GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Glenwood Springs already boasts the world’s largest hot springs pool, but it might get to add world’s highest swing to that list.

Natural attractions manager for Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Bob Koper got
curious about the world’s highest swing question after taking trips to places such as
Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Utah to research park ideas. He looked at a swing near there that reached 1,200 feet above ground level and realized the Swing Shot at Glenwood caverns goes to about 1,300 feet above the Colorado River. He wondered where in the world somebody could swing higher above the ground.

“Ours is 1,300 feet above the river,” Koper said. “And I don’t know of any higher. We
contacted the Guinness Book (of World Records) — who knows? They’ll come out
and they’ll decide.”

Koper and the park are waiting to hear back from people with the Guinness World
Records. Searches for records on the book’s website for “swing” and “highest swing”
revealed no records.

If it turns out Glenwood does have the highest swing, Koper said, “That’d be neat. It’d
be party time. We’d be able to have a celebration and so on and make a big deal out
of it.”

If it is the world’s highest swing, it could even boost park business and promote
tourism, he said. Even if it isn’t, just the possibility should excite people.

“It would be thrilling or kind of an incentive for people to say, ‘I went on the best,’”
Koper said.

The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association would take advantage of the
marketing possibilities the world’s highest swing would have to offer.

“I think it’s just another feather in Glenwood’s cap and we would certainly promote it,”
said Marianne Virgili, president and CEO of the chamber.

The Swing Shot launches people out above Glenwood Canyon above the Colorado
River at speeds of up to 50 mph. Up to four riders can fit in the safety harness. It’s a
bit like a playground swing, but much bigger and more high-tech.

And it sits on the edge of a cliff.

To give guests an idea of how high up they’ll be, the park tells them the Empire State
Building is about the same height, at 1,250 feet if you don’t count the tower on top,
Koper said.

“It’s fun. It’s a rush,” he said. “You hear a lot of people screaming.”

Koper said the swing likely would have been even taller but for regulations that won’t
allow structures to be built above 40 feet at the site.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park just opened seven days a week. The Swing Shot
isn’t yet open and doesn’t have a set opening date. It will depend on conditions, but
the ride is planned to open before the end of May.

Contact Pete Fowler: 384-9121

pfowler@postindependent.com





Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO