by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)
One of Northwest Arkansas’ newest tourist draws is just across the border in Oklahoma. But there’s no denying that The Waters of Oklahoma and Arkansas (WOKA) Whitewater Park’s ripple effects will be far-reaching.
“We typically have to go a long way for something like this,” said Jerrid Gelinas of Siloam Springs. He’s an avid paddler and president of the Arkansas Canoe Club’s Northwest Arkansas Chapter. “Normally, we go to Tennessee, West Virginia; this is a new opportunity for a lot of paddlers around here. To be out here surfing paddleboards, boogie boards, kayaks, canoes and tubes is really cool.”
Gelinas was one of several hundred visitors to the 30-acre whitewater adventure park during its opening weekend on Sept. 15-17.
