Registration Now OPEN! The next Whitewater Symposium will be held October 2-4, 2009, at Zoar Outdoor, near Charlemont, Massachusetts.

The 2009 Whitewater Symposium is a two or three-day event to be held at Zoar Outdoor on the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts. It seeks to advance the sport of whitewater paddling by bringing together key players from all aspects of the whitewater spectrum. It is an opportunity for paddlers to exchange ideas about trends in equipment, instruction and technique. For the paddling public and active instructors, the Symposium provides an all-inclusive package of technique instruction, dryland seminars, adventure film presentations and roundtable discussions as well as an opportunity to update instructor credentials in several areas. The Symposium provides a forum that fosters communication among paddlers and professional development for active instructors.

New for 2009 the PaddleFest at the Whitewater Symposium is a 1-day event that brings the whitewater paddling community-at-large together with manufacturers, retailers, instructors and other professionals for on-water & classroom seminars. PaddleFest opens on Saturday afternoon with a FREE Rescue Rodeo and Skills Competition followed by access to the exhibiter’s space.

Here's how you can benefit from the Whitewater Symposium:

• Take paddling clinics with nationally recognized experienced instructors
• River rescue and risk management training with the best instructors
• Meet and paddle with some of the highest profile authors, adventurers, and video producers of whitewater sport
• Share teaching strategies, ACA instructor updates are available
• The symposium is the “Outdoor Retailer” of instruction – the most influential national-level gathering
• Keep abreast of what’s current, cutting-edge, progressive, and innovative
• Maintain cutting edge program design and marketing
• Share success stories for programming for clubs, middle schools, university outdoor programs

Mark your calendar! The next Whitewater Symposium will be held October 2-4, 2009, at Zoar Outdoor, near Charlemont, Massachusetts.

This will be the return of the Whitewater Symposium to Zoar. As program founders, they hosted the initial event back in 2003. Since then, the symposium has traveled successfully to North Carolina (NOC 2003), Colorado (Glenwood Springs, 2005), California (Lotus, 2006), and Maryland (ASCI 2007).

This year promises to be the best ever. Check out testimonials from past attendees. Don't miss the fun, networking, and chance to improve the health of whitewater sport.

CLICK HERE to peruse some of the actual presentations given during the 2007 Symposium. All are in PDF format and may take some time to load, depending on your connection.

A fantastic, session-filled weekend left attendees of the 2007 Whitewater Symposium energized, inspired, reflective, and hungry for more! Thanks to everyone; sponsors, presenters and attendees alike, for engaging in such poignant and compelling dialogs .... growing into positive undertakings for the future.

Spread the word ... October 2-4, 2009 at Zoar Outdoor for the next opportunity to infuse whitewater sports with the power of grassroots networking and creative, collective thinking.

"You gotta be there!"