Colorado Springs Secures Three-Year Contract With World's Largest Amateur Outdoor Grass Volleyball Tournament

Colorado Springs has landed a portion of one of the nation's fastest-growing and most popular amateur sports events this summer and through 2011.

The city has been named as a site for the 19th Annual Spikefest Tournament, the world's largest 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 amateur outdoor grass volleyball event series.

This two-day event combines fast-paced volleyball action with a festival-style atmosphere that includes food, music, contests and more. The tournament will take place at Memorial Park on August 15-16.

Competition is open in men's, women's, co-ed and junior boys and girls divisions for athletes from recreational to elite level status, with registration open now at www.spikefest.com.

Colorado Springs is one of the event's major stops, which include Dallas, Jacksonville, Houston, Jacksonville, Austin, and Boulder.

Spikefest attracts over 2,000 players and draws over 8,000 fans per event. It draws top amateur talent regionally and nationally in addition to everyday volleyball "joes" and "janes" and recreational and competitive juniors teams.

Experience Colorado Springs, the Convention & Visitors Bureau, and The Colorado Springs Sports Corporation combined their efforts to make Colorado Springs an annual destination for the tournament for the next three years.

"This is a CSCVB and Sports Corp partnership event – we co-hosted the site visit and worked together to meet the requirements to bring the event here," said Cheryl McCullough, Sports and Special Events Manager at Experience Colorado Springs.

"Landing this popular event contributes another sports option for the quality of life of the residents of the city and enhances our reputation as a top sports event destination," says Sports Corp President and CEO Tom Osborne. "The summer of 2009 will be huge for the city, with Spikefest, the 2009 State Games of America, the 87th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Sky Sox baseball and more."