Every year the bar for adventure equipment innovation seems to keep getting higher and higher, forcing Family Fun Centers to constantly be on the lookout for new ways to exhilarate their customers. While this is great for patrons, it can be a challenge for Fun Center owners and managers to keep up with the expectations. Especially in the age of social media, adding signature elements to your Fun Center or FEC remains one of the most effective methods for attracting new business and return customers. 

For those of us whose job it is to engineer and manufacture adventure equipment, half of the fun is dreaming up new and exciting ways to apply our creations. We’ve hand-picked a selection of the most innovative applications of our equipment in Family Fun Centers and FECs. 

Crash Landing with zipBack 

What’s so great about landing on your feet? With zipBack, riders don’t have to choose between zipping and jumping. By rocketing off the end of a hand-held zipline and into a foam pit, they get to do both (and they don’t even need to wear a harness).  

For operators, the best part about having a zipBack is that you don’t have to reel it in between uses. After a rider lets go, the zipBack trolley automatically returns to the platform, no reeling required.  

Simple, Secure, Operator-Controlled Self Belay

Did you know that the vast majority of auto belay incidents are the result of clipping errors or forgetting to clip? In Family Fun Centers, where many customers are young, inexperienced, and do not fully understand the risks, it is useful to have a fail-proof way to clip in. 

That’s where the Self Belay comes in. 

Self Belay operates based on a lock and key system. Before a user can climb, the operator must lock the Self Belay onto the harness. This also gives the operator a chance to double-check that the harness is correctly fitted and tightened before the climber ever leaves the ground. Unlike using a carabiner, once they’re locked into the auto belay, a climber can’t disconnect themself from the device without the assistance of the operator. 

To install Self Belays in your facility, choose the Open Loop option under Webbing Connector when ordering your TRUBLUE iQ Auto Belay Or speak to a Head Rush Technology Account Manager for more information. 

QuickFlight: The Safe Bungee Jumping Alternative 

Imagine being able to bring the thrill of bungee jumping or sky diving into your Family Fun Center! Whether from an elevated platform, from the top of a pre-existing tower, or at the end of a ropes course, the QuickFlight Free Fall device is the most heart-stopping, breath-taking, adrenaline-fueled way to come back down to earth. 

You don’t need sky-high ceilings to get started. The QuickFlight Low Mount has a minimum mounting height of 19.7 feet and offers a free fall drop of nearly 10 feet! When the free fall is finished, jumpers will experience a soft, comfortable catch before smoothly lowering the rest of the way down to the ground. 

Like the TRUBLUE Auto Belay, QuickFlight comes equipped with our patented magnetic braking system, which delivers extremely reliable and long-lasting performance. Learn more about how our magnetic braking system works. 

Zip Line Trolleys Built to Last 

Built using premium, high-speed bearings, our full family of LightSpeed zip line trolleys are easy to install and designed to withstand heavy impact, time and time again. 

As illustrated in the video above, LightSpeed Trolleys were also designed to prevent trolley swing. In other words, when a LightSpeed reaches the end of the line, the carabiner does not pinch or even touch the zip line cable. Not only does this reduce wear on the trolley and carabiner, but it also extends the lifespan of the cable.