Check Out Illinois Paddling Council’s Blog

Pictured right to left, Don Mueggenborg, Kevin Bradley, Jim Pechous, Anthea Halpryn, Jennifer Miksula, Colton Eagan

IPC 2025 Racing Circuit: Celebrating Champions, Community, and the Spirit of Paddling

March 9, 2026

Pictured right to left, Don Mueggenborg, Kevin Bradley, Jim Pechous, Anthea Halpryn, Jennifer Miksula, Colton Eagan As the chill of winter fades and Illinois rivers come alive with the promise of spring, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the…

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The Paddler’s Access to Navigable Waters Act: Interview with House Sponsor Janet Yang Rohr

October 28, 2025

By Scott Hays, IPC president Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Representative Janet Yang Rohr of Naperville, the lead sponsor for House Bill 1873, the Public Access to Navigable Waters Act which will give all paddlers the right to…

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Give Back to the Sport you Love: Volunteer with the IPC!

October 27, 2025

The IPC relies on our ALL-volunteer organization to make available and disseminate the paddling information our Illinois paddling community needs and wants. We welcome new members to consider joining our Board of Directors to help us guide the overall direction…

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Community Science and Illinois’ Riverwatch Organization

October 27, 2025

By Danelle Heike, RiverWatch Director & Stream Ecologist Illinois RiverWatch is a community science organization that trains volunteers to monitor water quality in local rivers and streams. Our primary RiverWatch program teaches community members to observe stream habitats and to…

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That’s a Wrap! 2025 Racing Season Comes to a Close

October 27, 2025

The 2025 IPC racing season officially wrapped up with a fantastic finale — The Fall Classic, hosted by the St. Charles Canoe Club on September 28. This 7th and final race of the season brought paddlers from across the state…

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IPC Annual Dinner 2025

August 24, 2025

Join us for our Annual Gathering of the Paddlers Dinner: Saturday, November 8 2025 at 5:30pm. Please note the reception and networking begins at 5:30 and the program and dinner will begin at 6:00 pm, it’s encouraged to arrive between…

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A group of people paddling on boats

Joe Kowsky Memorial DuPage River Race

July 10, 2025

Come and challenge your canoe, kayak, racing skills at the Illinois Paddling DuPage / Channahon Canoe, Kayak and SUP Race at Channahon State Park 25302 W Story St, Channahon, IL 60410. (41.423997950549754, -88.22776508622594) This is a 7 mile upstream downstream race so no shuttling is required…

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ACA State Director: Marcos Norris

July 2, 2025

Meet Marcos – new ACA State Director for Illinois Very few paddlers actually know that the American Canoe Association (ACA) exists, and even fewer know that each State has a Director working on expanding the paddling footprint. Meet Marcos Garcia…

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HB 1873 Update

July 2, 2025

By Scott Hays Illinois HB (House Bill) 1873 will open up access to all Illinois rivers for paddlers statewide. Significantly, 1873 is the year that the first statewide conservation law was passed in Illinois. Unfortunately, HB 1873 did not make…

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Kayaking London: Tower at Twilight

July 2, 2025

By James Tracy I recently had the opportunity to run the London Marathon. As a part of that journey, my wife and I spent a week in London. As an avid kayaker, I was hoping for an opportunity to kayak…

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