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FREE FALLS Once seen as the next big thing, free falls remain a staple of many adventure parks.
BY JOSH LASKIN
Photo credit: Aerial Adventure Tech
Photo credit: Aerial Adventure Tech
Today, free falls are often seen as a way to increase a park’s value rather than its customer base.
Recreational adventure parks and zip tours are relatively new activi- ties, and they have gone through a rapid evolution. Free falls have been part of that evolution, and illustrate just how quickly changes take place in aerial adventure. While free falls may not have met the initial, high expectations of some operators, they have become a staple for many. Recreational aerial adventures began to take hold in North America around 2000. It was about a decade before free falls emerged as a component that could be incorporated into a park’s offerings. Dropzone introduced its Powerfan in 2010, and three years later, Head Rush Technologies released its first dedicated free fall device—the QUICK- Jump. Both allowed users to clip in and fling themselves into the air from various heights, free-falling for several feet be- fore slowing to a gentle touch down.
and increase their appeal to recreation- al users. While Head Rush wasn’t the first to release a free-fall device, the QUICKJump did seem to put free falls on the map, with operators nationwide adding them to their parks. Annual worldwide sales of Head Rush free-fall devices grew from around 300 in 2014, their first full year on the mar - ket, to around 400 in 2018, and have remained steady since.
The tech. While Dropzone’s Powerfan and Head Rush’s QUICKFlight (which evolved in 2018 from the initial QUICK - Jump system) have a similar goal and end result, their technology differs significantly. Head Rush’s current device uses frictionless magnets and the resulting magnetic eddy current to slow the user’s fall to a stop after an initial true free-fall of up to 13 feet, depending on the model. Dropzone’s Powerfan, supplied in North America by Aerial Adventure Tech, uses a mechanical fan system to simulate free falls, achieving a similar effect. Head Rush’s popularity may be in part due to its technology, which requires relatively low maintenance.
The appeal of a free fall, of course, is the adrenaline rush.
“Maybe you have a family-oriented market you’re trying to hit, but that fam- ily has a teenager who really likes the adrenaline rush,” says Head Rush direc - tor of marketing and sales Kraig Corbin. “So, some places will have an option on the exit platform. Once you complete your zip experience, they’ll have one of our auto-belays, which catches you in- stantly, or they’ll have a free-fall device, and they let the customer decide which experience fits their comfort level.” Other operators provide stairs as an alternative way down as well.
MULTIPLE VISIONS
IN THE BEGINNING…
Initial application of these devices var- ied. Some parks installed stand-alone free falls as separate attractions with an additional ticket price. Many of these
Free falls arrived at a time when aerial adventure park operators were search- ing for ways to expand their offerings
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