The French Broad River in Woodfin, North Carolina, is set to become a new hub for water sports enthusiasts with the upcoming completion of the Woodfin Wave project. This $4.8 million initiative, which faced delays due to Hurricane Helene, is on track to be unveiled to the public this summer at Riverside Park.
Woodfin Mayor Jim McAllister expressed enthusiasm about the project’s potential impact on the community, stating, “We think it’s going to transform this small town. Everywhere I go in town, people are asking me ‘When can we get in?’ There’s a buzz about it all over the place.”
Designed for surfers and kayakers to perform various maneuvers, the wave was meticulously tested at a hydraulics lab in Prague to ensure optimal conditions for water sports. Marc Hunt, a local outdoors advocate and kayaker, likened the wave to “the river equivalent of the perfect surfing wave,” comparing it to Hawaii’s Waimea Bay…