By Andrew Greenhut
WHMSPress
West Bloomfield Hills MS
1st Place
Division MS, News Writing
Review
You look up, someone is dangling high above the ground. Another kid is flying down a zipline, and to the right, someone is attempting an obstacle. At least 1,500 people come here a week. It’s all at the West Bloomfield Adventure Park.
Built by Outdoor Ventures, the Adventure Park is a ropes course high in the trees, for ages five and up. There are 10 different courses, ranging in heights from eight to forty-eight feet high, with six different difficulty levels.
After getting your harness on and doing a practice course, you can face obstacles and do ziplines all in the air.
The Adventure Park opened in April of 2014 and is managed by Thomas Knuth. He leads a team of 70 employees that are all trained to inspect for safety. “We inspect the course every single morning.” Knuth said. They also have earned state and inspection permits.
In 2016, the Adventure Park won the best special events campaign from the Association for Challenge Course Technology. Some of the events that helped them receive the award are Mother’s Day in the Trees, Father’s Day in the Trees, Red, White and Blue Climb, Zombie Apocalypse Glow Night, and The Haunted Forest.
Knuth likes interacting with the staff and providing fun for others. He wanted people to know that changes are coming to the park. “This winter I think we’re going to add another green course.” In the future, he also wants to add more courses.
Students at West Hills like the Adventure Park. Zach Kraft, 4th grade, says that the Adventure Park is action-packed. “I like the ziplines because the wind is in your face and it’s fast,” Zach says. Overall, he likes the challenge of the obstacles.
Arin Miller, 7th grade, likes the variety of the courses. She appreciates that the obstacles require different strengths. Arin especially enjoys the ziplines because she says, “It feels like you’re flying.”
Fifth-grader Jack Brunt likes the different difficulties of the obstacles, but prefers harder ones. He says “I like being up high,”