Maxawave System Put On Hold In/Around: Shadle

Thu., July 1, 1999

By Kristen Kromer kristenk@spokesman.com

Expect smooth waters at Shadle pool for at least the rest of the year.

The scheduled MaxaWave installation hit a snag. The state review process took longer than anticipated because there were no regulations written for anything like the novel MaxaWave.

A hybrid of regular swimming pools and water parks, the MaxaWave system provides windy lake-like choppy waves with the flip of a switch.

The city’s contract with MaxaWave required that the system be installed in 1998.

The company had originally offered the city a 90-day trial period - like a money-back guarantee - for the system since Shadle was only the second pool in the country to try it, said Hal McGlathery, the city’s recreation services division manager.

Now, however, the company has installed several systems in the United States and will not offer Spokane the 90-day trial period.

Officials are reluctant to try the system without the guarantee.

“They haven’t proven to us there’s less reason to be concerned,” McGlathery said.

The company issued an ultimatum, requiring a decision by the end of August.

Now officials are researching MaxaWave’s performance at the pools in which it’s been installed. If they collect favorable feedback about MaxaWave, McGlathery said the wave system could be installed by early next year.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.