Whitewater play spots close to work and home exist in a surprising number of urban areas.
As surely as a river runs through a populated area, playboaters have a gathering spot-a hole, a surf wave, a rapid, or better, all three in one. Down at the local play spot, skills are honed, river trips planned, new paddling partners met, and competitive paddling careers launched. Two play spots have a lot to do with the emergence of a group of talented young paddlers, all hailing from Eugene, on the national rodeo scene. Both spots are close to the University of Oregon campus. Not far away is Cotton Candy Wave, on the Willamette River.