Whitewater Park Sports New Kayak Center

Yorkville’s whitewater canoe and kayak chute should be finished this May, and the Geneva Kayak Center is preparing to take advantage.

The City Council unanimously approved leasing the building on 301 E. Hydraulic St. to the Geneva Kayak Center during its meeting Feb. 22. The Center will open their doors today and hold a grand opening weekend April 1 to 3.

Ryan Rushton, the owner of Specialty Expeditions, Inc., which is doing business as the Geneva Kayak Center, says the new whitewater park enticed him to move his store to Yorkville. The store is called Yorkville Outdoor Center.

“The Whitewater Park will be a huge economic engine for the City of Yorkville,” Rushton said. “The next closest whitewater park is in Indiana.”

Rushton has been paddling whitewater and sea kayaks for over 14 years and has lead expeditions in Alaska, Canada, Maine, Georgia, Florida and Wales, as well as the waters of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. He studied Business Administration and Recreation at Western Illinois University to pursuit starting his own company, which became the Geneva Kayak Center in 2005.

As an experienced kayaker, Rushton thinks the Yorkville park is a great place to get more people involved in canoeing and kayaking.

“It’s not a scary section of rapids,” he said. “It’s a good spot to teach beginners.”

The Yorkville Outdoor Center will offer lessons on the river and will be expanding their selection of off-site courses for intermediate and advanced paddlers. They will also be working with the park district in May to provide programs for women, children and students.

The Yorkville Parks and Recreation Board began accepting proposals for businesses to lease the existing building in October 2010, according to city documents. The board received two proposals, one from the Geneva Kayak Center and the other from the Yak Shack in Sugar Grove, owned by Jeff Brown. The leasing decision was based on the experience of businesses and the payments offered to the city.

The Park Board advised the City Council to approve a lease for Geneva Kayak Center based on the business’s proposal to pay $250 per month and give the city five percent of gross retail sales and 20 percent of gross receipts from “instructional programs, rentals and guided tours,” according to city council documents.