Monday, May 19, 2008
Maryland Aventures Sport Center Draws Pike County's Attention
With an already thriving whitewater rafting season along Russell Fork, Pike County Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford and other community leaders took notice recently of a tourist attraction in McHenry, Md.
Visiting McHenry in the spirit of spurring along adventure tourism initiatives throughout the county, Rutherford and others traveled to get a first-hand look at the nonprofit tourism attraction, Adventure Sports Center International, Inc.
Accompanying Rutherford on his trip were his wife, Pat Rutherford, John Gatling, Pike County Director of Economic Development; Greg May, Break Interstate Park board member; Steve Ruth, a representative of the Elkhorn City community and government and a recognized whitewater expert; and Phyllis Hunt, Executive Director of Pikeville-Pike County Tourism.
“We hope to convince the board of the Breaks Interstate Park that this facility should be located at Potter’s Flats, and we’ll talking to the Breaks Interstate Park Board about this during a proposal in the future,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford stressed that the facility would have nothing to do with the already existing rafting season along the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River.
“This has nothing to do with the annual whitewater season along Russell Fork in October,” he said, adding, however, that the facility could serve to expand the already popular destination spot, allowing some 160 additional days for visitors to enjoy the increasingly popular activity.
The attraction is a man-made, controlled whitewater course that is open to the public, but also invites school and group programs. The facility is also a training ground for Olympians, with novice- to Olympic-level kayak instruction available. The executive director, Matt Taylor, is a former Olympian. Other uses for the Maryland facility have included corporate retreats and national certification rescue school instruction.
There are only two of these facilities in the United States, the one located along a hilltop in Garrett County and the other in Charlotte, N.C.
During the visit, Rutherford and others also visited with the local Garrett County government and chamber of commerce to learn more about the economic impact of the attraction and further details.
John Hinebaugh, Garrett County Director of Economic Development, had good news for Pike County delegation.
“We are a tourist-based area,” Hinebaugh said, “but this was the biggest boost for tourism of anything that’s been done here.”
Last year, Garrett County officials opened for a partial season and could see that the interest and turnout was certainly worth continuing, according to Hinebaugh. Visitors from some 30 states flocked to the whitewater destination during the partial season, and the sports center has already released a full, 2008 season schedule.
In 1991, Garrett County’s educational community took notice of the level of interest, as well.
It was in 1991 that Garrett College started offering an Associate in Applied Science degree in Adventure Sports. This degree is designed, according to college officials, to assist students in developing the skills required to become professionals in the field of adventure recreation through academics, field studies and practical experience.
The college offers more than 50 Adventure Skills courses, as well as leadership development and program planning and several other options for those interested in the degree.
John Gatling, Pike County Director of Economic Development, visited the Garrett College while the Pike County group were visiting Maryland and came away with a wonderful impression of the work being done there.
“They have an impressive institution, the first of its kind in the nation” Gatling said. “It’s a good, solid program and has attracted students from all across the country. It seems to be thriving and vibrant and an asset to the community in general.”
Rutherford says he has now opened a line of discussion with Pikeville College after learning of Garrett College’s degree program.
“We have informally discussed the possibility with Pikeville College to offer a degree in adventure tourism,” said Rutherford. “We will continue these discussions in the future and hope to have open, productive conversations in that direction.”
Rutherford said the visit to Adventure Sports Center International left him considering what such a facility could do to expand on this already existing tourist draw in the Elkhorn City area. Some 400,000 people visit the Breaks Interstate Park each year.
“If we should move to another level in exploring this, we would certainly be in close talks with Elkhorn City, the Breaks Interstate Park Board and others,” Rutherford said. “Also, these officials in Maryland have offered to help us along the way to learn from any challenges they might have came across in completing their task, and I’m sure they can be a lot of help.”
As executive director of Pikeville-Pike County Tourism, Phyllis Hunt was enthusiastic after the group returned from Maryland for what this could mean for tourism in this area.
“It was a great trip, and the attraction was fabulous,” said Hunt. “I can imagine if we had it such an attraction here we would have a lot of people come here just for that alone. It would give families something to do and then even more in the evenings afterwards, because there are so many other things offered at the attraction.”
Energy has been a mainstay focus of this, Rutherford’s fifth term as Pike County’s judge/executive, but he says with the beauty of our mountains, we must look at tourism as economic development.
“We look at tourism as economic development,” he said. “In addition to energy, is should be in the forefront. This facility could put Pike County in that forefront in Kentucky for adventure tourism.”
Visiting McHenry in the spirit of spurring along adventure tourism initiatives throughout the county, Rutherford and others traveled to get a first-hand look at the nonprofit tourism attraction, Adventure Sports Center International, Inc.
Accompanying Rutherford on his trip were his wife, Pat Rutherford, John Gatling, Pike County Director of Economic Development; Greg May, Break Interstate Park board member; Steve Ruth, a representative of the Elkhorn City community and government and a recognized whitewater expert; and Phyllis Hunt, Executive Director of Pikeville-Pike County Tourism.
“We hope to convince the board of the Breaks Interstate Park that this facility should be located at Potter’s Flats, and we’ll talking to the Breaks Interstate Park Board about this during a proposal in the future,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford stressed that the facility would have nothing to do with the already existing rafting season along the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River.
“This has nothing to do with the annual whitewater season along Russell Fork in October,” he said, adding, however, that the facility could serve to expand the already popular destination spot, allowing some 160 additional days for visitors to enjoy the increasingly popular activity.
The attraction is a man-made, controlled whitewater course that is open to the public, but also invites school and group programs. The facility is also a training ground for Olympians, with novice- to Olympic-level kayak instruction available. The executive director, Matt Taylor, is a former Olympian. Other uses for the Maryland facility have included corporate retreats and national certification rescue school instruction.
There are only two of these facilities in the United States, the one located along a hilltop in Garrett County and the other in Charlotte, N.C.
During the visit, Rutherford and others also visited with the local Garrett County government and chamber of commerce to learn more about the economic impact of the attraction and further details.
John Hinebaugh, Garrett County Director of Economic Development, had good news for Pike County delegation.
“We are a tourist-based area,” Hinebaugh said, “but this was the biggest boost for tourism of anything that’s been done here.”
Last year, Garrett County officials opened for a partial season and could see that the interest and turnout was certainly worth continuing, according to Hinebaugh. Visitors from some 30 states flocked to the whitewater destination during the partial season, and the sports center has already released a full, 2008 season schedule.
In 1991, Garrett County’s educational community took notice of the level of interest, as well.
It was in 1991 that Garrett College started offering an Associate in Applied Science degree in Adventure Sports. This degree is designed, according to college officials, to assist students in developing the skills required to become professionals in the field of adventure recreation through academics, field studies and practical experience.
The college offers more than 50 Adventure Skills courses, as well as leadership development and program planning and several other options for those interested in the degree.
John Gatling, Pike County Director of Economic Development, visited the Garrett College while the Pike County group were visiting Maryland and came away with a wonderful impression of the work being done there.
“They have an impressive institution, the first of its kind in the nation” Gatling said. “It’s a good, solid program and has attracted students from all across the country. It seems to be thriving and vibrant and an asset to the community in general.”
Rutherford says he has now opened a line of discussion with Pikeville College after learning of Garrett College’s degree program.
“We have informally discussed the possibility with Pikeville College to offer a degree in adventure tourism,” said Rutherford. “We will continue these discussions in the future and hope to have open, productive conversations in that direction.”
Rutherford said the visit to Adventure Sports Center International left him considering what such a facility could do to expand on this already existing tourist draw in the Elkhorn City area. Some 400,000 people visit the Breaks Interstate Park each year.
“If we should move to another level in exploring this, we would certainly be in close talks with Elkhorn City, the Breaks Interstate Park Board and others,” Rutherford said. “Also, these officials in Maryland have offered to help us along the way to learn from any challenges they might have came across in completing their task, and I’m sure they can be a lot of help.”
As executive director of Pikeville-Pike County Tourism, Phyllis Hunt was enthusiastic after the group returned from Maryland for what this could mean for tourism in this area.
“It was a great trip, and the attraction was fabulous,” said Hunt. “I can imagine if we had it such an attraction here we would have a lot of people come here just for that alone. It would give families something to do and then even more in the evenings afterwards, because there are so many other things offered at the attraction.”
Energy has been a mainstay focus of this, Rutherford’s fifth term as Pike County’s judge/executive, but he says with the beauty of our mountains, we must look at tourism as economic development.
“We look at tourism as economic development,” he said. “In addition to energy, is should be in the forefront. This facility could put Pike County in that forefront in Kentucky for adventure tourism.”
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 1:55 PM 
