The Paddlesports Trade Coalition is scrambling for an alternative venue after Alabama’s Montgomery Whitewater Center announced it is “temporarily closing” less than a month before PTC’s annual Collab event, slated for the venue on Oct. 14-16.
“Today, September 10, 2026, the Paddlesports Trade Coalition learned that Montgomery Whitewater, the planned venue for the 2026 PTC Colab, has entered a temporary closure and will no longer be available to host the event as planned,” a PTC notice read. “This is disappointing news not only for PTC and the many industry participants who have committed to Colab, but also for Montgomery Whitewater, its team, and the local paddling community that it serves.”
“The PTC Board is actively assessing the situation and evaluating alternative solutions for the 2026 event. While we work through those options, we ask everyone to pause any new travel or lodging arrangements.”
According to Montgomery’s WSFA12 News, citing the facility’s calendar, the venue “has shut down all whitewater activities, their aerial ropes course, and bike rentals for the season as of Sept. 9. Last year, that same calendar shows those activities ended Nov. 3. The decision comes after several county commissioners called for Montgomery Whitewater to close temporarily and figure out how the park can be fiscally sustainable, and the board seems to agree.”
Theh report adds: “We’re in alignment with their comments and we want to make this work for sure,” said Bobby Jon Drinkard, the Chairman of the Montgomery County Community Cooperative Board that oversees the facility when asked about commissioner’s comments to temporarily close and rebrand. “The Montgomery County Commission has been Montgomery Whitewater’s biggest fans. Quite frankly, without them we wouldn’t be here. They have a fiduciary responsibility. We understand that, we respect that.”
Designed by three-time Olympian Scott Shipley of Denver, Colo.’s S20 Designs/Calibre Engineering, the 120-acre park opened in July 2023 and features two artificial river channels, one built to Olympic standards. It’s been billed as the world’s most advanced channel system, with Class II-IV rapids to accommodate everyone from beginners to experts for rafting, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. It also offers a restaurant and beer garden (aptly named “Eddy’s”); a concert lawn; rock climbing wall and zipline; and hiking and biking trails—all just minutes from downtown. It also includes a ropes course and access to the Alabama River for flatwater kayaking and paddle boarding, with plans calling for a hotel and retail outlets. Though running the river requires a fee, admission to the park is free, keeping it accessible to the community.
The gamble on the six-year, $80 million investment appeared to be working early on. As well as increasing quality of life for residents and visitors—including those from the adjacent Maxwell Airforce Base—in April 2023 Meta announced plans to build an $800 million, 715,000-square-foot data center on 1,500 acres nearby, citing the facility as playing an important role in its decision. It even held their opening announcement there, with executives rafting the course afterward. The venue also hosted the U.S. Olympic trials. Indeed, when community leaders first envisioned the public/private project, they codenamed it “Project Catalyst”—a nod to the stimulus it could provide to the community.
“It’s not an understatement to say this project is truly transforming Montgomery,” said Leslie Sanders, chair of the Montgomery County Community Cooperative District, the multi-partner organization that oversaw the project, upon its opening. “It will be an ongoing catalyst for growth for years to come.” It also caught the state’s attention, with the park earning the Project of the Year award from Business Alabama. “Since opening in July, the park has drawn crowds from across the nation, helped us recruit new high-paying jobs and provided recreational opportunities for local residents,” maintained Montgomery County Commission chair Doug Singleton at the time.
Read more about the Montgomery Whitewater Park here.
The PTC Collab event annually offers three days of connection, collaboration, and forward-thinking conversations focused on the future of paddlesports, drawing brands, retailers, reps, outfitters, organizations, media, and industry leaders to share ideas, build momentum across the paddlesports community, and collaborate with other paddlesports industry colleagues. This year’s event was slated to be held at the Montgomery Whitewater Center.
The event is also scheduled to include PTC’s informative on-water Product Showcase (flatwater and whitewater), along with dozens of educational and informative sessions.
PTC Collab ’26 Agenda highlights include:
- Metrics and data for the Paddlesports Industry
- Facilitated discussion on ethics and best practices for Brands and Retailers working together
- A look at the Explore Act, Public Lands Efforts, and other Topics on the Hill
- Numerous sessions on how to build, support and grow the Paddlesports Community, including attracting new, younger buyers
- Futurist Eddie Soehnel’s outlook for a powerful new economic supercycle
- Partnering opportunities with nonprofit paddling organizations
- Building an Industry Index for the AI Era
- Adaptive Kayaking in Retail & Manufacturing
- PTC University Clinics:
- Kayak Fishing 101
- PaddlePRO: Kayak Safety and Risk Management
- Industry Reception, AND MUCH MORE!!
Questions? Contact PTC at info@paddlesportstradecoalition.org.
Register Today for PTC Colab ’26!
