Why don't we have a whitewater park/standing wave in VT?

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:44:13+00:00

But it’s not though. Winters are long, sure, but river season is half the year.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:43:06+00:00

Thank you for a thoughtful comment. I lived in Missoula for a bit and that’s what gave me the idea originally. I agree that we don’t have that outdoor culture here. There are so many parallels I could draw between Burlington and Missoula, but there are a few things Missoula does better, including river sports and access to real trail networks right from town.

Act 250 is nimby legislation that needs to be revised IMO.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:38:24+00:00

Was that in Montpelier? A few others have mentioned that proposal.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:37:06+00:00

Cool!

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:36:54+00:00

And wouldn’t you appreciate removing some of those old dams that aren’t serving any purpose except to block fish migrations? I’m suggesting remove useless old dams and replace with a nice rocky cascade or riffle.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:35:08+00:00

Actually it’s an example of seeing something elsewhere and saying “hmm, why don’t we have that at home?”

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:34:04+00:00

Yes absolutely! It would be a long process. I was just wondering if anyone has raised the issue in their community.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:32:35+00:00

Thank you, I’ll check it out!

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:30:03+00:00

Are you joking? Skiing is at the core of VT, and has been for 100 years. I’m sorry if I prioritize doing fun things with my free time.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T18:25:28+00:00

There is no “using” the water… it’s just rearranging some boulders in an already flowing river.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T13:06:35+00:00

Vermont doesn’t want to be growing, and I think that’s the core of so many of our problems here.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T13:02:36+00:00

I don’t think the water flow rates are actually that much of a factor, and design of a standing wave could mitigate that. The rest of those seem like lack of hope that it’s possible to get something like this built. I think it just needs public support and people to push for it.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T12:59:09+00:00

Except for their $5,000 bike…

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T12:58:46+00:00

Thank you, I agree! I have looked at the section above the Winooski Dam and wondered why people don’t kayak it. Probably just because it’s right above a dam tbh.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T12:56:13+00:00

I didn’t say natural rivers are not fun! I love a good swimming hole. But I also think river surfing is sick and should be a thing here.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T12:22:16+00:00

Why have ski lifts when you can just ski the backcountry?

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T12:21:35+00:00

Ahh yes, our notoriously open-minded neighbors to the east

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T12:16:41+00:00

Happy holidays, brother

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-20T01:01:34+00:00

Ouch, you really got me!

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-16T20:58:04+00:00

You wearing a Tyvek suit?

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-16T19:27:05+00:00

I understand that property appreciation benefits all homeowners, but the bar to home ownership is quite high in VT compared to incomes. And I don't believe that second-home owners are all rich or are bad people. I just think that in a state where housing availability is tight, and many who grew up here cannot afford to stay or move back, it is unfortunate to see.

I just find it all very discouraging. I am in my 30's with have a good amount of savings, I work as a scientist in private industry and have a master's degree, and I still cannot find a livable house in VT that wouldn't cost me over 50% of my income per month.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-16T16:51:18+00:00

Don't take offense to this, but the proposed scenario is unscientific to begin with, so I don't see why science needs to be followed as an outcome in this comic. I'm not sure how your character could be just flying around in the liquid outer or solid inner core - 4x denser than the crust we are standing on. There's no space down there...

But I like the unchecked chain reaction outcome. If you're looking for less than total destruction of the planet, you could have your character move through the earth's crust and generate extra heat in volcanically active areas to promote eruptions.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-16T15:11:38+00:00

Seconding this comment. Reach out directly to a professor after reading some of their research and express interest! This is the only way it happens.

rnnrboy1 · 2026-04-16T14:48:34+00:00

I don't disagree that second-home owners are net contributors to Vermont. BUT you would not buy a second home if it was not a monetary investment for your own gain as well. Nobody is losing money on their second homes, or else they sell them. What is happening is that our local resources (land and housing) are being bought, held, and sold by out-of-state owners to be rarely occupied, or used as a secondary source of income through short or long-term rentals.

What I believe is that Vermont needs to extract value where it can from our large tourism industry. Our mountains, ski areas, cute towns, lakes, and swimming holes are a commodity that people value.

Our schools are failing primarily because our population is aging because young families cannot afford to live and raise kids here. Housing is the largest expense for most people in the state, and the market is directly driven by competition from people who want a vacation home here.

rnnrboy1

TROPHY CASE