Dude Ranch; Newly Opened Head Rush Extreme Park Bids to Attract Skaterboys, Paintballers and Bmx Bikers

Summary

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Walking around the Head Rush construction site, [Jake Wright] sounds like any other dreaming extreme sports kid. "Up here above the field we could have a stage for bands; I mean, how cool would that be?" Any sensible mom would tell her child to forget the silly dreams and become a pharmacist, if it weren't for the fact that Wright is already halfway there. Despite being a 20-something "that doesn't even own his own home," Wright managed to get investors--some local, some not--to back his plan for Head Rush based on his success at the North Syracuse location and his solid business plan. Altogether, Wright put together around $1 million for construction and startup costs with the help of the investors. "It was kind of hard to answer these guys when they want to know what, exactly, is gonna keep me from skipping town to Mexico if things don't work out."

The rough Phase II plans of adding indoor skateboarding and BMX are open to tinkering. "If someone comes in and wants to do horseshoes, we'll work with them to figure out how we can partner up," [Parry] explains. Wright says he's negotiating with several area businesses like Walt's Hobby and bike-shop owners about bringing in other extreme sports and activities. "What do I know about remote-control truck racing? Nothing," admits Wright. "But if Walt's Hobby wants to come in here and set things up right, then we're all for it."

"These {extreme} sports aren't dangerous if they're played right," Wright assures. "Playing them at a place like {Head Rush} brings them out of the back yard and into a controlled, insured environment." The guns used are powerful and the hits are a solid punch to the flesh, but they're certainly no more dangerous than tackle football or the swinging metal poles in lacrosse. Wright knows what he's up against. "We want this to be a family place," he notes. "With paintball, the mom usually drives up, lets her kid out and peels out like she's scared of the place. We want the moms to feel like they can come inside or even play."

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Dude Ranch; Newly Opened Head Rush Extreme Park Bids to Attract Skaterboys, Paintballers and Bmx Bikers

Add extreme to the long list of words that no longer mean anything. Thanks to Mountain Dew, Jell-O Cups and the media's need to create buzzwords to label the world, extreme no longer signifies "severe" or "at the greatest point." Instead, it's the new "cool" for Generation Y, or at least for the people trying to connect with those young adults ages 18 to 24.

A few years ago and about a decade late, marketers realized that so-called extreme sports such as skateboarding were dear to many young hearts and perceived as cool even for those who didn't play them. But what exactly are extreme sports besides wild-eyed teens gulping neon-caffeinated sugar water in jump-cut television ads to the totally rad beat of faux punk-rock jingles?

For the crew behind the sc...

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