In the race to become a frontrunner in sports and recreation, Winston-Salem, North Carolina is pulling ahead thanks to several new facilities and events planned for 2016. From NBA star Chris Paul and his partnership with D1 Sports to the soon-to-open National Cycling Center, Winston-Salem is ready to host athletes competing and training at all levels of play.
Construction has begun on the new National Cycling Center (NCC), which is set to open May 2016. Affiliated with USA Cycling, the center is a three-level, 42,000-square-foot facility located in downtown Winston-Salem. The upper level will feature 10 double-occupancy rooms for housing, training room, meeting space, open kitchen and lounge, laundry facilities and study area for young athletes. Offices, exam rooms and a metabolic testing lab will be on the lower level, with a third street level space for bike storage and maintenance areas. The facility will serve as a training site for road and other cycling disciplines, including mountain and cyclocross. Currently, the NCC is in discussions to be certified as one of only two U.S. Olympic Committee training sites in the country. Cycling enthusiasts may also enjoy the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, which takes place annually in May, as well as the USA Cycling Pro Road & TT National Championships and USA Cycling Masters Cycling Masters Road National Championships, for which Winston-Salem is host for both events in 2016 and 2017.
Athletes looking for an extra edge can try the D1 Sports Facility, which opened in 2015. Chris Paul, point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers and Winston-Salem native, partnered with Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center on this 45,000-square-foot space which features two NBA basketball courts with 12 goals, two volleyball nets, a state-of-the-art weight room, synthetic turf field (85x35) and sports therapy and rehabilitation area.
At the Sutton Center on the campus of Wake Forest University, construction is currently underway on a $45 million renovation and expansion of the at W.N. Reynolds Gymnasium. The project will add 45,000 square feet of recreation space, including a two-level climbing wall and additional basketball courts. While this facility has limited access, it is available in the summer, in keeping with NCAA guidelines.
In downtown Winston-Salem, the Benton Convention Center is preparing for a multi-phased renovation project, beginning January 2016. Scheduled for completion in May 2017, the 100,000-square-foot center will undergo significant structural, design and technological upgrades to the interior and exterior of the building. The Benton is an ideal location for indoor competitions such as cheerleading, dance, karate, Taekwondo, and fencing, to name just a few.
In 2015, The Patriot Disc Golf Course at Triad Park opened an 18-hole Championship Level course, which registers 7,100 feet in distance, making it one of the longest disc golf course in North Carolina. There are two tee locations per hole – long and short. The long tees play at 7,171 feet of total distance, and short tees play at 5,010 feet of total distance.
“Thanks to our great year-round mild temperatures, Winston-Salem is an ideal place to get your adrenaline pumping,” stated Richard Geiger, Visit Winston-Salem president. “These new offerings complement our collection of award-winning facilities and will allow even more sports enthusiasts to enjoy the area.”
Winston-Salem is also home to LJVM Coliseum, JDL Fast Track, BB&T Ballpark, Wake Forest Tennis Complex and BB&T Soccer Park, as well as championship golf courses, nearby mountain trails for hiking and biking.
About Visit Winston-Salem (visitwinstonsalem.com): Visit Winston-Salem, the official destination marketing organization of the Forsyth County Tourism Development Authority, sells and markets our assets and attractions to visitors as a convention, events and tourism destination for the economic benefit of the community.
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