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TRUCKEE RIVER, RENO, NEVADA The country's best- publicized whitewater park, Reno, Nev., is redefining the whitewater destination. "It's a true source of pride :' Reno resident and 2003 world freestyle kayaking champion Al fi/puld 3ar3 of Winfield Park's $1.5 million whitewater course, which includes walking paths and sitting areas. The park's multiple channels offer something for every paddler, from rodeo boaters to slalom racers and beginners. World -class paddlers convened at this park in May of last year for the invitation - only Grand Opening —an event that was held during drought flows and in which hometown favorite Kincaid narrowly bested current World Champion Eric Jackson. Though the course has yet to see the average 2,000cfs spring flows it .. ' was designed for, 30,000 people visited the three -day festival, and the local inner tube concessionaire nng up 10,000 rentals during one - three -month period. Despite its success, the whitewater course was a huge gamble, even by Reno standards. "Wed secured funding through a' statewide municipal bond, but ' we'd planned to start construction before the funds would be available, forcing us to face the possibility of having to wait an entire year :' says project manager Jim Litchfield. "We asked the owners of two large hotel casinos, Harrah's of Reno and The Eldorado, to each provide a io bridge loan of $500,000, interest free and unsecured" Remarkably, the casinos each wagered a half-million dollars that the course would be a success. The Reno city council also put up $500,000 to show its commitment to the projectThe gamble paid off. "I don't know if I could ever accurately portray our stress through this period :' says Litchfield. CLEAR CREEK, GOLDEN, COLORADO The Clear Creek Whitewater Park in Golden, Colo., has become a centerpiece for the picturesque mountain town, a source of municipal pride andmost importantly for the development of whitewater parks nationwide— an economic catalyst Built at an initial cost of $165,000, economic projections have the park bringing the town more than $1.4 million every year. That figure has inspired local governments 82 PADDLER in Colorado and beyond to pursue whitewater parks of their own. But the Golden course set more than just a profitability precedent It also has shaped the water- rights landscape in a part of the country where water rights traditionally have flowed to ranches. Although whitewater parks don't consume water, they do require water to flow downstream.To agricultural interests who count on holding scarce water resources in reservoirs, letting water flow downhill for something as frivolous as kayaking is a major threat (see sidebar). In 2001, Golden went to the Colorado Supreme Court to win guaranteed water releases for its whitewater park-7hat decision was the big breakthrough, and Golden has shouldered the burden since as the lightning rod for subsequent water rights cases :' says Glenn Porzak, who has represented several Colorado cities in similar court cases, Golden, Vail and Breckenridge all have prevailed in court cases asking for recreational water releases. Gunnison's case is in the courts now, and Steamboat Springs and Salida each have cases that are likely to go to trial. "A municipality's strongest argument is that the use is non - consumptive and beneficial to the community:' Porzak says. The State opposed the City's recreational water demands because it considered the requested flows "excessive and unreasonable :' says Colorado Water Conservation Board lawyer Ted Kowalski. "The State is not against recreation. But we don't know how to define a speck flow level as'reasonable' according to the law on a course that's going to be engineered anyway" GORE CREEK, VAIL, COLORADO Vail, Colo., is no stranger to whitewater but until 2002. whitewater events such as the Teva Mountain Games were held on the Eagle River outside of town.Tourism is the lifeblood of Vail's ski -town economy, and town planners recognized the value of positioning an outdoor - sports event in the downtown business district, particularly one that can draw visitors long h playing to after the snow melts from the ski slopes. Early in 2002, the Vail Valley Chamber and Tourism Bureau proposed modifying Gore Creek so that freestyle paddling events could take place in the heart of Vail Village. They commissioned a design that provided high - quality whitewater without looking man -made. With the backing of tourism bureau, the $130,000 project was completed in a matter of months. The park has since played host to the most aggressively promoted annual freestyle competition in the country, part of the Teva Mountain Games. The Vail park has had a dramatic effect on an otherwise winter -based town. Despite the park's short season, pre - construction studies Projected more than $1 million per year into the local economy. Tourists can watch paddlers in action, and local let the Revolution boaters —while not flocking to the artificial creation when Begin Colorado's natural whit AMBITIOUS WHITE WATER COURSES ON TAP ewater is running-- it a solid Until now American workout daily. The ark d existing rivers or MI--de ann��rks have been built on the cheap, by modif P does, however, point out the hubris of trying built for the S the exam nature. Sedimentation f courses Yd^ey a nd O p ie ns it the ground artifi improve upon cycle of high water often neut from the Yearly United States. Sydney is everyone's shining exam a inspired similar projects ralizes man -made features, THE T N one teas requiring o fish' majntenance. Sediment has already On in the It makes mon ey. affected two ofVail's features.The w �L WtiITEWATER TRAIN /�,��, tun is current I When the National Whi ' � R • CHARWI fE, N.C. at ways to re- engineer the ro et. ly ookmg spring, the $25 million tewater Training Center opens in Chars Vail Valley Chamber & Tourism Bureau. 13n Ander on of the Project will inclu otte. N.C., next fully adjustable tubs de an artificial river which will offer four too much of the promised se e channels and a conveyor belt to transport boaters b project for aesthetics :' says Anderson, also scant of course. Nerd an avid paddler. "With thousands, the ed within a natural amphitheater with Proper planning venues can be built vvlhrtesvater course will be the c g rass y seating for to be both str ucturally sound and aesthetic:' mO ^tai^ b k r g cads, clitnbin cen terpiece of a facility that al II UPPER UCOEE: AN OLYMPIAN EFFORT When the Ocoee River was capped to host the 1996 Olympic slalom competition, engineers, led by John Anderson and Rick McLaughlin, converted the shallow shoals above the traditional put -in into one of the world's Premier slalom courses.The $7.7 million facelift to the river bed —plus more for a visitor's center and other amenities_also created some excellent including the challenging play spots, hole above the aptly named drop Humongous. Olympic organizers came to the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the Ocoee, with exacting requirements. "The course had to fit into the environment, it had to be a world -class venue, and if it cracked one -eight of an inch we were done, as it needed to withstand periodic flooding of 30,000 cis or more," says Paul Wright, who managed the Project for the U.S. Forest Service. On top of all that it couldn't cost the Atlanta Olympic organizers a dime. U.S. wildwater team member David Jones and others rallied unprecedented political momentum, forcing the Forest Service to foot the construction costs and the Tennessee Valley Authority to suppl the water. The cost savings allowed Atlanta organizers to sweeten their bid, and the slalom course became a key element in bringing the 1996 Olympics to Atlanta. The race course and the Olympic slalom competition were both unqualified successes, but four days after the the c Olympic torch went out the team that designed and built ourse was reassigned.'The Forest Service was tired of dealing with it "W right says. In the years after the Olympics the TVA allowed only 10 to 20 releases per year, based on a burdensome fee system. The last great slalom g wa s and offices for USA Carroe/Kayak The Projects h dtsre pke Jeff Wise, says rafting and other pay -to -pla activities Will finance the facility ncludlis ela"Vilt've run Our accomplished group of business leads model every which way, with input from v ery in the country —a whitevvate park for � � �� the park a first of its convince a local bank to back the project w the tune of $23 million. good enough to were ADVENTURE SPORTS CENTER INTERNATIONAL The Charlotte course may be the grandest sell -co whitewater course in America but the Adventur Sports Center d International (ASCI) near the Upper Youghiogheny River in western Ma Paddlers will have a chance to track to be the first season and it will sa^rpie the course during this yeas fall Gauley open for business next spring. The this course will be The adjustable, so organizers can tune the features for both f profh facility, to include areas for climbing, Yfe and slalom paddlers. Ince rnaoo^al Whitewater Hall of fame has t mountain bikin with a developer. ASCI received ke cost to g and the ;23 million by partnering on_site coot vet a 575 -acre donation in exchange for revenues from concessions and wintertime Nordic ski Profit from the value added to ing operations. The developer also will that has sustained eal � it owns nearby--a Proven business model net the ski resort industry for decades- "Our motto is win -wino- Don Stortk, who has beg to make bite course win :' says en worki World Championships came to the near g a reality ever since the 1989 m odel so that it self - sustains. It must benefit the Savage an must better, or it will be no better than a commodity.,. Make P sty and k develo Your event planned on the Upper e [heir lives Ocoee, the 2001 Whitewater rst Nnnual Whitewater Slalom World Championships, was cancelled in the wake of Sept. infrequent Park The first international Conference Planned I I. With releases and world -class la y five miles downstream at Hell nference on whit co ober 5 -7, 2 ewater courses and a i' rks is planned for �5. in Glenwood Springs, Colo., Hole, the Ocoee coee park has never established itself as a river- b fessional Paddlesports Association Ppq . y The Shunoda Group and 5: Enhancin ( ) Enticed " Whitewater attraction. The natural running and playboatin river section just downstream (popular ono iY tun Courses and Pa g Communities;' the s rks d as arks and Yn^Posium is expected to draw P recreation planners and attendees as "spate as the Lower Ocoee, though technical) the Middle Ocoee Y hosts thousands course already designers. rem interest from community leaders, r whitewater of rafters every summer weekend. Coca r to learn fro Planners about agency personnel and cat �t: says co- organizer Risa n^ the Shimoda.'They're L Local outfitters and American Whitewater successfully resolved a seven -yea effort to seta experiences of their ledge base to help make Peers, and the conference will initiate a Adds PPA P ia^ ^i^8 Parks more efficient Executive on the U re releases each year pper Ocoee in 2003 which will last for at least the next IS Years. Thanks and effective: Director Matt Menashes: `Our s ent whitewater peckers and attendees. w h o Projects around the to these releases, raft tti s commercial P and non- paddlers are unch a world will s ^ew network of professionals i Penances, Tend advice nvohed enjoying the U the venue once Peer Ocoee, and to realize the potential shown during e: design considerations, funding in these P Topics ement and g options, economic im will the stakeholder d Pacts of courses, risk develop the 1996 pJ amhance Y Pics. hhewatemoursesandpmks2005.com process. Info: (301) 502 -6548, "'^'�'Propaddle— Full House: 2003 World Freestyle Champion Jay Kincaid the crowd in Reno.