Call it a ripple effect: water sports of all types are becoming increasingly popular and destinations throughout the nation are playing a major role in hosting and promoting these activities. No ocean? No problem. Even landlocked locales are taking great advantage of opportunities in lakes, rivers and gulfs.
Central Massachusetts
Central Massachusetts offers several excellent water sports venues, among them Lake Quinsigamond, known for rowing and sailing events, and the Blackstone River that is ideal for kayaking and canoeing. Additionally, Indian Lake is popular for recreational water sports activities. These venues are equipped with amenities such as locker rooms, spectator viewing stands, concession stands and parking facilities.
Key events held in this locale have included the U.S. Rowing Masters National Championships, collegiate rowing regattas, high school crew competition, and local amateur kayaking and canoeing competitions.
“Our key water sports events attract hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators, contributing positively to the local economy by boosting tourism and local business activities,” says Sam Ashraf, director of marketing, Discover Central Massachusetts. “Smaller events also bring substantial local and regional participation, boosting local businesses. While we have strong local participation, many of our larger events draw participants from across the country, contributing to our reputation as a premier destination for water sports.”
The area hosts more than 25 water sports events annually, and is actively looking to expand its event offerings. “We are looking to enhance our youth engagement programs and develop partnerships with national water sports organizations to bring more high-profile events to the region,” says Ashraf. “Additionally, we aim to improve our facilities to support a broader range of water sports activities.”
Erie, Pennsylvania
Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie are Erie’s premier venues for water sports. Presque Isle Bay is approximately five square miles, with direct access to Lake Erie. The protected bay is ideal for fishing and water sports, as it offers consistently calm waters. In addition, there are over 500 sleeping rooms on Erie’s bayfront, which also offers a waterfront amphitheater, numerous restaurants and other water-based attractions.
Renowned as a premier destination for anglers, bass fishing plays a starring role in Erie’s water sports scene. At the end of August, Erie welcomed Major League Fishing (MLF) for the first time when the B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup, presented by Toyota, came to town. The event was the first of four stops on the 2024 General Tire Team Series, presented by Bass Pro Shops. Erie has also hosted fishing events such as the Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Championship as well as annual tournaments including Kayak Anglers and King of Bass. Moreover, hundreds of athletes of all ages participate annually in events such as the Presque Isle Triathlon and the Bay Frog Open One-Mile Swim.
“The direct access to Lake Erie and the protected shores of Presque Isle Bay makes Erie an attractive destination for all water sports,” says Sydney Dietz, events and marketing manager, Erie Sports Commission. “While bass fishing is a major draw, we are always exploring opportunities to introduce diverse and exciting events to our community. We love the diversity of uses for our gem of Lake Erie and exploring sport opportunities such as dock diving, jet ski races, water skiing, water polo, sailing and ice fishing, to name a few.”
Fresno, California
Swimming and diving events take center stage in Fresno County. The Clovis West and Clovis North Aquatic Centers, both located in Clovis, are able to host swimming and diving competitions, and are the current home of the CIF Swimming & Diving Championship. Clovis West offers a full complement of diving towers in a separate diving well, a 50-meter eight-lane competition pool and two smaller pools. The Clovis North Aquatic Center includes two parallel 50-meter pools and a diving well.
The destination typically hosts four to six water sports events annually, including the CIF State Swimming and Diving Championship, youth and amateur competitions, as well as high school events. The region aims to expand that number with more swimming, diving and water polo competitions.
“Visit Fresno County is looking to bring more swimming and dive competitions for all ages to the area,” says Andrew Smith, Visit Fresno County’s director of sales. “We frequently host high school sports events but have the facilities and hotel space to host adult-centric water sports events.”
Smith adds that most events attract athletes from around the state, but groups have also come in from across the West Coast including Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. “Fresno County is right in the middle of the state, making it an optimal place for events that will have attendees from Northern, Central and Southern California. The local Fresno-Yosemite International Airport also has direct flights to several major cities across the United States.”
Gulf Shores | Orange Beach, Alabama
Water is the heartbeat of the Alabama Gulf Coast. From the Gulf of Mexico to the back bays, freshwater lakes in Gulf State Park and the Intracoastal Waterway, there are plenty of natural venues for water sports and leisure activities. These waterways have been used for a variety of events, including adult and youth kayaking and paddleboarding competitions, collegiate wakeboarding and triathlons.
“Water sports is an area we see for potential growth given our access to natural venues to host events and showcase the destination’s coastal culture,” says Michelle Russ, vice president of sales, sports and events at Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events.
The annual Brett Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon in early September is USA Triathlon-sanctioned and serves as the state championship for age group, club and high school categories. Competitors swim in the Gulf of Mexico and complete the bike and run portions along the main beach boulevard.
The race is owned and operated by Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events and managed by Magic Sports USA. The 2023 edition of the race resulted in 827 room nights and an economic impact of $477,487. This past April, the destination also hosted Flora-Bama’s Mullet Man Triathlon.
Looking ahead, says Russ, “[We] hope to attract a variety of ages, stages and abilities to visit and participate in events along Alabama’s Beaches. All are welcome to experience and explore our family-friendly destination.”
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
A 54,000-acre, man-made lake that runs 92 miles from end to end, and with more than 1,150 miles of shoreline, Lake of the Ozarks hosts more than 500 fishing events annually. These include high school and college tournaments as well as Major League Fishing, National Crappie League and Big Bass Bash competitions.
Other action includes two boat races a year held in late May and early June, and this August featured the annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, the nation’s largest powerboat race. The lake is also home to wakeboarding competitions, the annual AquaPalooza family boating and live music event, as well as a spring and a fall Harbor Hop/poker run hosted on the water with more than 35 stops.
“Our largest fishing tournament is the Big Bass Bash that draws around 7,000 anglers and thousands of weigh-in spectators and vendors,” says Lagina Fitzpatrick, executive director, Lake of the Ozarks CVB. “The Lake of the Ozarks Shootouts bring in thousands of racers and fans.”
Fitzpatrick adds that a majority of event participants come from outside a 50-mile radius, and the locale attracts many boat racing teams from out of state and from other countries, noting, “We attract all ages and demographics to our events and we are a family-friendly destination.”
Panama City Beach, Florida
Here, the Gulf of Mexico takes center stage and the locale boasts 27 miles of white sand beaches, perfect for hosting triathlons, fishing tournaments, jetski competitions and more.
Key events have included the Visit PCB IRONMAN (the November 2023 edition attracted 3,000 competitors, 10,000 visitors and resulted in $11.7 million in economic impact); and the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon (1,900 athletes, 4,000 visitors and $6.1 million economic impact). This past June, the Bay Point Billfish Open saw 85 fishing teams/boats, 5,000 attendees and $1.5 million economic impact, and the new 2023 AJSA event for Jet ski had more than 100 riders, 700 visitors and $200,000 in economic impact.
“The majority of water sports event participants tend to come from out of the area, and we’re looking to use our assets that combine competition and the beauty of our beaches,” says Chris O’Brien, sports tourism director, Visit Panama City Beach.
“The beauty of Panama City Beach is a that you can just simply bathe in the clear Gulf waters with tranquil diving, paddleboarding and snorkeling, you can enjoy the excitement of boating, fishing and jet ski rides,” says O’Brien. “The longest-running IRONMAN, (Visit PCB Florida IRONMAN) in North America takes place every November, and the Gulf is a favorite part of it every year. In Panama City Beach, dive into an unforgettable experience where the sun, surf and sand come together to create the ultimate aquatic playground.”
Rockford, Illinois
Central to this destination’s water sports scene is the Rock River which flows through downtown Rockford and can accommodate a variety of water sports events. There is also West Rock Wake Park at Levings Lake, which specializes in wakeboarding, wake skating and knee boarding using a cable system; and Shorewood Park, home of the Ski Broncs professional water ski show team.
High-profile events have included Division 1 and Division 2 Show Ski National Championships as well as Central Regional Championships. The Head of the Rock Regatta, a 3.2-mile race sanctioned by the United States Rowing Association, is hosted on the Rock River every year in October and attracts 2,000 rowers from across the country and more than 5,000 spectators.
In August there’s the annual Rock River Anything That Floats Race, featuring more than 50 homemade rafts. This past June, the region hosted its first wakeboard competition, the World Wake Association Central Regional Championships, that took place on the Rock River and West Rock Wake Park.
On the triathlon scene, Rockford recently inked a three-year deal to host an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon. The inaugural race is slated for June 2025. Lindsay Arellano, vice president of sales and service at the Rockford Area CVB, expects that the event will have an estimated economic impact of $45 million in 2025, 2026 and 2027, and she also notes that The Head of the Rock Regatta brings in an estimated $500,000 dollars every year.
“We would love to look at hosting more regattas, fishing tournaments, wakeboard competitions and whatever else we could possibly host on water,” says Arellano. “We see our water as a creative way to host additional sporting events.”
Sarasota, Florida
This Gulf Coast city has many venues suitable for water sports events. Chief among them are the Selby Aquatic Center, Nathan Benderson Park, Siesta Beach, Lido Beach, Venice and Manasota Key.
Sarasota hosts numerous national and international events year-round, including USRowing Youth National Championships (the 2024 iteration had 4,058 participants, 5,000 spectators and an economic impact of over $4 million), USA Swimming Open Water National Championships and Junior National Championships, US Masters Swimming National Championships (1,900 participants, 2,200 spectators and over $1.9 million in economic impact), USDBF Club Crew Nationals, Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix and NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships (DI, DII and DIII).
“We have around 35 water sport events per year, and that number continues to grow year after year,” says Pete Harvey, director of sports at Visit Sarasota County. “We’re known for being a water sport community and will continue to thrive on that as we expand what we do for sports tourism in our destination. Right now, we’re looking into hosting coastal rowing competitions, more spring canoe and kayak events and stand-up paddleboard events.” SDM
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