The H2 Whoa Zone
How a problem turned into a practical solution
By Priscilla Brown
Photos: Kamil Glebocki
Some of the most creative and surprising solutions evolve from the most nerve-wracking situations. Such is the story of Camp Crosley YMCA’s Whoa Zone, a recreational pond/wake cable park that now plays a major role in our programming.
The H2 Whoa Zone at the North Webster, Ind., camp is a complete waterfront experience, comprised of a three-acre lined swimming pond, a wakeboard cable, dual 100-foot waterslides, a huge beach area with a Gaga pit, a 9 Square court, a sand volleyball court, and other beach games, along with large umbrellas and chaise lounges. The camp’s Welcome Center overlooks the Whoa Zone, as does a separate, covered pavilion that seats 200, and houses a snack shack, outdoor showers, bathrooms, a laundry facility for summer staff members, and a private changing area for lifeguards. Five years ago, the entire area was unused pasture.
A Little Background
What’s the story behind the transformation?
During the summer of 2013, one of the major inflatables used during swim time on the lakefront ripped beyond repair, and ordering a new one was both time- and cost-prohibitive. The damage couldn’t have happened at a worse time as camp was into its busiest sessions of the summer. So, staff members did what camp staff does—it made things happen—hopping in the camp van and driving five hours to the supplier, Commercial Recreational Specialists (CRS) in Wisconsin, to pick up a replacement. While there, Executive Director Richard Armstrong (since retired) and Maintenance Director Adam Tharp talked with with Ron Roman of CRS about the aquatic program.
But there were a couple of problems. Kids weren’t swimming in the lake anymore. This is a different generation of campers—one that isn’t used to swimming in open, natural waters, and the aquatic program plays an integral part of camp programming. There had been conversations with staff and board members about building a pool, but no one seemed excited about that alternative. Also, reports of blue/green algae began appearing around the state, and we knew that, if that problem occurred at camp, kids would not want to swim in the lake.
Ron suggested staff members visit Bud Styer and Associates LLC, a campground consulting company that has built and incorporated several lined ponds on its properties. After visiting Bud’s properties, the staff brought the idea of a recreational pond to the camp’s board of managers, who greeted it with enthusiasm and support, and started fundraising efforts in earnest. Monte Brown, the board president at the time, said, “The board was extremely excited about the concept, and this laid the groundwork for fundraising. It was the idea of the experience of the Whoa Zone versus a pool.”
Coming up with a solution was the easy part. Making that solution a reality was a different story entirely.
Nothing about the three-year project was simple according to Tharp—from cutting through bureaucratic red tape with county and state officials to water testing. Oh, and then there were some pesky deer that nibbled the liner before the pond was to be filled. “Looking back,” Tharp explains, “we put aesthetics over function, and we should have designed the pond with more intention about what we were putting in it first. Not the other way around.” Certain inflatables that worked in the lake didn’t fit into the design of the Whoa Zone, and the wakeboard cable had to be shortened because the pond wasn’t wide enough at the ends for what was needed, according to Sesitec Systems, the company that installed the wakeboard cable. “If I had to do it over again, I’d also have the anchors in place before filling the pond,” Tharp continues. Camp received help from a board member who owns a scuba business, along with the local sheriff’s office dive team that placed all the anchors.
Putting Together A Puzzle
Once the project was completed, Naomi Thompson, a program director, designed the Whoa Zone’s safety plan and training. She considered the location of lifeguard stations based on safety regulations, as well as on sight lines and camper swim abilities and sizes. In creating a safe, effective water-programming experience, Thompson had to look at the Whoa Zone through the eyes of both campers and lifeguards. “I’m a puzzle person, and I like problem-solving, so I just came at it like it was just one big puzzle,” Thompson explains.
From a lifeguarding perspective, she considered where the inflatables were anchored and positioned lifeguards in areas that gave them the best vantage point. “The first summer, we didn’t have elevated chairs or floating piers, but we did have these old stand-up paddle board prototypes that someone had donated to camp years ago, and they were long and floated, so I placed them all around and had the lifeguards sitting on those. I stationed one guard on top of the Summit, which wasn’t ideal, but it was the best location at the time for overseeing several inflatables.”
She and Armstrong chose Wibit inflatable systems. They aren’t just fun for campers, but also create a sense of community on the water. The aqua obstacle course allows kids to jump, run, leap, and slide around and through and over. The kids line up together, shout encouragement and instructions to one another; they wait their turn, and when they fall off, they help haul each other back onto the inflatable and start the process all over again.
From a camp director’s viewpoint, this activity also reinforces the camp’s four core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility. Campers have fun, and judging from the reviews, parents are thrilled with the new swimming area. Without a doubt, the addition of the Whoa Zone has boosted the number of campers.
Endless Possibilities
The Whoa Zone didn’t just change how we run swim time, but it expanded the waterski/wakeboarding programming, as well as the skills clinics and evening programming. Adding a wake cable has allowed for more slots for campers to learn to ski and/or wakeboard, and gives us another cabin activity with the RAD water disk. We moved beginning canoeing from the lake to the Whoa Zone to give campers who were new to the activity more sense of control, and added a Corcl class to the lineup. Scuba instructors love the water clarity (we work with a local college for weekly water testings), and we even sunk a few fun items like a ping-pong table and an old paddleboat for the classes to dive for.
We serve themed cook-outs in the pavilion, which work right into evening activities such as luaus on the beach. The summer leadership staff created a Triwizard Cup Tournament based upon the Harry Potter books, and it runs an entire water-related contest in the Whoa Zone.
The H2Whoa Zone has been a game changer. “It’s been amazing for camp,” Brown explains. “We were blessed with the major donors seeing the vision. That’s what it takes—having donors who are visionaries and making them part of the team.”
Where would we be if a large inflatable had not ripped right before our busiest sessions? Who knows—but we’re grateful for some well-appointed conversations, board members, and staff members with a vision so kids can go back to doing what they do best in the summer—swimming!
Priscilla Brown is the Associate Executive Director for Camp Crosley YMCA in North Webster, Ind. Reach her at priscilla@campcrosley.org.