The ACA Ocean Racing Committee continues to track participation activity across the country.  With more than two dozen races held in September, the count of unique surfski paddlers for 2024 has exceeded 800 participants.  With nearly twenty races remaining in the year, competitive ocean racing participation is at its highest in five years and shows no signs of slowing down!  [read more]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee is happy to report that the USA National Ocean Racing Team continues its World Championships podium streak with a double-placement by Ana Swetish (2nd SS1 U23 Womens, 3rd SS1 Overall Womens).  The 2024 competition, held on the island of Madeira, Portugal, saw nearly 450 participants hailing from 35 countries.  In addition to Ana, seven USA Masters athletes participated in both SS1 and SS2 competitions.  [read more]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee has been tracking surfski competition participation since the beginning of 2024.  With more than 175 competitions identified, the number of unique paddlers continues to grow, passing the 700-participant mark earlier this month.  With the trend-line pointing to 1000+ paddlers by the end of the year, the ORC is excited to see the community appears to have finally returned to pre-Covid participation levels after its multi-year reboot.  [read more]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee has released version 2.0 of the Athlete Classification System.  This major revision simplifies the Field Strength algorithm, defines clearer classification scenarios and establishes concrete thresholds for each tier, and generally streamlines the process.  [read more]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee has issued a call to the USA Surfski community for paddlers interested in representing the USA at the 2024 Pan American Canoe Ocean Racing Championships, as well as the 2024 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships.  Please contact the ORC as soon as possible to communicate your intention to participate in either of these international competitions.

The American Canoe Association is hosting a silent auction fundraiser in collaboration with the "Ski to Sea" relay race in Bellingham, Washington.  Donated items include paddling equipment and other outdoor gear, as well as instructional lessons, professional services, vacation rentals, gift certificates, and more.  To participate please contact Jed Hinkley, the ACA's staff director for Slalom and non-Olympic disciplines.

Nick Murray of TC Surfski recently released Episode 45 of the Peak Paddle Performance Podcast, featuring a discussion with ACA Ocean Racing Committee member Matt Drayer on the state of the competitive surfski movement in the USA. The conversation covers the history of competition at ACA, the ORC's new National Development Program initiative, the upcoming ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in Madeira, and more!  [listen now]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee has promoted a key component of the National Development Program experiment to the external pilot phase.  The Athlete Classification System is intended to provide surfski athletes with perspective on their developmental journey and their relative position within the broader competitive community. [read more]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee has rolled out a collection of Member Networks geared toward supporting various key roles/personas within the USA COR community.  Current networks include the Athlete Network, the Coach Network, the Organizer Network, and the Club Network. [read more]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee has launched a National Series experiment for 2024!  This pilot program introduces a lightweight game layer to encourage competition production and participation throughout the country!  [read more]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee has launched a new funding vehicle dedicated to growing the sport of ocean racing in the USA.  Every contribution is impactful, with options starting at $10.  Please consider donating to the USA Ocean Racing National Development Fund today!

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee has posted a list of domestic races which approximate the specifications of an ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships course.  Completing one or more of these "benchmark" races may help to accelerate the ICF's attestation of competency requirement.  Additional benchmark races will be included on the Race Calendar throughout the year. [read more]

The ACA Ocean Racing Committee will begin exploring a National Development Program in 2024.  The ORC is currently seeking input from ocean racing athletes, high-performance coaches, paddling clubs, and competition organizers to inform the design of the program.  [read more]

USA Surfski is now part of the ACA!  The ACA Ocean Racing Committee is focused on promoting the ICF ocean racing paddlesport discipline in America.  We are designing and deploying a 2024 National Development Program for ocean racing in the USA.  We need to hear your voice in order to accomplish this!  Please send your ideas to orc@americancanoe.net.