PRESS RELEASE: S2O Design Creates Lyons Outdoor Games Events Centers

S2o Volunteer’s for the Lyons Outdoor Games

Organizers of the Lyons Outdoor Games came to S2O Design with an urgent request: Can you pull together whitewater for this year’s Lyons Outdoor Games? A 1-in-500 year flood event devastated the town of Lyons, CO in 2013 and damaged a large swath of Town around the river. While the Town is committed to continuing its outdoor games, venues have needed to be re-created in order to host many of the events. S2o was asked to help create both the Slalom and Freestyle venues. S2o worked with the Town of Lyons Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Events and the local parks and recreation commission as well as organizers of the Outdoor Games to create the whitewater park needed for the games to occur.

S2O Design donated more than $10,000 in in-kind services and also sponsored the event. As a part of its efforts S2O Design worked with local stakeholders to design and lay-out the slalom and freestyle venues and then applied for USACE and FEMA permits required to work in the active waterway. The improvements included creation of a freestyle feature at the Black Bear hole and stabilization of the riverbed at the former location of the “A-Hole”, installation of a bendway weir to redirect flow off the south bank, and random boulder placements for slalom eddies and character.

The redesign has been a resounding success. The Freestyle feature is in and creates a great venue for the competition. The new eddies and pools also create a much better reach for the slalom races during this year’s Lyons Outdoor Games. “We are so excited to have world-class features for this year’s outdoor games” said event Organizer Rebecca Louzan, “we look forward to having some of the country’s best paddlers here on May 30th for the games”.

The Lyons Outdoor Games is a premier Colorado outdoor lifestyle, adventure sport and music festival. There will be a number of events focused around Bohn Park including a kid’s climbing wall and drink craft microbrew from over 50 craft microbreweries around the country. There will also be a number of world class athletes competing in professional kayaking, dirt jumping and slacklining comps! Visitors can sign up for this year’s Beer Relay or kick off your flip flops and jump on a slackline. Music will be performed by national touring acts and there will be concessions for food and beverages.

S2O Design is excited to have helped make this event happen. We are proud to provide our services to enhance great events like the Lyons Outdoor Games and to make Lyons a better place to live, visit, and recreate in.