The second international conference on the development of engineered whitewater courses, Whitewater Courses and Parks 2007: Catch the New Wave, will convene April 18-20, 2007 at Wisp Resort in McHenry, MD. Hosted by the Paddlesports Industry Association and The Shimoda Group along with Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) and Frostburg State University, the conference promotes professional development and networking for individuals involved in the field of recreational whitewater courses.
“This year, presenters will be digging into what has been learned from recent, increasingly diverse and ambitious projects,” says Risa Shimoda, conference co-Chair and principal, The Shimoda Group. “We will learn from land managers, regulators and funders, as well as those whove developed the two new multi-million dollar artificial courses in the U.S..”
“Whitewater parks are a hybrid of adventure sport and entertainment,” notes Matt Menashes, Executive Director, Paddlesports Industry Association and conference co-Chair. “The number of issues that need to be addressed in the development of a course is amazing. For example, in-stream courses often need to address fishery management issues, while artificial courses need to assess long-term economic challenges. Over the course of the conference, nearly thirty experts will be sharing their expertise and experiences that is sure to be thought provoking, educational and satisfying.”
Speakers at Whitewater Courses and Parks 2007 include Michael Williams of the U.S. National Whitewater Training Center, Jeff Shoemaker, Executive Director of Greenway Foundation (Denver, CO), and Tobias Walraven, CEO of Dutch Water Dreams. Officials and staff from the National Park Service, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Bureau of Land Management, American Rivers, Great Outdoors Colorado, California Department of Water Resources and Brookfield Power will participate on a number of panel discussions.
Attendees will have an opportunity to tour and experience ASCI's new artificial whitewater course located near Wisp Resort the first day of the conference. The course is scheduled to open this spring.
Conference sponsors include the American Canoe Association, American Whitewater, ITT/Flygt, McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group, Whitewater Parks International, Flowserve, Arkal/Pep Filters, and Recreation Engineering and Planning.
