If you’ve always wanted to try parkour but the fear of
falling to your death is deterring you, the Whoa Zone floating waterpark might
be the place to try out your James Bond-induced fantasy.
Construction started this week in Whiting, Ind. on the part-bounce house, part-obstacle course aquatic playground. News sources from Milwaukee to Detroit jumped on the story with headlines misleading enough to get us here at the MT excited.
We were originally beguiled by the possibility of having
some kind of aquatic playground close to home (besides the rope swing and rock “diving board” at Belle Isle’s secret beach), but we quickly learned it's about a four-hour trek to northwestern Indiana’s Whihala Beach from the Detroit area.
The German company Wibit has already built four similar indoor courses in Michigan– the closest is in Harrison Township– but the Whoa Zone will be the first open water design in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, or
Wisconsin.
That definitely explains all the hype.
Sixty-one elements including towers, slides, trampolines,
tunnels, and half pipes floating above water anywhere from five to 12 feet deep
make up the one-acre park.
“This park is what dreams are made of,” says Detroit resident Breanna Snitchler in a Facebook comment.
The Whoa Zone debuts Saturday and will open daily until
September 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. An hour session costs $20 for both children and adults and includes a life jacket and wristband. Lifeguards are on duty and even get their own inflatable tower to ensure everyone’s safety.
