Youth Pavilion, Sky Trail & Zip Line

Oklahoma City-area youth will soon have access to a variety of adventure activities at a new youth pavilion planned for the Boathouse District. SandRidge Energy is donating funds for construction of a youth pavilion and adventure attractions in the Boathouse District at the Oklahoma River. The SandRidge Youth Pavilion is designed to provide adventure activities that include a Sky Trail™ course, a zip line across the Oklahoma River, an outdoor climbing wall and indoor surf park.

The project was first unveiled in December, 2011, with the announcement that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma would provide the initial $500,000 donation for the multi-phased project. Blue Cross and Blue Shield also provided funding for the new “KaBoom” playground adjacent to the pavilion.

RIVERSPORT Adventures

While the focus is on youth, the new adventure attractions will appeal to people of all ages.The 16,000 square foot pavilion will include rowing and paddling elements, classroom and event space, and will be a central hub for OKC RIVERSPORT youth teams, summer camps and community events.

The adventure sports will also be used for team building and corporate retreats, and will be accessible via a day pass to anyone in the community.

Indoor Surfing

The newest addition to the plan is an indoor surf park. Similar parks exist at some of the more unique venues in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The indoor surfing venue will be a unique  water feature for people of all ages to enjoy year round, and will serve as a venue for world-class boarding competitions. Just as rowing and kayaking have been developed as both recreational and competitive sports in Oklahoma City, surfing is expected to gain the same popularity.

Sky Trail™ and Adventure Zip Line

The youth pavilion will anchor the project which also includes construction of an OKC RIVERSPORT Sky Trail™ and zip line over the Oklahoma River.

Similar in concept to a Ropes course, Sky Trail™ participants will clip into a safety harness at ground level, then climb, jump and swing across various adventure elements as they ascend to a height of four-stories.

At the 75-foot peak they will have the option of zipping across a 700-foot zip line spanning the Oklahoma River. A return zip line will bring them back to the north shore skimming just above the roofline of the youth pavilion.

The budget for the new Boathouse District attractions including the new surfing feature, youth pavilion, Sky Trail™ and zip line, as well as a mountain bike trail, is estimated to be $5 million to $7 million. Construction of the phased project is expected to begin in summer, 2012.