Join Us at the 2024 Paddle Sports Show for an Inspiring Talk by Scott Shipley
Scott Shipley, former Olympic athlete and World Cup slalom kayaking champion, will be speaking at this year’s Paddle Sports Show. Scott, now the leader of Calibre Engineering’s Whitewater Design Team and founder of S2O Design, specializes in designing innovative artificial whitewater courses and river restoration projects worldwide. During his talk, Scott will explore the differences between traditional Olympic venues and the more sustainable, profitable models developed by S2O. He will discuss the future of whitewater park design and the important role these venues will play, especially with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics on the horizon.
Paddle Sports Show: Scott, what’s the key message you want to convey at this year’s show?
Scott Shipley: There’s a growing movement within the International Olympic Committee, and by extension, the International Canoe Federation, to focus on sustainability in venue design. Our team is pushing to create venues that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Environmentally, the answer lies in natural river sites, which are the epitome of sustainability. However, economic sustainability is more complex, and that’s what I want to highlight—contrasting traditional Olympic venues like Augsburg, Penrith, and Markkleeberg with more profitable models like the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC, which is the most utilized and profitable whitewater park globally.
Paddle Sports Show: You’ve been behind many major projects in the US over the past decade. Can you share some highlights and tell us which project you’re most proud of?
Scott Shipley: Our most famous venue is the US National Whitewater Center, but I’m also very proud of Riversport Rapids in Oklahoma City, which will host the 2028 Olympics, and the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre in London, which hosted the 2012 Olympics. We also have exciting new projects like the Great Falls Boater Bypass in South Carolina and the Danville Whitewater Park in Virginia. These dam bypass projects provide environmental benefits and offer a huge potential to grow the sport by making paddling more accessible to everyone.
“We believe that our expertise in creating economically sustainable venues sets us apart from the competition”
Paddle Sports Show: Does your presence at the Paddle Sports Show indicate a desire to expand your work in Europe and beyond?
Scott Shipley: Absolutely. We’ve already done some work in Europe—our remodeled venue in Bratislava hosted the 2021 World Championships, and we have several new projects in the works. We believe that our expertise in creating economically sustainable venues sets us apart from the competition and offers European countries a great opportunity to increase training time while securing funding for future racing and training.
Paddle Sports Show: You have a very pragmatic approach when pitching whitewater park projects to communities, right? Is it about local business development and image transformation?
Scott Shipley: Yes, exactly. Many of our clients are looking for more than just the financial gains of a whitewater park. They want to transform their city’s image and attract tourism. A river town with whitewater and other outdoor activities can become a hub for adventure tourism. For example, the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte grosses around $30 million per year, but its broader economic impact is estimated at over $100 million annually, creating jobs and benefiting local businesses like hotels and restaurants. This kind of ripple effect is what many cities and towns are seeking.
“My dream is to work with the International Canoe Federation to design and build a whitewater venue that sets the standard for the future of the sport.”
Paddle Sports Show: What is your dream project?
Scott Shipley: My dream is to work with the International Canoe Federation to design and build a whitewater venue that sets the standard for the future of the sport. This venue would be environmentally and economically sustainable and capable of hosting Olympic Games or World Championships. I’m 53 now, so this is a project that would take a few years to develop, but I hope it will redefine what an Olympic venue should be for generations to come.
Scott Shipley will be speaking on September 25th at 3:00 PM.
For more information about the Paddle Sports Show 2024 Conference Program, visit: www.thepaddlesportshow.com/conferences-talks-program/
Learn more about S2O Design: s2odesign.com
