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Floating Obstacle Course To Open On Lake Michigan In Whiting, Indiana

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A floating obstacle course with a view of the Chicago skyline was set to open Saturday on Lake Michigan, near Whiting, Indiana.

Whoa Zone, just off shore at Whihala Beach, is an inflatable sports park featuring slides, monkey bars, climbing towers, trampolines, bridges, and more.

"There's different levels of challenge in different areas of the park. So you can go left, to the easier area, so if you're older like I am, maybe you want to hang out there. It's not quite so challenging," Commercial Recreation Specialists owner Ron Romens said. "But if you're 17, 18, 25 years old, you head back to the most challenging area, to the Action Tower; which is a climbing wall, and a slide, and a traversing wall."

Whoa Zone
Whoa Zone, a floating obstacle course on Lake Michigan at Whihala Beach in Whiting, Indiana, (Source: Whoa Zone)
Whoa Zone
Whoa Zone, a floating obstacle course on Lake Michigan at Whihala Beach in Whiting, Indiana, (Source: Whoa Zone)
Whoa Zone
Whoa Zone, a floating obstacle course on Lake Michigan at Whihala Beach in Whiting, Indiana, (Source: Whoa Zone)

Friday served as kind of a training day for Whoa Zone lifeguards, who got a feel for the equipment.

"They're really excited. They have a lot of fun, and they're getting paid, too," Romens said.

Up to 120 people can use the inflatable water park at a time.

Romens said 65 anchors weighing 800 pounds each hold the obstacle course in place. The inflatable equipment is attached to anchors with bungee cords.

"That will allow it to go up and down with the waves. They act as a spring to pull it back into place," he said.

Sessions at Whoa Zone cost $20 per hour. The park will be open daily through Labor Day, weather permitting. It will be closed whenever the beach is closed due to inclement weather or high bacteria levels.

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