Adventure Sports Center International
Encyclopedia
Adventure Sports Center International is an Olympic standard white water rafting and canoe/kayak slalom center located on the mountaintop above the Wisp Ski Resort
at Deep Creek Lake
, McHenry
, Maryland
, USA. In addition to serving as a venue for slalom races and training, the center offers a range of services to the general public including guided raft trips, inflatable kayak rentals, and riverboard rentals.
The center opened in May 2007, constructed at a cost of $24 million, and is the third pump-powered artificial whitewater
facility built in North America. Its educational partner in water sports instruction is the Adventuresports Institute of nearby Garrett College
, which offers degrees in outdoor adventure sports.
in Western Maryland. Sergi Orsi, then president of the International Canoe Federation
encouraged the organizers of the 1989 Savage River event to build a pump-powered artificial whitewater course in a more accessible location nearby. The Maryland state government supported the project to promote summer tourism in the region.
Since the Wisp Ski Resort
already had a pump-filled mountaintop reservoir to supply its snowmaking
machines with water in the winter, the artificial whitewater course was sited next to this reservoir to make use of its water in the summer. The roads, motels, and restaurants which served the ski area in the winter made the location accessible to summer visitors.
In April, 2011, ASCI was chosen as the site for the 2014 World Championship slalom competition. The races will be held on September 16-21.
, which served as the canoe slalom
venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta. The Ocoee facility is the only Olympic whitewater venue built in a riverbed, using natural boulders to direct the water flow, and McLaughlin used a similar design at McHenry -- with a channel shaped like a natural streambed and lined with natural boulders blasted from the mountaintop. The purpose was both aesthetic and practical. Irregular surfaces dampen the water surges that can occur in geometrically regular artificial channels.
The first 100 meters of the course is a continuous rapid called "Pinball Alley." It begins with a drop from the start pool, splits around the "Dark Destroyer" rock in the middle of the stream, and continues through the steepest and narrowest part of the course. In the slalom course layout shown here, the first seven slalom gates are in Pinball Alley. To increase course difficulty, more of the gates can be hung in this section. The course then becomes a pool-drop river, with a wider channel and lower overall slope. At any point below the middle of Pinball Alley, swimmers can escape the current and swim ashore.
The last 280 meters of the course, starting at the end of the 300-meter competition section, is a practice area with easy put-in and take-out on either shore. The last feature is a 10 feet (3 m) spillway drop into the lower pool. A conveyor belt carries boats and paddlers back to the start pool.
To create standing waves for freestyle
(rodeo) competition, hydraulically adjustable wave shaping plates were placed under the water in six locations: two where pump-driven water enters the start pool, and one at the bottom of each of the four concrete-walled spillway drops. Jimmy Blakeney
, 2003 U.S. National Freestyle Kayak Champion, assisted in the final design of the wave shapers.
Wisp Ski Resort
The Wisp Ski Resort is located next to Deep Creek Lake in the town of McHenry in Garrett County, Maryland. The resort is near the border with West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. It is located 32 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, 2 hours from Pittsburgh, 3.5 hours...
at Deep Creek Lake
Deep Creek Lake
Deep Creek Lake is the largest inland body of water in the state of Maryland. It covers approximately and has of shoreline. Like all lakes in Maryland, it is man-made. The lake is home to a wide variety of freshwater fish and aquatic birds. The Wisp ski resort is located nearby...
, McHenry
McHenry
McHenry is a surname belonging to the Scottish Clan Henderson. It may refer to:McHenry surnamed persons:*Doug McHenry American film director and producer*Henry McHenry American scholar...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, USA. In addition to serving as a venue for slalom races and training, the center offers a range of services to the general public including guided raft trips, inflatable kayak rentals, and riverboard rentals.
The center opened in May 2007, constructed at a cost of $24 million, and is the third pump-powered artificial whitewater
Artificial whitewater
An artificial whitewater course is a site for whitewater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, whitewater racing, whitewater rafting, playboating and slalom canoeing with artificially generated rapids.-Flow diversion:...
facility built in North America. Its educational partner in water sports instruction is the Adventuresports Institute of nearby Garrett College
Garrett College
Garrett College is a two-year college located in McHenry, Garrett County, in far western Maryland. Established in 1967 as Garrett Community College, it opened its doors in 1971, and took its present name in 2002...
, which offers degrees in outdoor adventure sports.
History
The concept of Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) originated after the 1989 Whitewater Slalom World Championships on the remote Savage RiverSavage River (Maryland)
The Savage River is a river in Garrett County, Maryland, and is the first major tributary of the North Branch Potomac River from its source. The river was named for 18th century surveyor John Savage....
in Western Maryland. Sergi Orsi, then president of the International Canoe Federation
International Canoe Federation
The International Canoe Federation is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide...
encouraged the organizers of the 1989 Savage River event to build a pump-powered artificial whitewater course in a more accessible location nearby. The Maryland state government supported the project to promote summer tourism in the region.
Since the Wisp Ski Resort
Wisp Ski Resort
The Wisp Ski Resort is located next to Deep Creek Lake in the town of McHenry in Garrett County, Maryland. The resort is near the border with West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. It is located 32 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, 2 hours from Pittsburgh, 3.5 hours...
already had a pump-filled mountaintop reservoir to supply its snowmaking
Snowmaking
Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun" or "snow cannon", on ski slopes. Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliability of their snow cover and to extend their ski...
machines with water in the winter, the artificial whitewater course was sited next to this reservoir to make use of its water in the summer. The roads, motels, and restaurants which served the ski area in the winter made the location accessible to summer visitors.
In April, 2011, ASCI was chosen as the site for the 2014 World Championship slalom competition. The races will be held on September 16-21.
Course Design
The course plans were drawn by the McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group, architects of the Ocoee Whitewater CenterOcoee Whitewater Center
The Ocoee Whitewater Center, near Ducktown, Tennessee, United States, was the canoe slalom venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The Olympic race course was built in the dry riverbed of the Upper Ocoee river. The Upper Ocoee is the section between Ocoee Dam #3 and its downstream...
, which served as the canoe slalom
Canoeing at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The canoeing competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was composed of 16 events in two disciplines, slalom and sprint...
venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta. The Ocoee facility is the only Olympic whitewater venue built in a riverbed, using natural boulders to direct the water flow, and McLaughlin used a similar design at McHenry -- with a channel shaped like a natural streambed and lined with natural boulders blasted from the mountaintop. The purpose was both aesthetic and practical. Irregular surfaces dampen the water surges that can occur in geometrically regular artificial channels.
The first 100 meters of the course is a continuous rapid called "Pinball Alley." It begins with a drop from the start pool, splits around the "Dark Destroyer" rock in the middle of the stream, and continues through the steepest and narrowest part of the course. In the slalom course layout shown here, the first seven slalom gates are in Pinball Alley. To increase course difficulty, more of the gates can be hung in this section. The course then becomes a pool-drop river, with a wider channel and lower overall slope. At any point below the middle of Pinball Alley, swimmers can escape the current and swim ashore.
The last 280 meters of the course, starting at the end of the 300-meter competition section, is a practice area with easy put-in and take-out on either shore. The last feature is a 10 feet (3 m) spillway drop into the lower pool. A conveyor belt carries boats and paddlers back to the start pool.
To create standing waves for freestyle
Playboating
Playboating is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place , as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river...
(rodeo) competition, hydraulically adjustable wave shaping plates were placed under the water in six locations: two where pump-driven water enters the start pool, and one at the bottom of each of the four concrete-walled spillway drops. Jimmy Blakeney
Jimmy Blakeney
Jimmy Blakeney was the 2003 US National Freestyle Champion and is a five-time member of the U.S. Men's Freestyle Kayak Team.-References:...
, 2003 U.S. National Freestyle Kayak Champion, assisted in the final design of the wave shapers.