The Apalachee Canoe Club had its first meeting on June 26, 1975 Three of the founders were: Foster Rosser, Elizabeth Carter, and Art Owens. 

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Canoeing was almost an unknown in the Tallahassee area at that time and kayaks were seldom seen. Access to paddling places, other than lakes and estuaries, were hard to locate and information about river distance, difficulty and conditions was by word-of-mouth only. Most canoes were either aluminum or fiberglass and tended to be 16-to-18-foot tandems. The rare kayak was usually homemade and clumsy. Paddlers wore bulky PFDs designed for motor boaters and used heavy fiberglass or plastic paddles. We mostly bought our apparel at the Salvation Army Thrift store and anything that matched brought hoots of derision from the other paddlers.

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There is no question that the ACKC (name changed in the 90’s to include kayakers), brought paddlesport into the Florida Panhandle in the 1970’s and 80’s. Our meetings and activities are well documented in the archives of the Tallahassee Democrat. There were well-attended monthly meetings, as many as eight paddling trips per month, instruction/training activities, community outreach events, river cleanups, and lots of parties.

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We supported and participated in forming other paddling groups in the area such as the West Florida Canoe Club, and the Wiregrass Canoe Club (AL). Our club sponsored the formation of a not-for-profit corporation, The Florida Canoe and Kayaking Association, an umbrella group for other clubs that gave us an opportunity to lobby for paddlesport and for amenities to meet the needs of paddlers.

 

ACKC was featured in several public television programs and participated in the American Rivers Florida Rivers Survey. We provided support for the Paddling Trails program with the Department of Environmental Protection and participated in helping them write informational publications. Our members represented paddlesport on the Florida Recreational Trails Council and the Florida Greenways Commission. ACKC has hosted two Governors, three Senators (one from Georgia), and numerous other governmental officials on paddle trips to share our passion for waterways.

Members of the ACKC were the “go to” people for information, not only about canoeing and kayaking but also about other issues related to rivers and waterways.

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For almost 47 years the ACKC has been a leader in the growth of paddlesport in Florida and surrounding states. There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of folks who were drawn to the sport, instructed, supported and converted as a result of the Apalachee Canoe and Kayak Club.