HOLME PIERREPONT NATIONAL WATERSPORTS CENTRE

The re-dsigned, state-of-the-art whitewater channel design by S2o, hosts international competitions

Nottingham, UK

The Holme-Pierrepont National Watersports Centre has a storied history. The channels were one of the first great whitewater slalom channels and home to the British Slalom Team for more than twenty years. The challenge associated with this project was taking an existing world-class facility and updating it to be a state-of-the-art racing channel, without decreasing any of the already attractive features within the channel.

The project was led on the S2o side by Scott Shipley, who won his first World Cup and World Championship medals at this venue. S2o used innovative applications of computer modeling to establish that the proposed improvements, laid out by EPDUK, would give the desired effect, while protecting the existing “muncher” section of the course. This method of computer modeling was cutting-edge and challenged by many but, in the end, led to a highly successful and cost effective re-design of the channels. The completed project played host to the European Championships in its first season and remains a mainstay of the United Kingdom’s whitewater programs.

Project Highlights

  • Project modeled using an innovative application of computer flow modeling that established the degree of improvement and verified that certain portions of the course were preserved and protected.
  • Project completed in under 2 months with construction and implementation immediately following.
  • Design realization through a distributed team that managed to effect a successful design without traveling from the United States to Great Britain.
  • Project included the first implementation of a new moveable obstacle system.
  • Project played host to the European Championships in its first season following the improvements.