Orlando Area Surfing Simulator Under Construction by WPC
ORLANDO, FL (August 2, 2010) – Future Orlando area visitors will soon be able to fulfill their dream of catching the ultimate wave at a unique surfing simulator currently being built by Winter Park Construction (WPC), one of Central Florida’s most respected general contractors. (www.wpc.com)
The $4 million Fantasy Surf at the Vacation Villas at FantasyWorld Resort in landlocked Kissimmee will give visitors the opportunity to pretend to surf the killer waves of Hawaii or “hang ten” as they experience the rush of sliding, riding, and surfing waves. The indoor surf and wave board attraction features the look of surfing and wakeboarding in a safe and controlled environment and is scheduled for an October opening.
Admitting that creating a building to house an indoor aquatic recreation venue is not their every-day type of assignment, Jeff Forrest, President of WPC adds, “With three decades of construction and general contracting services to Florida and its many attractions, our experience has enabled us to build just about anything imaginable. And the Central Florida area is filled with highly imaginative people!”
Fantasy Surf will feature a FlowRider™ Double, which is 32 feet wide, 49 feet long and can accommodate 25-30 riders per hour. The padded walls, floor and beach are covered by a three-inch sheet of water that creates a surfable wave with its cushioned surface, designed for wipeouts.
SPM Resorts, Inc. is a full-service timeshare resort management company that manages 30 resorts – including Vacation Villas at FantasyWorld – and serves 100,000 timeshare owners. According to Trish Docherty, Regional VP of Operations for SPM Resorts, Inc., the current Board of Directors at Vacation Villas at FantasyWorld Resort in conjunction with SPM Resorts, Inc. has always focused on ways to improve the guest experience and the resort. The surfing venue was the vision of Board President, Jeff Weinland, who is confident the attraction will provide entertainment while making the resort more desirable to new owners and guests.
Mike Ferguson is WPC’s Project Manager for the surfing simulator. He adds that as many as 300 construction professionals from the design team to all the subcontractors are working to build the 14,000 square foot facility during the seven-month construction process.
The WPC-constructed building will house the patented FlowRider™ system in the center, surrounded by a large glass-enclosed viewing area and lobby, since there are often as many viewers as participants. There will also be a commercial kitchen and dining area plus a large retail and surf shop operation. Once completed, Fantasy Surf is expected to have 11 full-time employees and will be open seven days a week throughout the year.
From a construction standpoint, the WPC pros had to ensure that the concrete block building’s interiors work properly with the constant wet environment of the simulator, which adds tremendous moisture and humidity to the air, including water thrown up from the waves. With so much moisture in the air, all the metal will be stainless steel. Even the 65-ton air conditioning system must also function like a large dehumidifier. A major design challenge has been to build it so that the environment lasts.
Added Docherty, “This will be the first truly interactive water sport activity where participants of all ages can catch the ultimate indoor wave. Beautifully created by Winter Park Construction, the facility will offer an environment where spectators will enjoy watching as much as participators enjoy riding. Several contractors were interviewed for this project but in the end, Winter Park Construction was chosen as the company with the experience best suited the needs of this project. Additionally, we have selected WPC to do a design/build on our planned $6m lazy river/pool project located near the surfing simulator with a 12,000 square-foot clubhouse. The design is currently underway.”
Founded in 1974, Winter Park Construction specializes in the hospitality, commercial, student housing, senior living, renovation and multi-family markets. During the past few years, the company has expanded its construction horizons by completing projects all over North America.
The Orlando Business Journal has ranked Winter Park Construction one of Central Florida’s largest local construction/general contractor companies. With revenues exceeding $200 million, Winter Park Construction has completed over one billion square feet of construction work. Over 40% of the operations staff with management responsibilities are LEED accredited. For more information, visit www.wpc.com
For Additional Information
Contact Jeff Forrest at 407-644-8923
SOURCE: Winter Park Construction
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