Canoeing has actually been a popular activity for a long time. It was a primary source for traders and settlers of Native Americans as the way to transport goods and then in the late 1800s it became more of a social activity. In fact the ACA was founded in 1880 on Lake George by a group of 23 canoeists. Each year they would gather and have a three or four day canoeing trip, get together with a bunch of like-minded people, paddle and have fun. Canoeing remained somewhat popular in the early 1900s and then around the release of the movie "Deliverance" paddle sports really grew. People saw that there was a way to get out with your friends and paddle some exciting waters and hopefully not experience some of the things the characters in "Deliverance" experienced, but definitely it sparked an interest in a lot of people and since then changes and materials and communication and the whole sense of adventure has really pushed people outside, put people on the water.
