SEATTLE, Wash. (Sept. 14, 2016) – During its 57th annual meeting, held in Seattle Wash., Sept. 11-14, 2016, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) presented the Innovations Award to the Water Sports Foundation for their Kayak Manufacturers Outreach Initiative.
NASBLA, in conjunction with its Mission Partner, Boat Ed (www.boat-ed.com), developed the Innovations Award to recognize programs or initiatives that focus on outreach efforts that impact the recreational boating public with key safety messages.
This Kayak Manufacturers Outreach Initiative involved bringing the top six manufacturers of recreational kayaks (those most often purchased by novice paddlers – a key boating safety audience) together at the 2015 Outdoor Retailer Show. As a result of that meeting, the Water Sports Foundation developed 6 versions of an 8-video series (48 videos total) that the manufacturers agreed to distribute to their customers via their outreach networks.
The initiative was created as the result of a presentation that was made to the United States Coast Guard’s National Boating Safety Advisory Council in the spring of 2015. Jim Emmons, a member of that group was moved by the presentation on the increase in fatalities among the nation’s paddling community. He recognized that he could leverage his expertise and network to address the issue.
The manufacturers were moved to action by the presentations at the August meeting. In the discussion that followed, they all agreed to the strategy. The intended audience is novice kayakers – a key audience identified by the American Canoe Association and others as a high priority for prevention efforts. The project is designed to reach this audience by leveraging the marketing/outreach assets of each of the manufacturers.
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories. NASBLA offers a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards and publications. Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, the organization affects the lives of over 76 million American boaters. To learn more about how NASBLA continues to make the waterways safe, secure and enjoyable, visit http://www.nasbla.org.