Jul/Aug 2012 (Apr. 25 Deadline)

See Your Name in Print! Reading the American Whitewater Journal is good … getting published in it is great! Be the envy of your boating friends by getting a story published in American Whitewater. Deadline for stories on the topics listed below is April 25. At this time, we're looking for stories on any and all of the following:

Family paddling

How does the phrase go? “The family that paddles together…” Well, never mind the phrase. Here at American Whitewater we believe that rivers can be a great way for families to bond. Whether it’s a multi-day float with parents and kids or an annual rafting trip with all your siblings or cousins, we want to hear about the role paddling has had in your family’s life. This topic is not really about teen whitewater sensations (though we do run stories like that), but rather how those teens were introduced to rivers and grew to love whitewater. It’s also about the many ways whitewater rivers can be a positive shared experience for your family. So whatever you think of when you hear whitewater and family, we’d love to read about it.

Pioneers of the Sport (pre-1970)

Every sport has its legends: Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in baseball; Bobby Orr, and Gordie Howe in hockey. Whitewater paddling has its own set of pioneers, though they remain less famous than their traditional counterparts. One thing they have in common with the old time greats from other sports is their passion, sense of adventure, and their contribution to modern whitewater paddling. Without whitewater pioneers' shoulders to stand on, our contemporary greats would still be learning the mechanics of a forward stroke. AW recognizes the contributions of dozens of incredible paddlers and distinctive personalities and would like to hear from you if you have a story to tell on this topic. We are open to interviews, stories, or first person accounts, so please help us tell these great stories. This topic will remain open throughout 2012, so please take the time to track down a story even if it won't happen before the deadline listed above.

And returning for 2012…

Locals' Favorite

Back by popular demand, Locals' Favorite highlights an AW member's favorite river, run, or playspot. If you've got a gem in your backyard that you wouldn't mind sharing with a few extra friends, write it up. Give us the details of where it is, when it runs, how to get there, and then tell us what's great about your favorite run and why visitors shouldn't miss it. Please include photos (and captions/credits) to help readers understand why you love it.

Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly.

~Francis Bacon

For the 2012 Journal, we're looking for stories on a variety of topics. Rather than devoting an entire issue to a single topic, we're moving toward a diverse model of features in the Journal, hoping to offer a little bit of something for everyone in each edition. For contributors, what this means is that you have an opportunity to write about a variety of topics more frequently. We're hoping this constitutes a win for our contributors and a win for readers. For more details, or for general submission guidelines, please check out our newly revised Contributor Information Page.