Photo // Claire McKenna 

ROUND TWO. Notre Dame students Sam, Ashely and Reece gear up to go down the river again.

By: Claire McKenna

Staff-Writer

The East Race Waterway concluded its fortieth season on Sept. 1, marking another year of whitewater rafting in South Bend. The waterway, created by the South Bend Parks Department, is the first artificial whitewater course in North America, complete with 2,000 feet of three different water levels and strategically placed obstacles to help turbulence. This one-of-a-kind splash pad is the thrill of the South Bend summer.  

Many were able to enjoy this past season. Notre Dame students Sam, Ashely and Reece found out about this event through their Young Life program and decided to go. “At some points it was kind of difficult, but it wasn’t too bad,” Reece commented. 

“They told us to go head on, but navigating that was difficult.” Ashely added. They enjoyed their time so much that they decided to go for a second time.  

There were also students from IU South Bend coming out for the fun. Hillary Corona, a sophomore at IUSB, came out with her boyfriend to try the course. 

“The closest thing I’ve ever done to this was canoeing in a pond, but this was very different,” she said. “Once you are going down, you just feel like you are going to fall out. It looks easier than it actually was.” 

Hillary said she really enjoyed this event but wished that there was more advertisement about it. If it were not for her connections, she would not have known about it.  

Anyone can join in the summer next year for their 2025 season.