Mid-Atlantic Paddlers Association

Congrats to Leza, Rusty, Chuck, Tony and Tim on finishing the 70 miler on Monday, May 30th. Tim finished 4th in the C-1 Senior Men's division with an incredible time of 9:54:55. Leza and Rusty finished 13th in the Mixed division with a time of 9:36:09. Chuck and Tony finished 17th in the Men's division with a time of 9:59:11. And congrats to Kyle on his 2nd place finish in the 12 miler at the General Clinton. Looking forward to hearing the great stories from a very long day in low water.

Thanks to all who came out and supported the Buckroe Beach Dash or Splash. Special thanks to the MAPA members that pitched in at water stops and worked as course marshal for the 8k run and to Susie for coordinating registration and timing for our paddle race. We couldn't have done the race without you guys! We had a record 37 paddlers this year and over 100 runners registered. Remember the next race is the Lynnhaven River 2007 Challenge July 9th. Please download the flyer and register early!

Outrigger Canoeing is a competitive sport and although we enjoy recreational paddling, the purpose of participating in outrigger is to compete in races. Our race season focuses around endurance races. If your only physical activity is participating in outrigger practice twice a week you will not be prepared for racing. Practices are managed assuming folks are physically prepared for endurance sports. Cross training is really not an option for the team to be competitive. Please run, bike, swim, or whatever to prepare for the season. It will make us a better team and make you a stronger paddler. A good source of training information is the Hong Kong Paddle Club website at http://www.hkipc.com/2004/index.htm. There is an excellent link to a training manual with strength training and endurance training information. Warm-up before practices should be done not only to get blood into your muscles but also to prevent the tearing, ripping, straining and spraining, not to mention the multitude of other gruesome things that can happen to your body. Practice session will incorporate a warm-up component but it is vital for people who come late to be sufficiently prepared before they are committed to heavy work. Stretching after practice is important especially for those of us paddling under the Master’s designation (over age 40). Please take some time after practice and after races to stretch. This expedites recovery and makes us look like real athletes! Hydration is essential to performance. Make sure you bring a water bottle or hydration pack to practice. As we get closer to race day you will want to use the hydration rig you plan to use in a race. Never use a water bottle in a race. Your teammates may toss you out of the boat if you stop paddling to fumble with a water bottle. Lastly, make sure you provide your team captain and your steersman with information about any medical condition or health issue you may have. The captain and steersman are responsible for the safety of the team and they need to know what things will effect your health so they can adequately assess the risk to the other team members. If you have a medical condition that you do not disclose and a problem develops during a practice or race you may not be allowed to participate in the future.

MAPA Dues information:

Club Dues

MAPA Membership dues are typically paid before theSpring/Summer season begins. MAPA dues can now be paid onlinevia www.PayPal.com. Using PayPal, send money to Mid-AtlanticPaddlers Assoc. via email address: Canoe_Dude@cox.net. Use the“Send money to friends or family” option, enter the Dues amount,and then enter the membership type you desire in the “Add a note”block.  See information on membership types in the next paragraph.There is no fee if you send money from your bank and make sureNOT to check the box for “Paying for Goods or Services”.   There is a small fee for using yourcredit card.   

New lower dues structure started in 2017: 
“Basic” MAPA membership - individual $20, family $30, individual Military or Student $10 
“Outrigger” – individual $50, family $75, (includes “Basic” MAPA membership) 

Membership includes the following: 1) ACA membership at a reduced rate (PAC discount)via ACA website; 2) rent club boats for nominal $5/month charge; 3) free entry to monthlyand special MAPA KIS (Keep It Simple) Races; 4) reduced entry fee for at least three otherlocal "MAPA" races; 5) Quarterly Newsletter; 6) Monthly Practice schedules; 7) Race calendar; and 8)discount at several local outfitter shops.