Minnesota Canoe Association

General 2026 Tour de Paddle Results

Posted by Lada Zednik • 5 days, 11 hours ago

The 2026 Tour de Paddle results are in!

Congratulations to this year’s award winners! From solo racing to tandem teamwork, we have a lot to celebrate.

OVERALL
1st: Io Harberts
2nd: Brett Arenz
3rd: Zehyani Bankwala

MEN
1st: Zehyani Bankwala
2nd: B…

General 2026 Rookies End-of-Season Survey

Posted by Lada Zednik • 3 weeks, 1 day ago

As our Rookies season starts winding down, I’d love to hear from everyone who participated this year, whether you came out once or joined us almost every Monday!

We put together a short survey to hear what you liked, what we could do better…

General MCA 60th Anniversary Celebration

Posted by Lada Zednik • 1 month ago

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Come celebrate 60 years of the Minnesota Canoe Association!

Join us Saturday, October 10 for an evening on beautiful Lake Independence as we celebrate MCA’s history, the people who have been part of it, and 60 years of paddling together.
A h…

General Al Rudquist Masterclass

Posted by Lada Zednik • 1 month, 4 weeks ago

A rare opportunity to learn from one of the best!

Saturday, August 15th, Al Rudquist is teaching a two hour Canoeing Master Class, and we are incredibly excited about this one.

Al is a legend in marathon canoe racing. He has won all three ra…

Rookies Rookies at Lake Harriet

Posted by Lada Zednik • 2 months ago

ROOKIES IS MOVING TO LAKE HARRIET TOMORROW!

Cedar Lake is currently unsafe due to blue-green algae, so we’re taking Rookies to Lake Harriet this week.

Lake Harriet, north side, boat launch parking lot
Exact location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8…

General CALEM WATSON ADVENTURER

Posted by MICHAEL WILLIAMS • 2 months, 3 weeks ago

View his posts on Facebook. Calem Watson started a solo canoe trip at the Arctic Ocean June 20th this year. He has encountered sea ice, portages and streams with low water. He has traveled approx 500 Km south,and is currently near Princ…

General No Hoigaards Paddle Derby Tonight

Posted by Emily Broderson • 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Hello Racers, with the Hazardous air sticking around until tomorrow we will be cancelling the Paddle Derby tonight. Thanks for your understanding.

Rookies No Rookies (7/13)

Posted by Emily Broderson • 3 months ago

Due to the excessive heat Rookies is cancelled tomorrow (7/13). Stay cool.and see you next week!

General Public Comment Requested on Development Impacting Rice Creek

Posted by Emily Broderson • 3 months ago

Many MCA members regularly paddle Rice Creek in the Twin Cities. We received the following information about a proposed development near the creek:

Hello Minnesota Canoe Association,

I’m reaching out about a major new proposed development …

Rookies Opportunity to Flip at Rookies Tonight

Posted by Emily Broderson • 3 months, 1 week ago

Rookie Racers is ON tonight. It will be pretty hot so bring lots of water and sunscreen. We will have the opportunity to flip our boats and work on rescues so bring a change of clothes if you want to do that and have dry clothes afterwar…

General Paddler's Pace: Photography Project Seeking Canoeists

Posted by John Yuccas • 3 months, 1 week ago

Hi all - I'm John Yuccas, a photographer based in Saint Paul working on a documentary narrative project called 'Paddlers Pace.' The project explores and aims to capture canoeists' relationships with water and the natural slowing down that …

Rookies Rookies is cancelled Mon June 29,

Posted by Zehyani Bankwala • 3 months, 2 weeks ago

i am cross posting Greg's announcement from the facebook page.
Minnesota Canoe Association cancels Rookie Racers event

The Minnesota Canoe Association has canceled Rookie Racers Monday June 29, 2026 due to the high heat index and the chance …

General MN State Stock Boat Championship - This Weekend!

Posted by Emily Broderson • 4 months, 1 week ago

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Head up to Bemidji and compete for these medals at the Power Dam Challenge Race!

MCA History No More Hubbards (1986 Hut)

Posted by Lada Zednik • 5 months, 3 weeks ago

PDF

As we get back on the water this season, this piece from a 1986 issue of The Hut is worth a read.

It tells the story of a trip that did not go as planned and the simple lessons that came out of it. Things like knowing your route, pacing you…

General Far North Symposium is this Saturday. Don’t miss it.

Posted by Lada Zednik • 6 months, 2 weeks ago

This is it. The Minnesota Canoe Association’s Far North Symposium is happening this Saturday, March 28 at the St. Louis Park Recreation Center.

If you’ve been on the fence, now is the time to decide.

Spend the day with paddlers from across t…

MCA History Rookie Racing Tutelage (1985 Hut Archive)

Posted by Lada Zednik • 6 months, 3 weeks ago

As we look ahead to another paddling season, it is worth remembering that the foundation of our Rookies program has been strong for decades.

This article, published in a 1985 issue of The Hut, offers advice to new paddlers entering the worl…

MCA History Taking a Challenge – Eric Sevareid

Posted by Lada Zednik • 7 months ago

As part of the Minnesota Canoe Association’s 60th anniversary celebration, we are sharing articles from past issues of HUT, the MCA newsletter.

This piece appeared in the March 1983 issue and was written by Eric Sevareid, author of Canoeing…

MCA History The Bent Shaft Paddle and Minnesota Roots

Posted by Lada Zednik • 7 months, 1 week ago

As part of MCA’s 60th anniversary year, we’re sharing this page from a past MN Paddler newsletter about the origins of the bent shaft paddle.

What started as an idea in 1971 became one of the most important innovations in canoe racing, and …

MCA History MCA Archives: The Hut - Issue No. 1 (1966)

Posted by Lada Zednik • 7 months, 2 weeks ago

PDF

In 1966, the Minnesota Canoe Association was just beginning.

This is the first issue of The Hut, MCA’s original newsletter, published the same year the organization was formed.

Reading it today, it feels simple and direct. It talks about mee…

General Rainbow Rivers Cabin for Sublet

Posted by Emily Broderson • 7 months, 2 weeks ago

We have a two bedroom cabin at the Rainbow Rivers Club available for sublet March 25th-31st. Near Dunnellon, FL. At the confluence of the Rainbow River and the Withlacoochee River. Paddling opportunities are primo! $95/night. If you're…

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