The American Canoe Association National Championships are something that any paddler looks forward to every year. The exciting five-day event boasts a variety of challenging rapids. Paddlers of all ages from all over the country arrive to participate and watch the races. This year, the ACA National Championships were held on the Penobscot River in Orono—right in our own backyard. It was thrilling to share the natural beauty of our hometown with the ACA paddlers.
The Penobscot River is the second largest river system in New England. The river has played a crucial role in our area for thousands of years, providing sustenance and a multitude of travel and industrial opportunities to our residents. With the onset of the industrial revolution, the Great Works and Veazie dams were installed to further control irrigation. However, the Penobscot River Restoration Trust recently completed the removal of the dams and the River is allowed to flow freely, releasing its potential and creating a plethora of natural whitewater rapids to the delight of ACA paddlers. Competitors enjoyed the challenge of navigating the Great Works Rapid, the Basin Mills Rapid, and the Veazie Rapid along the course. The removal of the dams also helps the Penobscot develop and restore its once vivacious ecosystem (much to local fishermans’ rejoice) and support a wider range of exhilarating recreational activities.
The ACA Nationals hosted two kinds of courses this year. Starting on one-minute intervals, the Sprint Course began at the Bradley Baseball Field near the Great Works Rapid and spanned about 0.6 miles. The Downriver Course ran from Old Town's waterfront park to the Eddington Salmon Club, spanning about 9.4 miles in total. The course featured lengths of quick water interrupted by five major rapids, all of which are ranked at class II and above, depending on flow rates. Final results will be available here once available.
Shaw & Tenney is a Silver Sponsor of the American Canoe Association National Championships as of this year. Maine has always upheld a stellar reputation for natural beauty, and we were proud to share it with ACA participants and spectators from across the United States. Hosting the races in Orono allows us an opportunity to show our guests what the great state of Maine is all about—tradition, character, and adventure—qualities by which we at Shaw & Tenney live and thrive.
The National completion will be held here again in 2016 and 2017. Be sure and stop by the shop and say hello if you're in town.
