Tsurumi pumps are being used to power Japan’s first artificial canoe slalom course, located next to Kasai Rinkai Park in Tokyo. Nearly 20 high-capacity pumps — some of which weigh up to 10 tons — have been installed at the facility. They are creating strong and steady currents for professional canoe racing. Tsurumi is an official sponsor of the Japan Canoe Federation, and the sport is seeing steady growth in the country.
Tsurumi has been instrumental in creating the world-class training facility. It is divided into two sub-courses: a warm-up course and a competition course. Tsurumi utilizes flow pumps for the warm-up course, to maintain slower currents, and lift pumps for the competition course, to create more challenging currents.
When entering the warm-up course, athletes deal with gentle currents that are powered by 15 submersible BG Series flowing pumps. These units are fitted with guide rail fitting devices, enabling easy lifting and hoisting of the pumps on the piping system. Each BG Series pump can discharge up to 3,400 gallons of water per minute (gpm).
For the competition course, Tsurumi installed four submersible SSP Series pumps. These simulate the power of river rapids, agitating and thrusting the water forward and upwards, which resembles lifelike river rapids. The SSP Series pumps stand 17.7 feet and weigh 10 tons each. These gigantic submersible pumps can discharge 63,500 gpm, enough to fill an 82-foot swimming pool within about 1 minute. These are the largest class of submersible pumps that Tsurumi has installed anywhere in Japan.
With the ability to generate currents both fast and slow, the facility can host professional canoe slalom athletes and offer them a tailored, cutting-edge training experience.
Advocating canoeing
Established in 1938, the Japan Canoe Federation represents and governs canoeing sports in Japan. In addition to strengthening and expanding competitive canoeing, the federation is also tasked with promoting canoeing as a life-long sport that improves health and fosters a healthy body and mind. As a proud sponsor of Japan Canoe Federation, Tsurumi also shares this mission and seeks to make canoeing sports accessible to all.
“As a company that takes pride in being involved in the community, it has been a great honor to help support the efforts of promoting canoeing with Japan Canoe Federation,” said Glenn Wieczorek, Tsurumi’s managing director in North America. “We hope to see the canoe slalom course attract more young talents into canoeing sports in the future.”
Tsurumi has two factories in Japan, one in Kyoto and the other in Yonago. The pumps used for the canoe slalom course are designed, assembled and tested at the Yonago facility, which mainly manufactures large lifting and dewatering pumps, large submersible pumps, and liquid ring vacuum pumps and compressors. For more information on the Yonago plant, please visit https://www.tsurumi-global.com/corporate/production_base/yonago.php