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Volume 29 • Issue No. 4 •

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Canoes for Camps

Is your Old Town in your attic? Got a Grumman gummin’ up your garage? There’s a summer camp out there that would love to have them. Find out which one at Canoesforcamps.com, a new Web site that acts as a clearinghouse between nonprofit summer camps and people with unused outdoor equipment. "Originally it was just for canoes, but I quickly realized it would be good for tents, stoves, packs and things," says founder David Johnston. The site includes the profiles of 150 different summer camps, so donors can pick their beneficiaries according to such categories as location, style or creed. As for how he came up with the idea, Johnston says, "I’ve been involved with camps for a long time. I was really bored one day in a meeting and daydreamed the idea up." To donate, visit www.canoesforcamps.com.

Slalom Slims Down

OC spares slalom for 2008 Games

The U.S.’s medal chances in whitewater slalom at the 2004 Olympics just got better without anyone even having to take an extra stroke. In response to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) threat to capsize slalom in the 2008 games due to low nation participation (Jan/Feb ’03), the International Canoe Federation recently ruled that each participating nation would be allowed only one boat per discipline (C-2, C-1, K-1 and women’s K-1) in Athens. The decision allows more nations to participate in slalom without reducing the overall number of athletes involved, which is capped at 75. How does this affect the Americans? "It actually helps our medal chances," says USA Canoe and Kayak’s Brian Parsons. "We can’t send as many paddlers, but then, the Europeans can’t either. Where we only have one or two medal threats in each discipline, nations like Germany and the Czechs have three or four. It thins out the field and improves our odds." Apparently, the move was the right one, as the IOC announced in February that slalom would remain in the 2008 games.

Boat Smart, Boat Safe Campaign Launched

The majority of all boating deaths occur when those involved aren’t wearing lifejackets. Accordingly, the theme of this year’s North American Safe Boating Campaign, which kicks off with National Safe Boating Week May 17-23, is "Wear It." "The main cause of small-boat fatalities is capsizing and falling overboard," says Virgil Chambers, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC). "The majority of these deaths are preventable if boaters would wear lifejackets." The 2003 slogan "Boat Smart. Boat Safe. Wear It!" drives that message.

Sponsored by NSBC, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard, the campaign aims to heighten boater awareness by Memorial Day. Campaign partners encourage boaters to Boat Smart, Boat Safe by: wearing a lifejacket; avoiding alcohol; taking a safety class; and getting equipment checked. This year’s campaign begins with two regional kick-off events in New York and California, with the campaign’s Web site listing additional events scheduled across the nation. Info: www.safeboatingcampaign.com.

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