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U.S. National Whitewater Center


monsoon

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I got excited when I saw the article in the Times yesterday, Smellycat :) Although it was hardly a rave, I think it was pretty evenhanded. The experience is never going to completely replicate a natural river. But for most of the people who will be going there who are novices like myself, I don't want an out of control experience :w00t: I got dumped over the side of a raft in Maine and that was authentic enough to last a lifetime :lol:

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i saw a national featured bit on the weather channel a couple of weeks ago. while this place might not be able to perfectly replicate a natural river... it will come close and unlike a natural river the WWC will always be runable. alot of natural creeks and rivers are dam controlled or finnicky depending on the amount of rain water. lastly, the beauty of having this center in N.C. is that we are in proximty to some of the best whitewater in the world. from what i've been told... some world class paddlers are already relocating.

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i saw a national featured bit on the weather channel a couple of weeks ago. while this place might not be able to perfectly replicate a natural river... it will come close and unlike a natural river the WWC will always be runable. alot of natural creeks and rivers are dam controlled or finnicky depending on the amount of rain water. lastly, the beauty of having this center in N.C. is that we are in proximty to some of the best whitewater in the world. from what i've been told... some world class paddlers are already relocating.

I know it has made me want to learn how to kayak. :)

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I know it has made me want to learn how to kayak. :)

i know whatcha mean. my bro in-law is an avid kayaker and will actually be working @ the new center. he has been turning me on to the paddling culture... he took me up to wilson's creek about a month ago to get me started in kayaking. i had a great time and see the appeal... i plan to pursue this sport more. the whitewater park will be a perfect place to introduce people to kayaking as it is an expensive upstart sport. the center will allow people to experience it before fully buying into it. wicket.

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Good attention-getting writeup, even with the Times wondering "...in the manufacturing of an outdoor experience, is something lost?" :rolleyes:

What's a little funny is that even the natural rivers have dams and regulated water flow during certain months that are trying to replicate ideal kayaking conditions.

And, um, Central Park was also manufactured. :)

But it is still a good point.

This project has gotten an extreme amount of buzz, both around town and around the country. That can only be good. And in a town without much in the way of interesting God-given geographical features, we're going to need to manufacture a few more places, too.

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so will the climbing area be opening and finished the same time as the whitewater part of this?

No. It will not be done until later in the fall.

I don't know if this has been announced, but I heard that pricing will be around 30$ for rental kayak and 90 minutes of water time. 15-20$ if you already have a kayak.

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here is a link that has pictures of preliminary test runs... this thing is going to be great. i think they missed the window for maximum hoopla, this year. but, next spring will be off the chain. they still have tons to do... the building looks a long way to completion. that said, the center is shooting for an august opening.

http://www.atlwhitewater.com/photos.html

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Recent article about the athletes who have been training in Western NC with the Nantahala Racing Club and will be, or already have moved to Charlotte. The main perk of the new Charlotte facility is the ability to train 365 days a year without having to worry about floods, droughts, icy conditions, and river release schedules.

The article also mentions that the national teams of Canada and China will be attending the National Slalom Championships on August 26.

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll...NEWS01/60702020

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Is the muddy water going to clear up?

I'm sure they also have a filtering system to clean the water out. Also, once some plantlife/landscaping is put in, there will be notably less clay draining into the water. I'm sure that should be finished by the time they open, if not shortly after.

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Just saw on the Observer site...major bummer about the first event being cancelled and moving to the mtns. The center won't be open in time to host it. Another event for August is getting cold feet. When it finally opens it will be a success but the place sure has been plagued by bad luck so far.

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Just saw on the Observer site...major bummer about the first event being cancelled and moving to the mtns. The center won't be open in time to host it. Another event for August is getting cold feet. When it finally opens it will be a success but the place sure has been plagued by bad luck so far.

it was pretty evident this was coming. i personally think they should bite the bullet and open to the public next spring. all the bells and whistles will be in place and it will really be a GRAND OPENING. do it right.

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