RAFTING NEWS

The US National Whitewater Center is in over their heads and trying to tread water. Located on the Catawba River, the country's economic woes have hit this North Carolina center for outdoor recreation quite hard. With a debt load of over 12 million dollars, restructuring has started with 41 different lending agencies.

Jeff Wise, executive director has noted that some programs are up, while others are down. Families still come to the center on the Catawba River for rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, hiking and biking, but the local economy has hit many of the families.

Corporate groups rafting have nearly disappeared as those companies are bearing the shame of past wasteful spending. Most of the corporate groups are not supporting company-based recreational programs any longer for their employees.

For more information contact: Michael Barrett at 704.869.1826
Thank you TOPIX and Gaston Gazette for this post!

Labels: corporate rafting, discounts, family rafting, group rafting, outdoors, paddling, rafting, sports, team building, white water, whitewater rafting

From the San Jose Mercury News and The Associated Press comes a timely news story on stress related illnesses. Writer Karen Schaler has just written a Berkeley-based $20 paperback book from Seal Press. The chapters are broken down into 11 different situations of stress and travel remedies.

For the love lost folks, you are best suited for an extreme adventure such as shark diving, hang gliding or whitewater rafting. Physically demanding adventures will help you to relax through your anxiety or stressful times.

Those in need of a personal reinvention of the mind and soul might want to consider an exotic adventure in an exotic location. For those who are workaholics, Ms. Schaler recommends reconnecting with your family and loved ones on a family-friendly outing or vacation.

Those of us with whitewater rafting companies knew about this "healing" method a long time ago!

Labels: american river, california, outdoors, rafting, rivers, surfing, teens, trips, wet river trips, white water

Jaunted contributing editor, kjb has researched the winter rafting phenomenon started by W.E.T. River Trips during the heyday of the early 80's. Whitewater rafting guides started off from the snowy mountains of Donner Ski Resort and the rafting company actually hiked a raft, a kayak and a mountain bike up the hill to "raft", "kayak" and "ride" the snow downhill.

Now, several rafting and whitewater enthusiasts have taken to the snowy slopes and do just that as a precursor of what's to come for the whitewater rafting season in their own regions. In California, the paddling enthusiasts are already out on the rivers and mountains riding the snow and the water in the rivers.

kjb, Jaunted Contributing editor just posted a story about winter rafting and featured WET River Trips and Blue Heron Whitewater. These two companies have a reputation of early season boating on rivers in their regions. WET, rafting in California, navigates the South Fork American, Middle Fork American and North Fork American whitewater trips. Blue Heron Whitewater offers a similar chilly start in North Carolina on the French Broad River.

River rafting in the winter is highlighted with less crowds, beautiful scenery and a chance to see the river before the summer crowds. Most outfitters that operate in the winter and spring provide wetsuit packages to keep you safe from hypothermia. Look up these two outfitters during your spring break for a chance to ride the rapids!

Thank you to kbj, Jaunted, The Pop Culture Travel Guide & your great post for winter rafting!

Labels: american river, california, french broad, north fork, outdoors, paddling, rafting, recreation, rivers, spring break, trips, wet river trips, white water

This past 2009 Super Bowl had a commercial with a satirical take on an 1970 Saturday morning children's show called Land of the Lost. The old movie has a paleontologist who goes rafting into a lost world. And now soon to be released on June 5, 2009, Universal Pictures will be releasing a Will Ferrell comedy called "Land of the Lost."

Several scenes take place on an expedition with white water rafting shots. Even California's Hollywood knows how mainstream whitewater rafting has become for the general public. An irreverent take on rafting through rapids will bring even more of the public to the rivers this summer.

Thanks to CBS Entertainment and Universal Studios for this informative post.

Labels: american river, california, rafting, rivers, wet river trips, white water

U.S. National Whitewater Center has announced today the opening of the Whitewater Center Parkway in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Guests can reach the facility from Belmeade Drive. Call the center at (704) 391-3900 for more information. US National Whitewater Center is an outdoor and environmental education center.

The new parkway features whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking on the new multi-channel river. Mountain biking, trail running and climbing are also featured at the center. Conference and meeting complex with restaurant and catering faciliites makes this a perfect site for the official U.S. Olympic training.

Thank you Charlotte Business Journal for this Rafting story!

Labels: american river, environment, outdoors, paddling, rafting, rivers, wet river trips, white water

Rob Shaw from the Examiner reports the news about the organisers of the Australian whitewater championship held on the Forth River yesterday. The National schools championship concluded on this river. An overwhelming number of visitors from the interstate and New Zealand were reported there by Andrea McQuitty. Competitors and supporters number in the hundreds each day on the course itself.

Brilliant performances by the youthful group show promise for the future. The Australian slalom kayaking championships will run on Thursday and Friday on the Upper Mersey.

The national whitewater titles will be staged this Saturday and Sunday with the finals for the Australian team to compete in the World Cup in October on the Launceston's Cataract Gorge.

Support from Forestry Tasmania, Peter Rowlands who is currently the North-West manager, provided safety and rescue assistance.

Thanks to The Examiner and Rob Shaw for this story. Read the entire story and view the pictures.

Labels: california, north fork, outdoors, paddling, recreation, rivers, surfing, teens, trips, wet river trips, white water

Rafting outfitters are struggling with a political storm on the Cagayan de Oro's whitewater river. Opposition to the proposal for a bioethanol plant in two upland villages poses an environmental threat to the river itself. Opening the Barangays Mambuaya and Bayanga to industrial corporations jeopardizes the health of the river. The Mambuya hosts the city's 12-kilometer white water rafting course.

Oro Association of Rafters is composed of all six local whitewater rafting companies. The association will oppose the plan by Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. to construct this bioethanol processing plant. Jerome Garcia, operator of Dome Expeditions Tours has said that the association has already stated their position in public.

The association believes that because neither an environmental impact assessment was done or public hearings before the passage of the new ordinance, that the project should be re-assesed. Garcia encourages that the bioethanol plant be relocated outside of the city to curtail threats of pollution to the river.

Thank you to Sunstar for this update and post from the Philippines.

Labels: conservation, environment, rafting, recreation, rivers, trips, wet river trips, white water