OCEAN CITY — A new ninja-style obstacle course for kids and adults of all ages is coming to the downtown recreation complex this spring after resort officials this week approved a lease agreement.
The Mayor and Council on Tuesday approved a one-year lease with an option for subsequent years for the Woodward WreckTangle obstacle course. The ninja-style obstacle course will be set up in a largely-underused area at the municipal park complex at 3rd Street near the Ocean Bowl skate park as soon as next month and will remain open into next fall.
The Mayor and Council approved a one-year lease for the popular Woodward WreckTangle, named for its shape, for $25,000. Woodward opened its first obstacle course in Colorado in 2017 and now has similar obstacle courses in ski resorts in Vermont and Utah, Camp Woodward in Pennsylvania, Woodward West in California and at the Hard Riviera Maya Resort in Mexico. The WreckTangle in Ocean City will be the progressive sports company’s seventh with more locations anticipated.
With 10 obstacles, participants will have an awesome experience as they compete with friends to make it through the WreckTangle. Obstacles are designed to be achievable and fun for kids and adults of any age. With encouraging instructors, camaraderie with friends and the satisfaction of taking on and completing the 10 obstacles will make the WreckTangle an experience residents and visitors to Ocean City will want to do over and over again.
“We are excited to bring Woodward WreckTangle to our community,” he said. “This is a great partnership in that Ocean City and Woodward both aspire to deliver amazing experiences that bring people together, doing things they love with the ones they love.”
Woodward’s Senior Vice President for Youth Development Chris Gunnarson explained the WreckTangle concept was started at Copper Mountain in Colorado and has grown in popularity over the last two years with five new locations.
“It’s a ninja obstacle course for kids and adults,” he said. “We debuted it two years ago in Colorado and it’s the first of its kind. The obstacles challenge people of all ages and athletic abilities. The obstacles can be switched out the keep it fresh and creative.”
Not only will residents and visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the obstacle course in Ocean City, but an app will allow participants to compete in timed competitions with their friends and family, with others in Ocean City or with others at the different WreckTangle courses across the country, according to Tourism Director Donna Abbott.
“It includes an app that allows people to track their individual performances on the course or to compete against others,” she said. “The plan is to open it on weekends starting in April and to have it open every day when the season kicks in.”
Abbott said the WreckTangle will be set up in the downtown park along 3rd Street in an area adjacent to the skate park.
“It’s close to the skate park, so there should be a lot of interaction there,” she said. “It’s a good first step in our progression to become a sports marketing destination.”
Abbott was referring to Ocean City’s attempted foray into the growing youth sports marketing craze. Councilman Dennis Dare agreed the WreckTangle obstacle course served the dual purpose of jumpstarting that effort while making use of that section of the downtown municipal park.
“This is a good use of an underutilized property,” he said. “For years, we’ve been looking at expanding the use of the park. This can be a great first step as we move toward sports marketing and I hope it becomes something even bigger.”
