The concept of the Whitewater Symposium originated with Bruce Lessels and the Zoar Outdoor team. “We were talking about the flattening of playboat demand and what the next trend would be and how few river runners there were any more,” says Lessels. “We were also talking about how many little fiefdoms there are in whitewater and how interesting it would be to get them all together in one place exploring what they have in common.” Bruce pitched the idea to Kent Ford, Risa Shimoda, and Wayne Dickert, who supported the idea and helped flesh it out. Key to the idea was the plan to rotate the Symposium host each year, to bring new locations and new ideas into the mix.
Last year’s event proved a great success. Over 80 paddlers converged on Zoar Outdoor to learn from industry insiders. Presenters include some of the most recognizable names in paddlesports: Eric Jackson, Anna Levesque, Phil and Mary DeReimer, Eugene Buchanan, Risa Shimoda, Sam Drevo, Ken Whiting, Kent Ford, Wayne Dickert, and many more. And, as always when a group of paddlers gathers, there was more than just talking. Saturday night’s festivities proved a big hit with all. Read all about last year’s event at www.wwsymposium.com
The 2004 Symposium will be bigger and better. NOC expects additional participants and is planning for many more presenters. Their riverside facility is the perfect location, with low-cost lodging on site, as well as restaurants, an Outfitter’s Store, and a large instruction program. The Nantahala River, their homebase, offers great teaching spots for all abilities. The event is timed to complement NOC’s annual Guest Appreciation Festival (GAF), scheduled for October 29-31.
This year’s Symposium includes on-water seminars, classroom time, and panel discussions. Some on-water topics will be geared towards the instructor and how to teach skills while others will be geared toward the student. Classroom and panel discussions will cover topics from boat design, marketing strategies, whitewater parks, river stewardship, and media portrayal of whitewater. Participants may also attend an ACA Instructor update while at the event.
The 2004 Whitewater Symposium is tracked for four types of participants: Industry Professionals, Program Instructors, Fanatic Paddlers, and Not-For-Profit Programs. Program Instructors and Industry Professionals are managers, administrators, and instructors for professional instruction programs as well as manufactures, marketing reps, and retail managers. These two tracts consist of three days of programming, with meals and lodging included ($380). Fanatic Paddlers are intermediate and advanced paddlers who want to improve their personal skills and hob-nob with the biggest names in the industry. This is a two-day tract with meals and lodging ($300). The non-profit tract is a two-day program for paddling club members, university programs, camps, and other representatives of not-for-profit organizations who are looking for professional development at an affordable price. Lodging and meals are not provided in this price of $200.
Wayne Dickert, head of NOC Instruction, says he’s thrilled to have the Symposium coming to NOC. “We’re glad to have the opportunity to host our friends from throughout the industry, so we can learn from them and maybe even teach them a thing or two as well. The Symposium is a great chance to improve our own skills and have fun along the way.”
For more information, visit or http://www.noc.com/instr_symp_2004.htm
Register for this event by calling NOC at (800) 232-7238.
We would also like to thank this year’s sponsors without whom this event would not have been possible.
American Whitewater American Canoe Association
Paddler Magazine Performance Video
