Ropes Courses Inc is set to commission a second Sky Trail ropes course in a branch of LuLu’s in South Carolina US.
Mid-February will see the 48ft tall (14.63m) Sky Trail open at Barefoot Landing, North Myrtle Beach. LuLu’s waterfront location along the Intracoastal Waterway is known for its fun, coastal menu and its beach and vacation themed merchandise available in its adjacent shop.
The owner of LuLu’s is Lucy Buffett, sister of US singer songwriter Jimmy Buffett and she has a chain of three restaurants in Destin, Florida and Gulf Shores, Alabama as well as in North Myrtle Beach. She said of the RCI installtion: “LuLu’s has always been about family. When we added our first Sky Trail at the Gulf Shores location, it was wildly successful and complemented our mission to create a coastal dining and recreational experience for families. The kids get to play in a safe environment while the grown-ups get to have a drink, enjoy delicious fun food and listen to live music.”
Planning and customised design work has been underway for months and RCI began installation of the multi-level attraction in December 2018. The Sky Trail will include 26 elements to challenge children and adults such as themed lily pad stepping stones and a tippy version of walk-the-plank feature. This six-inch wide beam showcases a color-wheel at its end that draws participants further along the beam for a chance to pull the hanging cable and set the spinning wheel in motion.
Those who reach the top of the course have the option of taking the QuickJump free-fall exit; a three-story descent with a gentle landing. Every participant is outfitted in a harness equipped with a single redundant slingline that keeps them secure while they work their way among the obstacles using RCI’s US patented overhead tracking system.
The installation has been named “LuLu’s Mountain of Youth” has a colour scheme of hot pink, turquoise, and yellow.
“The Sky Trail provides guests with a fun and engaging experience that sets this restaurant complex apart from any in the greater Myrtle Beach community. Guests of virtually every age can climb and have fun soaring above the ground, thanks to the creative design by RCI,” explained Bucky Mabe, CEO of FACE Amusement, the managing company for the Sky Trail at LuLu’s North Myrtle Beach.
RCI has built Sky Trail aerial attractions in 30 different countries and in a variety of different venues including amusement parks, zoos, community centres, hotels, resorts, cruise ships, shopping centres, adventure facilities, and natural or historic tourist attractions. The size, colours, elements, and designs are customised to each location to complement each setting.
“The LuLu’s restaurants and their bustling gift shops have been exceptionally fun for installing two of our Sky Trails along with a Sky Tykes,” explained Jim Liggett, president and founder of RCI. “The whole energetic vibe of LuLu’s restaurants and shops is about fun, food, and music which is the perfect fit for us and our attractions.”
