Whitewater Parks: Idaho Play Parks and Play Waves... Love
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Idaho Play Parks and Play Waves... Love

Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Parks
Forum Discription: Chat about different parks that we wish we had.
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11948
Printed Date: 28 Mar 2024 at 10:17am


Topic: Idaho Play Parks and Play Waves... Love
Posted By: edickerson2
Subject: Idaho Play Parks and Play Waves... Love
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2012 at 12:50pm
Boise, ID has just opened its Ray Neef Boise Whitewater park. It is not completely finished, as in they haven't completed all of the features downstream. However, the most awesome aspect of the park is ready to play on. It currently consists of two fantastic features with excellent (and huge) eddy service. It has one of the only bladder control waves in the country and is SO MUCH FUN. One feature spans a huge width of the river and can accommodate several boaters at once. The park is located where the 36th St wave used to be. You can park at Idaho River Sports and stop in to say hello to Jo and Stan, the awesome owners of the shop that made this park happen. As a matter of fact, they've been working on this park for ~ 15 years, so maybe give them a high five, hand shake, or a hug.

Two summers ago, Cascade, ID finished Kelly's Whitewater Park. This is a fantastic play park as well. With ~4 features and a "Big Nasty" (huge hole wave with great eddy service) up top, you will have splashes, smiles, and beat downs for hours. This is where they held the US Freestyle Championships in 2011. Rico's Pizza is fantastic for after water grub, the Whistle Stop Cafe has good breakfast, and the little bar behind here is a great hangout for the evening. This little community loves kayakers, so make sure to stop!

If you are traveling in between Cascade and Boise, stop in at the Gutter and the Bladder. These two features are in Horseshoe Bend, ID, halfway in between Cascade and Boise. The Bladder is a huge wave hole to be surfed at higher flows. It is big, gnarly, and so much fun. Be prepared for beatdowns and hit your roll, as you may end up downstream with the high flows! The Gutter is right next to the Bladder on river left. It is comprised of a fish ladder and is fun to play in nearly all season long. It gets a little scrapey at low flows, so maybe bring your not-so-nice paddle. At the gutter, you may also get the opportunity to watch some local body boarders take big beatdowns, and for the ladies, some great local eye candy (kidding?)... thank you Horseshoe Bend!

To summarize, I know, Idaho is the sh*t. Let me know if anyone takes a trip there! I would love a ride!



Replies:
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2012 at 1:15pm
Love to see some photos of this too! Awesome to hear it is kicking off!


Posted By: edickerson2
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2012 at 2:08pm
For sure! Will work on pictures. Am from Idaho and would love to hook anyone up with info or boating partners if they are in the area!


Posted By: edickerson2
Date Posted: 02 May 2012 at 9:32pm
Kelly's Whitewater Park - "Big Nasty" feature. Super fun hole-wave with great eddy service.


Posted By: edickerson2
Date Posted: 02 May 2012 at 9:38pm
This is the Boise Whitewater Park near Idaho River Sports in Boise, Idaho. This is Tomas Wilkening, one of our local boys, surfing the bigger (wider in general, glassy wave river left) feature sometime earlier this year at lower water. The concrete barriers you see behind him are under water right now and help to make the river right feature. Both current features on this park have great eddy service. Go online and google Boise Whitewater Park for videos. SO FUN!


Posted By: Sam_Graftton
Date Posted: 02 May 2012 at 10:07pm
Wow I wish WA had play features like this!


Posted By: edickerson2
Date Posted: 03 May 2012 at 2:41pm
I know!! Aren't they great!?! They have just popped up in the last two years! (Well, 15 years in the making...) The one on the Boise River took a piece of the river that was kind of ugly and polluted anyway and created this beautiful recreation area! They are putting in a park where it is currently a dry dirt lot... and changing rooms?!? WHat?? So awesome.


Posted By: edickerson2
Date Posted: 18 May 2012 at 10:57am
Here is another shot of Big Nasty at Kelly's Whitewater Park in Cascade, ID. Surfer Saul Primus tearing it up!


Posted By: edickerson2
Date Posted: 18 May 2012 at 11:05am
Here is another photo of the Ray Neef Whitewater Park in Boise, Idaho. So fun! Thank you Mike Leeds for the beautiful photography!


Posted By: dave
Date Posted: 18 May 2012 at 11:47am
Looks awsome! I wish we had something like that around here.

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Nomad



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