Charlemont, MA - Zoar Outdoor has added 2 new zip lines this season to it's popular canopy tour.  In its second year of operation, Deerfield Valley Canopy Tours was a huge success in 2009. The addition of 2 new zip lines will provide something new for returning guests. One zip travels out to a westerly view high up in an oak tree. Then you traverse back east to a ground landing where you slow yourself down to a jog along a trail.

The season opened in early April with a gorgeous day in the trees. "This early spring with warm weather and rain has brought out the tree buds weeks earlier than last year.  When you zip through the trees you are seeing the emerging canopy as it develops according to the weather", states Kevin McMillan, Director of Guided Programs.

The early heavy rains and snow melt have brought up local rivers and Zoar Outdoor is running whitewater rafting trips on the Deerfield River and Concord River in Lowell.  "Again, the unseasonably warm weather has made staff training and guest experiences on the river a pleasure this spring", comments McMillan

Zoar Outdoor has been offering family-friendly outdoor adventures along the Deerfield River in the culturally-rich Berkshire Hills of western, Massachusetts since 1989. Family owned, the company offers a wide variety of human-powered adventures for all ages from April through October. Zoar has a reputation for excellent customer service, environmental concern and developing a community around people who like to play outdoors.

Charlemont, MA- March 3, 2010 -- Zoar Outdoor has embarked on a social media campaign, using Facebook as a viral marketing tool. They now have 4 pages with new fans joining each day. Zoar Outdoor hopes to use this as a way to communicate with their community about its programs, issues on the Deerfield River, specials and upcoming events. 

Connecting people with the outdoors and with each other has long been central to Zoar Outdoor's mission, so when social media websites came along, it was only natural that the company would adopt it as an ideal way to communicate with its guests in between trips. The community of outdoor adventurers is close-knit and many are already frequent Facebook users.  "We can add events as we schedule them, post videos as we create them, and guests can give feedback or contribute videos and photos so that prospective guests can get a much better idea of what we do" said Bruce Lessels, President of Zoar Outdoor. 

Guiding a zip line canopy tour last summer, Lessels saw clearly the power of Facebook to connect people when a guest told him she had just posted a photo taken moments before to her Facebook account from her cell phone. "When your friends can follow your adventures on an almost real-time basis, technology is acting to deepen your social connections."  

The immediacy of Facebook presents both an opportunity and a challenge for the outfitter.  On the one hand, the frequent connections to guests and the ability of guests to interact both with the company and with each other are welcome additions.  On the flip side, the need to keep producing fresh content and to monitor the site daily is a challenge for a small company whose staff prefer to spend time outdoors and away from the computer.

Charlemont, MA- Tino Specht, member of Zoar Outdoor's Team Z was one of the recent recipients of the 2010 Reel Paddling Film Festival for "Best Environmental Paddling Film" with "Facing East". The film documents the final descent of the Yangtze River in China before it was dammed. Specht was one of the co-directors and was one of the featured kayakers who made the historic expedition down the river.  Awards were announced last week at the festival premier in Toronto Canada. The premiere kicks off the Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour, an international paddling film tour with 37 short-listed films screening in 75 cities hosted by paddling shops, clubs and events.

Specht grew up in Charlemont on his family's farm and learned how to kayak with the Zoar Outdoor Kayak Academy program while he was attending Mohawk Trail Regional High School. He took a keen interest early on and quickly became one of Zoar's best kayakers. During 2007 he attended Huge River Academy, a traveling kayak school and satisfied his senior year graduation requirements. For the past 3 years he has worked as a kayak coach and Spanish teacher for Huge River Academy. 

He is a member of Zoar's Team Z, a group of gifted paddlers who are sponsored to compete in local and national races.  He has had a passionate interest in kayak videography.  Specht has been a great role model for aspiring young paddlers both locally and around the globe. In his spare time he travels the world with his kayak learning about world cultures, new rivers and new languages.

Media Contact:Karen Blom 

Karen@zoaroutdoor.com

800-532-7483 x107

www.zoaroutdoor.com

PO Box 245

Charlemont, MA 01339

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Zoar Outdoor has offered guided outdoor adventures in the Deerfield River Valley since 1989 and celebrated its 20^th anniversary in 2009. Zoar Outdoor provides seasonal guided whitewater rafting, kayak, and canoe instruction, rock climbing classes, bike and kayak rentals, canopy tours, lodging and retail sales from April through October.

Kayak Class on the Deerfield River

Charlemont, MA  -- This winter while most outdoor enthusiasts were on ski slopes, Janet Cowie, Director of Instruction at Zoar Outdoor was busy revamping the paddling school's vision. Clinic offerings have been revised to give students an easier step-by step path into paddling for life. Whether you are on the fast track where money is not an obstacle and your time is open or if you have to squeeze learning a new sport in to discreet times and take longer to become proficient, Zoar's new approach creates a life sport for everyone.

"The redesign will allow people to see more clearly how to move along levels or step-up to new levels in the sport. We've seen incredible growth in the sport over the last few years and this new approach should attract more interested outdoor enthusiasts to the sport", states Cowie who is an American Canoe Association Instructor Trainer Educator and advisory member for the ACA/SEI River Kayaking Committee.

The change came about due to Zoar's research, which found that many people don't have the time or money to start in the sport with a multi-day clinic format - they have busy lives, limited resources but still want active past times that keep them in shape physically and mentally. Zoar sees paddling as a means to a green life sport that will create lasting memories, new skills, offer physical challenges and get people out of the consumer spending mode (i.e. mall shopping, couch potato life style). Once you learn the skills and get the gear, you can paddle for the rest of your life without having to buy a plane ticket or lift pass!! Rivers are free to use for everyone!

New this year, Zoar has two one-day classes for people who are starting out in the sport. The Recreational kayak clinic is for beginner paddlers who just want the basics in a recreational kayak to be able to paddle on flatwater or easy moving water (class 1). The day is shorter, less aggressive and cheaper than other courses. You may even already own a kayak, but not really know how to use it safely. By the end of the day you may be inspired to try more or just want to continue with self guided trips or tours.  Either way you'll have the tools to paddle flat water on your own, especially if you practice often.

The other new clinic is a 1-day Whitewater kayak clinic for those who want an overview to river kayaking, but need to maximize their time. It's a first step in the paddling for life program and gets you ready to take other clinics over time. We cover the skills necessary to start you in whitewater kayaking including self rescue and river reading as well as basic paddling technique.  This is a great way to get a taste of the sport and see if you want to proceed further with it. Both of these courses meet monthly throughout the summer when the water is warm and the weather beautiful.

Zoar still offers a full array of 2, 3 and 5-day courses starting weekends in May and continuing through October for those seeking more in-depth skill development and are not hindered by time. Some of these are at the novice level, others are for advanced paddlers. No other sport gives stimulates your mind and body as kayaking or canoeing does while allowing you to enjoy natural settings for little or no cost.

For more information see www.kayaklesson.com or call 800-532-7483. Photos and details are available upon request.

Media Contact:
Karen Blom
karen@zoaroutdoor.com
800-532-7483 x 107
www.zoaroutdoor.com
7 Main St.
Charlemont, MA 01338