SAM FOWLKES - 40 YEARS OF ACA INSTRUCTION - American Canoe ...
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SAM FOWLKES - 40 YEARS OF ACA INSTRUCTION
For the past 40 consecutive years, Sam Fowlkes has held a range of ACA Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Instructor Trainer Educator certifications.
To honor this significant accomplishment, ACA Staff asked Sam to share some words of wisdom to fellow paddlesports Instructors.
current ACA Chief Operating Officer Christopher
Stec. My closest call had a positive result. Lucky.
ACA You’ve guided rafts, taught kayaking at the
collegiate level, and certified canoeing instructors
in a wide range of lake and river venues. However,
when paddlers think of your legacy to paddlesports
education and instruction, they tend to gravitate to
your whitewater rescue courses. How has your role
in the Safety & Rescue community helped shape the
ACA’s National Paddlesports Instruction Program?
SAM We assembled a group of experts on the
ACA Safety and Rescue Committee who are second
to none and command a lot of respect from other
disciplines. We are the go to experts who advise the
ACA 40 years ago, what motivated or influenced SAM As an ACA whitewater canoe IT, I saw an other SEIC committees on matters involving water
you to get started in paddlesports and earn your opportunity to help my local troop (T-914) develop safety and rescue. This group has been influential
first ACA Instructor certification? a quality-paddling program. We started a canoeing in bringing “prevent and minimize” principles to
SAM I was working at the NOC as a guide/instructor program from the ground up in 1990. We were all disciplines. The three ACA Swiftwater Rescue
when I was offered a tuition paid ACA Instructor featured on the cover of Scouting Magazine in the Conferences have been multi discipline with the latest
Certification Course being held at NOC in the off- September 1992 issue. I was fortunate to be asked to cutting edge techniques for river oriented watercraft.
season. This seemed like a golden opportunity as I be part of the Canoeing Merit Badge rewrite team in
was already a college educator and my paddling skills 2000 and wrote two chapters. I was also a part of the ACA As you know, the ACA now has over 8,000
from racing and guiding were peaking. The course 2016 BSA/ACA safety video “Reading the Rhythms certified Instructors worldwide, any advice for
was significant to my career path and I met one of my of Rivers and Rapids”. I am extremely proud of new ACA Instructors and Trainers?
lifelong ACA friends, David Mason. He and I made a
terrific tandem team paddling an OCA Blue Hole on
Section 3/4 the Chattooga River! Sam Fowlkes is a silver tongued southern gentleman that represents the history and
the future of swiftwater rescue. In his 40 years of educating he has never stopped
ACA Who were your mentors in the paddlesports learning in his pursuit to make paddling safer and rescues more effective. Sam always
community?
SAM Ramone Eaton, Bill Mason and Bob Benner
gives credit to the original rescue idea creators and future innovative thinkers alike
heavily influenced me. Jon Lugbill and Davey Hearn while never being one to boast of his invaluable contributions. –Mike Mather
were my C-1 idols. John Burton (1972 Olympian)
and Tom Foster were my canoe ITs in 1978. Later
on, my IT mentors were Bunny Johns and David my volunteer time as a BSA leader. My Scouter SAM Teach with as many different instructors
Mason. These folks were whitewater canoe pioneers colleagues gave me the nickname “WhitewaterSam”. as possible. Volunteer your time at ACA
who pushed the instruction side of canoeing. paddlesports events. Take advantage of ACA
ACA What has been the most eye-opening conferences as continuing education. Have fun
ACA You’ve also been very active with the Boy experience(s) you have had while teaching and share your enthusiasm.
Scouts of America, from the Council level to the paddling courses?
National level, how has your dedication to serve SAM Successfully rescuing an instructor candidate To read the full interview, please visit
America’s youth intersected with your passion for from a full on heads down foot entrapment using www.americancanoe.org/SamFowlkes
paddlesports instruction? a boat based (tandem open canoe) rescue with
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ACA Legend of Paddling
Nainoa Thompson
Presented to one or more individuals each year Nainoa Thompson is the president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and a Pwo navigator. Inspired by his
for their legendary contributions to paddlesport. kūpuna, his teachers, he has dedicated his life to exploring the deep meaning of voyaging. On long voyages,
Recipients of this prestigious award will be under a dome of stars and surrounded by the vast empty ocean, Nainoa came to appreciate the Hawaiian
inducted into the ACA Paddlesport Hall of Fame. concept of “mālama” – care taking. “Our ancestors learned that if they took care of their canoe and each
other,” he has often told his crew, “and if they marshaled their resources of food and water, they would
Each recipient receives a custom, handcrafted arrive safely at their destination.”
wooden paddle from Fritz Orr Canoe.
For more information, please visit www.americancanoe.org/Awards
ADVERTISEMENT PHOTOS: DEBBIE MALONE TITLE: TEAM USA CANOEIST NEVIN HARRISON WINS GOLD MEDALS By Aaron Huston, ACA Sprint National Team Canoe Coach In September, at the Olympic Hopes Regatta in Poland, Team USA canoeist because women’s canoe will be included in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo Nevin Harrison won gold medals in both the 200m and 500m C1 Sprint for the first time ever. races. The competition, which included the best 15, 16 and 17 year olds from Looking into the future, there is an element of hope and excitement for around the world, took place in the city of Poznan, Poland. women’s canoe in the United States. 2019 will be particularly important as Harrison, of Seattle Canoe & Kayak Club (an ACA Paddle America Club), the nation’s top female athletes work to earn the United States a spot at the also won two golds during this same competition last year and with this latest upcoming summer Olympic Games. They must do well during international performance she holds the women’s American Record for both the 200m and competition in 2019 order to make it to the Games in 2020. 500m distances. Go ladies of Team USA! Harrison is part of a recent wave of excellent performances by American women in canoe. Her repeat gold medals stand out as especially significant For more information, please visit: www.americancanoe.org/Sprint
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