Test run on the ASCI Whitewater Park

By Jez

After arriving at the park Dane Jackson, Jason Craig and I realized that this was by no means any ordinary man made whitewater park. There were some really cool looking features. Jessie, an employee of the park, really showed off what the parks features can do. So here is the first official test run by JK on the new park: http://www.adventuresportscenter.com

It has the capacity to run more than 500 CFS. This means you really get the feeling of some good big water. The top drop leads into a tongue with some pushy water followed closely by a rock boof in the middle of the channel. Next they have put a very small slot channel on river left which is a very cool addition. A few lower water looping spots, and then you get to feature ‘A’. They use letters to describe the features, however, I am sure over time the features will get a few cool names. So feature ‘A’ is a sweet wave that is totally hydraulic whereby the bottom can be raised or lowered creating a sweet wave where blunts, helixes and other wave tricks can be thrown. With the ramp pushed all the way up, it creates a hole after it that enables massive loops and also made the feature very deep.

Feature ‘B’ is more of a hole feature, where loops cartwheels and hole tricks are good to go.

Feature ‘A’ has some good eddies and is easy to get onto the wave by hugging the wave gates. I found that by using your hands on the gates made things easier.

The course continues down to a hole where rafts can be surfed and then the river slows a bunch. The channel ends with a drop which can also be moved to create a sweet ramp with a great surging hole after it, although this is usually a ramp with a small hole.

The rocks used in the course were all excavated from the site, making it really look and feel more like a real river. Here’s the cool thing, it’s on top of a mountain, right on the very top! In fact, if you walk to one side of the course you will come across the top of their ski field. Makes for some sweet views up there…

Throughout the day the course is run with only two pumps for the younger rafters and around 2.30pm they add another pump which makes the features really sweet. So if you are looking for play, give them a call and find out the time they are going to 3 pumps. You will not be disappointed. We put on at around 2pm and they actually had to pull us off due to lightning at around 6, probably because we were having so much fun, the time just flew by.

So, I am going to say something which is a big call I know, but I will say it anyway. The course at Wisp has the best play features on any man made course I have seen. The folks there deserve a congratulations on a job well done.

Adventure Sports Center International

Jez