What is The Slider Project?
The Slider Project is a community organization dedicated to growing the sport of Kiteboarding. We are located in Hood River, Oregon and we manage the world's only free-standing, public kiteboarding park.
A kiteboarding park is no different than a terrain park at a ski resort ... other than the fact that there is no snow, no skiers and no firm ground to actually build something into. In a kiteboarding park, you need to construct rideable features that can float, remained anchored in one spot, and withstand winds of up to 50mph.
A problem specific to our park is that we are located in a river, which has constantly changing water levels and current. It's a tricky task, but practice makes perfect. Over the years we have developed a methodology for slider construction and management which has helped us develop one of the best (and only) kiteboarding parks in the world. With your help, we aim to raise $10,000 to construct a new feature for our park. Any additional funding will go towards repairs, renovations, and food for all the volunteers who make this park possible!
The Liquid Force Dance Floor![]()
Currently we have 3 features that we manage; The Liquid Force Dance Floor, The Slingshot Kicker, and the North Rooftop Rail. The structure of the organization has also shifted from that of a for profit business to that of a non for profit LLC that is managed "By the community, for the community". There are many people who make up the Slider Project and we all view it as our community service, to give back to a place that has given us so much. We love teaching people how to ride our features because we get them hooked and eventually part of the movement. All riders are welcome in the park and that is the ethos of The Slider Park. At the end of the day, we are about sharing our stoke with the world and we couldn't find a better outlet to do that than The Slider Project.
The North Rooftop![]()
The Slingshot Kicker
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Kiteboarding is a relatively new sport that is constantly changing in focus. Currently on the world tour for kiteboarding, there are disciplines ranging from course racing, big air, freestyle and speed trials. Over the past couple years, a new side of the sport has emerged and gained tons of notoriety. 10 Years Ago, REAL Watersports in Cape Hatteras, NC began to legitimize this side of the sport by creating a contest called the Triple S Invitational.
It was founded by riders who wanted to bring the aspect of feature riding into the public's eye. After 10 years of successful events, The Triple S Invitational is currently the largest freestyle kiteboarding contest in the United States.
The event also inspired a slider dedicated kiteboarding event in Hood River called the Ro Sham Throw Down. It was open to everyone and attracted the very same riders that were invited to the Triple S. It also provided an opportunity for international riders to complete their trip to the United States by traveling from Cape Hatteras to Hood River. This year we resurrected this idea with an event called the Hood River Slider Jam. It is our hope that we can expand the park to facilitate an event of similar size as the Triple S Invitational and complete a small American Kiteboarding tour.
Hood River, OR![]()
There are few spots that are as perfectly set up for a kiteboarding park as Hood River, OR. With constant West winds all summer and a giant sandbar created by the outflow of the Hood River, nature has provided the ultimate spot for a kiteboarding park. There are also not many spots that will actually allow a free standing kite park that is open to the public. The Port of Hood River operates with a great sense of community and has permitted The Slider Project to have these features accessible for all those who want to enjoy.
What We Need & What You Get
The Slider Project is in need of your help. Over the years we have learned a lot about feature building and management. With development in slider construction technologies, some of the older features in our park have become dangerous and outdated, so we are looking to replace and/or update them. We want to make features that are accessible to all, easy to manage, and will endure for years to come. Our plan is to raise enough money to build a new kicker, dedicated to bringing new people into feature riding. Our present kicker is massive. It's fun for those who are extremely talented, but intimidating for those just looking to get a taste of feature riding. With your help, we are going to build a kicker that is about half the size and perfect for those wanting to get airborne for their first time. Joby Cook at Jibstruction has proposed the new Kicker take on the following shape:
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The Impact
The Slider Project is a small operation, run by only a few passionate people who are willing to put their spare time in to make sure others can enjoy the park. Any support you give goes a long way to helping support this community of people. To get an idea of the impact you would have and who you would have it on, check out our video at the top of this page. We spent a lot of time making it and it will surely blow your mind. Yup, we stand by that. It's that good. Ian Daly donated his time and services to put the whole thing together. He also cam up with our new logo. Red Tide Pictures filmed all of our interviews, Lance Koudele donated the drone footage, and riders from all around the world contributed clips to make it happen. See how many people made it happen? How is it not worth a watch?
Risks & Challenges
The Slider Project is a community organization that relies solely on passionate people for success. When a slider needs to be moved, there is no jet ski or boat that helps. It is the sweat straight from the average kiteboarders back that makes it all possible. We pull out the sliders every winter, store them on the beach, and then slide them back into position at the beggining of the season.
By donating to this fundraiser, you will be part of the kiteboarding community here in Hood River. Every dollar you spend will go towards
- Maintenance for the park (welding, wood, nails, screws, etc)
- Food and Beverage for Work Parties
- Future events, such as the Hood River Slider Jam 2016
- Keeping our wallet from drying up as we keep the park accessible to everyone!
Other Ways You Can Help
If you can't help out monetarily, there are still plenty of other ways to support.
- Like "The Slider Project" Facebook Page so as to stay updated on what is going on.
- Sign up for our work party e-mail list, so to help with future project
- Share this campagin! Maybe you know someone who is incredibly passionate about this side of the sport, or someone who is always down to help, or maybe just someone with way too much money! ;)
- Visit thesliderproject.us to see a sweet website
The Slider Project currently has a beginner friendly rail that is in need of repairs. Depending on the success of this campaign, we will use any funds raised over the goal to build a more manageable feature Liquid Force Dance Floor that weighs about two tons. While it is incredibly beginner friendly, the sheer size is too much to manage. Plus, it's lifeline will run out pretty soon as it is already in need of repairs. Any additional funding we receive will either go towards repairing the Dance Floor, or creating another beginner friendly feature that would be fun for people of all levels.
