Over the holiday weekend, the urban zipline company Ziptrek opened for business in Justin Herman Plaza, across from the Ferry Building. You might remember that the same zipline was temporarily installed last spring as promotion for Canadian tourism, but it’s now back on its own for the entire summer.
When I saw the towers being installed last week, I knew I had to give zip-lining a try. So, yesterday before work, my boyfriend and I made our way over to the kiosk at the Plaza. I initially planned on zipping alone, but Ziptrek recommends bringing a friend, since the lines are built for two people and it’s more fun to have a pal zipping alongside of you. After signing a waiver, the friendly Ziptrek staff helped us into harnesses and helmets and pointed us to the tower stairs. As we got closer to the top, my fear started to build, and the adrenaline kicked in.
At the top of the platform, there were two guides who clipped us in and answered any last minute fear driven questions: Do I need to hold on? (No) How fast does it go? (About 25 miles an hour).
After getting the OK on the walkie talkie, the guides told us to step onto the launch platform, which was the scariest part. The structure is about 80 feet high and I realized just how high up we were as I approached the edge. On the count of three, we were asked to lift our legs so that the weight of our bodies pulled us down along the line.
The momentum is slower then I imagined and when you let go, your body spins and movies freely. Overall, the ride is short (about 750 feet) but sweet and definitely something new to try in the city.
The Ziptrek zipline is open daily from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. until October and costs $29 per person. You must be at least 65lbs to ride and it’s first come, first serve. The Ziptrek guides said the best time to go is in the mid-afternoon, after the lunch rush. You can also schedule group zips by contacting Ali Roberts at (414) 852–8951
Check out the video that I took while zipping along.
Photos by Sarah Han, video by Sasha Gainor
