Brennan’s Wave slowly moving forward in Missoula – Whitewater parks build business

A river project that tries to satisfy four interests – function, safety, beauty and fun – has slowly paddled its way to a key public hearing that could set a course for the future.

On Wednesday, Missoula County commissioners will formally consider a permit for Brennan’s Wave http://missoulawhitewater.org/ , a proposal to remove potentially hazardous rebar and concrete from the Clark Fork River near Caras Park, rebuild a weir there that channels irrigation water, and create a place where whitewater recreationists can perform tricks and practice maneuvers.

The project has been in the works since 1999, and has since been named after world-class Missoula kayaker Brennan Guth, who died in Chile in 2001 pursuing his sport and passion.

"A lot of roadblocks came up," said Trent Baker, an attorney and kayaker involved in Brennan’s Wave. "We got involved as a naive group of citizens … and it has just taken time" to work out all the details.

By MEA ANDREWS of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2005/07/25/news/local/news02.txt

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Whitewater parks build business

By JOANNE KELLEY
Scripps Howard News Service

BOULDER, Colo. — Gary Lacy has been quietly making waves across the country, first transforming downtown riverfronts around his home state of Colorado and then bringing his expertise in building whitewater parks to such unlikely spots as Oil City, Pa., and Dallas.

The 49-year-old kayaking enthusiast from Boulder has been involved in about 63 projects, mainly working with local governments who now recognize that lively river scenes can be economic engines for their communities.

A hydraulic engineer by training, Lacy has a knack for arranging boulders in a way that creates a nirvana for kayakers, who often stay in one spot and play for hours in the foamy water instead of paddling down the river and out of town.

Full Story: http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2005/07/28/news/business/dd727c5b0a3145cf8725704b007e642e.txt