canoeist has been like....it's been a crazy transitioning ride to this point that I now have multiple canoes sitting in my backyard. I find it amazingly compelling that I see accomplished Kayakers turning to OC-1 to get the creeking juice. There is a story there.....I'm probably gonna write it if I ever get some time between my editing projects.

Well said Creeker... I remember when I started boating and found an American Whitewater article on some local Pocono Creeks called like Pocono Loco or something like that. Stories of 2 OC1ers running the goods in the Poconos. That story has been an inspiration for me... submitted by C-boaters to AW.

Personally, I work for an environmental non-profit on advocacy issues and American Whitewater is the only group out there advocating for the issues we care about (Wild and Scenic designations, access, stewardship, riverine ecology) on the local, regional AND Federal level. My organization partners with AW frequently, but it is always AW that is driving the discussion on the issues that we care about.

There are other great orgs out there like American Rivers, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, you know...I'm sure you've got a great regional envi group too, but AW is kickin it on the National level, that is something all boaters need.

Here that link to the AW journal story about Pocono creeking... these days, with a clearer understanding of navigational servitude in PA, access is still an issue but less of a concern http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... 3/page/31/[/url]

AW isn't going to come out and find you. You have to go in and present yourselves. I doubt that AW has ever rejected any quality c-1 or OC-1 material. Let's face it, we're a somewhat smaller proportion of the whitewater paddling community, and inevitably we don't generate as much print or media. If we want to see ourselves in print or pixels, we have to put out the content.

Agree on on getting the material out there and the support AWA provides.

I also work with a local non-profit watershed group and AWA has been there with support and information every time it was needed.

We paddlers had access this year to Ohiopyle Falls on a test case basis due to the work of AWA and their volunteers... this is a HUGH shift in the State Park's approach to that access. Way to go AWA!

I use to be jealous of the southern paddlers because they had the Ocoee to paddle all summer while us poor slobs up north had nothing comparable. Now we have the Deerfield.

Thanks, AW!

Hey Jordan, That is one magnificent boof. Bravo Man! I am also very pleased to see the strong support for AW. I am a stream keeper, and I think the national ww stream data base is an amazing thing. Its a really good thing we have AW.
Rand

I will never forgive a certain AW editor for butchering one of my articles (killing the best line in it!) After that, in a youthful rage, I swore I'd never contribute again, but that went out the window. I think they subsequently let some stuff go in the journals of mine that probably should have been cut!

Alden