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Vol. 38, No. 18

4-21-2004
By: Randy Gammage

Possibilities are endless for new Adventure Rec Center

Dreams of rock climbing, white water rafting or sea kayaking can soon turn to reality when the Adventure Recreation Center (ARC) opens on west campus.

OSU faculty, staff and students will be able to rent a variety of gear necessary for outdoor excursions when the new facility opens east of Blankenship Hall in late summer.

“Columbus is a great jump-off point for many adventure sports,” said Steve Hawkins, assistant director of the Outdoor Adventure Center (OAC) to be housed within the ARC.

Nearby national forests provide ample opportunities for backpacking, he said, while some of the best white water rafting and kayaking destinations in the nation are a short drive away. Also, excellent sites for sea kayaking, rock climbing and numerous other outdoor adventures can be reached in four to eight hours by car.

Hawkins said the OAC will rent equipment ranging from canoes and kayaks, to an array of accessories for camping and backpacking. Clinics and workshops will be offered to prepare people for individual outings or group excursions arranged by the center. Tour packages ranging from one afternoon to a couple of weeks will be offered year-round beginning autumn quarter.

“The possibilities are endless,” Hawkins said. “Opportunities we are exploring include rock climbing, mountaineering, white water rafting and kayaking, canoeing, spelunking, backpacking, cross-country and downhill skiing, winter camping, ice and fly fishing and mountain biking.”

He said rental prices have not yet been established.

“We’ve been doing some benchmarking as far as what is available in the community so that we can offer a competitive value for what they check out,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins is no stranger to outdoor adventure. Prior to joining OSU in 2002 as assistant men’s swim coach, he served 12 years as a California state parks lifeguard, followed by two years as a state parks ranger along the San Diego coast. In his spare time, he climbed mountains in the High Sierras and competed in ocean paddle boarding marathons such as the 32-mile Catalina Classic.

“Outdoor adventure sports have always been a passion of mine,” Hawkins said.

Diane Jensen, associate director of recreational sports, said the ARC is expected to be popular among underserved populations such as outdoor adventurers, sport clubs and true commuter students.

The Adventure Recreation Center is being built in conjunction with the Recreational and Physical Activity Center (RPAC) — set to open in 2005 — being constructed in two phases to replace Larkins Hall. Designers basically “peeled off” some of the square footage and features from the Larkins Hall replacement project when it became apparent space was too tight to include everything at the current site, Jensen said.

In addition to the outdoor center, ARC will include an indoor climbing center, fitness and conditioning space, four basketball courts, locker rooms and two multi-activity fields for indoor turf sports.

Jensen said the new facilities should aid in the retention and recruitment of faculty, staff and students, and create opportunities for about 1,000 student jobs — nearly double the current amount.

Expanded programs

The expanded space and staff also will open the door for Recreational Sports to dramatically expand its health and wellness programs to meet the needs of the campus community.

More youth sports, classes and a new themed summer sports camp called “Camp Recky” are being introduced through the new Age Group and Camps Program (formerly the Family Recreation Instruction Program). Camp activities include swimming, art projects, sports, reading and field trips. The summer camp runs from June 21-Aug. 20. For details, contact Jil Anderson, assistant director in charge of the Age Group and Camps Program, at 688-8787 or anderson.1049@osu.edu.

Teens and adults also will have more programs to choose from when the new facilities open. RPAC members will be allowed to bring in their kids to exercise during weekend family hours with the normal dependent fee waived, said Kris Myers, membership director. Family hours will be from 4-9 p.m. Friday for RPAC, and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m.-noon for the ARC and noon-5 p.m. for RPAC (the main facility).

\0“We wanted the facility to be family friendly, so we are offering considerations such as the family hours, baby sitting, family changing areas and other services,” Myers said.

A tentative timetable for opening of the main recreation center is early- to mid-2005 for phase one and late 2006 for phase two, Jensen said.

Unique RPAC features of note will include a large glass-enclosed atrium where students can gather, overhead and underground walkways, wireless Internet connections, a student wellness center, and space for recreation, Physical Activities and Educational Services (PAES) and athletic competition. Other features include 25,000 square feet of fitness conditioning space, a suspended jogging track, five swimming pools, and squash and racquetball courts.

Additionally, four multi-activity fields will be installed in the open area west of Larkins and south of Ohio Stadium. One of those fields, an artificial turf field located immediately east of Lincoln and Morrill towers that opened last spring, will serve as a practice field for the marching band, and accommodate intramural sports, club sports and physical education classes, Jensen said. For more details on the recreation center project, visit the Web at www.ohiostaterecsports.org

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Membership rates

• Autumn quarter 2004 through winter quarter 2005:
Rates are for the Adventure Recreation Center on west campus.

Faculty/staff: $6/month, $18/quarter

Spouse/spousal partner: $6/month,$18/quarter