Paddlesports Contest

What better way to explore and enjoy the planet than on a river, lake or bay in a human-powered watercraft. And with the support of two leading watercraft companies, Bell Canoe Works and Necky Kayak, and the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, who all advertise in Sierra, our readers will get their chance to paddle in style.

It couldn't be easier! Simply fill out the form below to enter Sierra's 2008 Paddlesports contest drawing. You could soon be the proud owner of a Bell canoe, a Necky Kayak, or paddling the beaches of Fort Myers-Sanibel in Southwest Florida. Good luck and happy paddling!

First prize: Bell Canoe Works Morningstar blackgold (carbon fiber/Kevlar) canoe with wood trim. (Approximate retail value: $3,039). For more information on the Morningstar canoe and other fine Bell Canoe Works products, go to www.bellcanoe.com/

Second prize: Necky Kayaks Looksha 14, a day-touring kayak. (Approximate retail value: $1,099). For more information on the Looksha 14 kayak and other fine Necky Kayaks products, go to www.neckykayaks.com/

Third prize: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel's Paddling Getaway winner will enjoy a complimentary 4-night/5-day stay for two at the quaint Bayfront Cottage Inn & Boatel in Matlacha, Southwest Florida and one guided paddling trip for two with Kayak Excursions on the Great Calusa Blueway featuring 190 miles of water exploration in the fabled bays, rivers, backwaters and shorelines of Southwest Florida. Prize valid September 1, 2008 through April 1, 2009. (Approximate retail value: $675.)  http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/

	A sweet, nimble canoe that is at home on just about any type of water in either solo or tandem configurations. If the mission is solo, then drop to your knees and lower the gunwale to the waterline friend, you're in for a dry and exhilarating ride. On the other hand, if the objective involves a three-night stay, then there's room for plenty of gear, provisions and a very fortunate companion.
	Looking for a compact kayak that can carry a load? Check out the sporty new Looksha 14. Sleek lines combined with a large roomy cockpit make the Looksha 14 perfect for touring and coastal exploring. The Looksha 14 has excellent tracking and glide, while offering great edge control with a smooth transition between primary and secondary stability. This kayak features a comfortable seating system, easy to open Cross Lock hatches with neoprene covers, rudder option and more!
	Bayfront Cottage Inn & Boatel Enjoy nature’s beauty and tranquility from your 60’ foot dock. Waterfront or water access suites all complete with full kitchens. Kayaking, fishing or just connecting with nature is at its finest in the waters and back bays of the Matlacha Pass. “Come and enjoy Florida as it was meant to be here at The Bayfront Cottage Inn & Boatel. 239-283-6398 http://www.thebayfrontcottage.com/ Kayak Excursions Kayak Excursions offers kayak rentals, guided tours, kayak fishing, and sales in Southwest Florida, with service provided regularly at Bunche Beach in Fort Myers. All services include free delivery to anywhere in Lee County, and instruction as needed. Kayaking is a family friendly activity, and there is absolutely no experience necessary. 866-YAKS-4-YOU. http://www.kayak-excursions.com/

 

Sierra Magazine 2008 Paddlesports Contest Official Rules

1. How to enter: No purchase or Internet access necessary. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. The Sierra Magazine Paddlesports Contest ("contest") begins at midnight Pacific standard time (PST) on April 29, 2008, and ends at midnight PST on June 30, 2008 ("entry period"). There are two ways to enter: online or by mail. No other method of entry will be accepted. To enter online, go to action.sierraclub.org/paddlecontest. Follow the directions to complete the entry form, and click Submit. Entrants must complete all data requested on the form. The Sierra Club must receive online entries by June 30, 2008. Limit one entry per person. Incomplete entries are void.
   
   You may also enter the contest by printing your name, address, city, state, zip code, telephone number, e-mail address (optional), and the words "Sierra Magazine Paddlesports Contest" on a 3x5 index card or piece of paper and mailing it to: Sierra Magazine Paddlesports Contest, 85 Second St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-3459. Mail-in entries must be received by June 30, 2008. Limit one entry per person. All entries become the property of the Sierra Club and will not be acknowledged or returned. Illegible, photocopied, or other mechanically reproduced entries are void.
   
   The Sierra Club assumes no responsibility for lost, late, misdirected, stolen, illegible, mutilated, altered, damaged, incomplete, or postage-due entries or for any computer, online, telephone, cable, network, electronic, or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, failures, connections, availability, traffic congestion, or garbled or jumbled transmissions or service provider, Web site, or other accessibility or availability issues, unauthorized human intervention, or any other error, omission, or technical malfunction that may occur. Entrants shall be the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain name associated with the submitted e-mail address.
   
   
2. Eligibility: The contest is only open to legal residents of the United States (excluding Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Tennessee) who are 18 years of age or older on the date the contest begins. Employees of the Sierra Club and its subsidiaries, affiliates, prize suppliers, and advertising and promotional agencies, their immediate families (spouses, parents, children, and siblings and their spouses), and individuals living in the same household as such employees are ineligible. The contest is governed by the laws of the United States and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void in Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and wherever prohibited by law with no exceptions.
   
   
3. Judging: The winners will be selected by a random drawing by July 16, 2008, from eligible entries received. The prize drawing will be conducted at the Sierra Club's office at 85 Second St., San Francisco, CA 94105-3459. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by the Official Contest Rules and the decisions of the judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects. The odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received. Limit one prize per person, family, or household from any Sierra Club-sponsored contest. The winner will be notified via e-mail, U.S. mail, and/or by overnight courier.
   
   
4. Prizes: Prizes and approximate retail value (ARV): One (1) first prize:  Bell Canoe Works Morningstar Black-Gold (carbon fiber/Kevlar) canoe with wood trim.  The prize's total ARV is $3,039. One (1) second prize:  Necky Kayaks Looksha 14, a day touring kayak.  The prize's total ARV is $1,099. One (1) third prize: Winner will be awarded a 4-night/5-day stay for two (2) at Bayfront Cottage Inn & Boatel, in Florida, and one (1) guided paddling trip for two (2) with Kayak Excursions on the Great Calusa Blueway.  The prize's total ARV is $675. Prize valid September 1, 2008 through April 1, 2009.
   
   All taxes, fees and surcharges on any prize and all other expenses not explicitly included above in the description of such prize are the sole responsibility of the winner.  All travel expenses and meals are the responsibility of the winner.  No substitution, cash alternative, or transfer of prize is permitted, except by Sponsor, who reserves the right, at its discretion, to substitute a prize of equal or greater value.
   
   Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. The Sierra Club reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event the offered prize is unavailable. No substitution or transfer of prize permitted except as provided for at the sole discretion of the Sierra Club.
   
   General conditions: All federal, state, and local taxes, fees, and surcharges on prize packages are the sole responsibility of the prizewinner. The prizewinner will be required to execute and return, as directed, an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Prize Acceptance Form within ten (10) days following notification that the winner has won the prize. Return of a prize notification as undeliverable, failure to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Prize Acceptance Form, or any other failure to comply with any official rules will result in disqualification and the selection of an alternate winner.
   
   The winner grants the Sierra Club the right to use and publish his or her legal name and state of residence online and in print, or any other media, in connection with the contest. Acceptance of a prize constitutes permission for the Sierra Club and its affiliates and their advertising and promotional agencies to use the prizewinners' names and likenesses for editorial, advertising, and promotional purposes without payment of additional compensation unless prohibited by law. By entering, participants release and hold harmless the Sierra Club and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents, and representatives from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the contest, any prize won, any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, participation in any contest-related activity, or participation in the contest.
   
   As a condition of participating in the contest, the participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the contest, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively, before a court of competent jurisdiction located in San Francisco, CA, which court shall apply the laws of the state of California without regard for rules of conflicts of law. In any such dispute, the participant shall, under no circumstances, be entitled to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages or any other damages, including attorneys' fees, other than the participant's actual out-of-pocket expenses (if any) associated with participating in the contest, and the participant hereby waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.
   
   Caution: Any attempt by a contestant or any other individual to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, the Sierra Club reserves the right to seek damages from any such contestant to the fullest extent permitted by law.
   
   
5. Limitations of liability: The Sierra Club is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information caused by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions in the contest, including but not limited to any misprints or typographical errors or computer failure. The Sierra Club assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, deletion, defect, theft, destruction, or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. If, for any reason, the contest is not capable of completion as planned--including by reasons of tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of the Sierra Club that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the contest--the Sierra Club reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the contest.
   
   
6. Names of the winners: For the winners' names, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope after July 31, 2008, to: Sierra Magazine Paddlesports Contest, 85 Second St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-3459.