Columbus picks two outfitters for whitewater course | News

COLUMBUS, GA - We are one step closer to rafting on the Chattahoochee. Two outfitters have been chosen to guide rafters down the river.

Whitewater Express (WE) will be located in downtown Phenix City and Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) will be located in Uptown Columbus.

Each outfitter will offer all the supplies, services and expertise needed for rafting on the Chattahoochee.

Richard Bishop, CEO of Uptown Columbus and Manager of the Whitewater project, said, “We are tremendously excited about having Sutton Bacon (NOC) and Dan Gilbert (WE) join our whitewater team. They were selected from a highly competitive field of potential outfitters and these two groups were the best of the best. Our communities could not ask for better.”

Each proposal from possible outfitters was read by a committee of community leaders and involved whitewater supporters from both sides of the river and the field was narrowed down for final interviews of the top four outfitters.

“Once the interviews were complete, two stood out to the committee. After review of the needs for operating the whitewater venue and assessing the expected number of visitors, the committee selected the final two with Whitewater Express representing the Phenix City venue and Nantahala Outdoor Center on the Columbus side”, said Bishop.

“We’ve been running this part of the Chattahoochee for over a year and this is by far some of the best rapids and experiences to be had on any river. We are happy to be a part of this project and to have the opportunity to become a part of the great communities of Phenix City and Columbus,” said Dan Gilbert, President of Whitewater Express.

Sutton Bacon, CEO of Nantahala Outdoor Center, is looking forward to the development of more river activities. “We envision a shared outdoor recreation area, eventually offering a variety of different activities and experiences to drive visitation and consumer spending in both communities.”

Both NOC and WE have been in the community many times, guiding selected rafting trips down the Chattahoochee. Both outfitters have already started the process of securing retail space, ordering equipment and becoming engaged in the community.