San Francisco Citizen

Here’s the news from Akit: It’s ba-aaaack! Its the ZipTrek EcoTours zipline* (or ziplines, as they will have two, side-by-side). Deets are below.

Now, last year, back in 2010, the rides were free, so people were lining up at 3:00 AM. But this year, the cost will be $29, so that will certainly cut down on the riff-raff, and therefore surely shorten the queue.

(And oh, our friends from up in the Great White North just told me that they will be highly disappointed if Edwin Lee, San Francisco’s once (and future?) Mayor chickens out, if he blows off his obligation. Other Mayors have done it and it all worked out fine. See below for one example…)

This could be you:

Hangtime by Justin.Beck

The deets:

• Dates: Summer 2011 (Opening early July)
• Hours: Open daily (7 days a week!) from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.*
• Price: $29 (all ages)
• Age: 6 years+
• Weight: 65lbs – 275lbs
• First come, first serve

All guests are required to sign an Assumption of Risks and Release of Liability Agreement (coming soon) before zipping. Under 19 requires signature by a parent or guardian.

The ziplines are gravity fed, so guests do not have to worry about controlling their own speed. Guides are stationed at each tower to connect (launch platform) and disconnect (landing platform) each and every guest. Age restrictions apply and guests must weigh more than 65 pounds and no more than a maximum of 275 pounds.

When:
Summer 2011
11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. *

Where:
Justin Herman Plaza at Embarcadero Square, San Francisco, California

* times may vary on certain days”

Will you have the guts to climb a temporary tower (80 feet tall!) just like this one from 2010 to earn the right to tell your friends you rode the Justin Herman Plaza Zip Line?

Just asking.

via Josegee – click to expand

Clicque to expand

But first, you’ll need to wait in line next to the abysmal Vaillancourt Fountain, sign a waiver, and get harnessed up.

Le mise-en-scene.

You’ll ascend the 80 foot tower and encounter a friendly Canadian guide at the top. If you need a pep talk, you’ll get one:

You’ll soon be steadying your nerves by glancing at your jump buddy…

…and then you’ll be off, into the wild bleu.

Sisters doing it for themselves:

Can you see the nervous giggles? There’s your team bonding right there.

And this is what it felt like last year. Everything zooms by with a quickness, and there’s a loud buzzing above your noggin. Some people go upside-down even.

And they’ll totally let you bring a camera to make your own YouTube:

You owe it to yourself to try.

Don’t dissappoint lovely Ashleigh. She brought her Olympic Gold all the way down here last year just so you’d consider Vancouver as the starting point for your next vacation:

via Amy Widdowson

And I’ll tell you, last year the kids from Project Insight were quite amused to see former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown take a run on the fantastic British Columbia Zip-Line near the Ferry Building.

Here’s an account from John Coté.

Willie, sporting cashmere, handed out souvenir mittens (I still have a pair sitting in the back seat of Mom’s Taxi) from Up North:

Then it was time to harness up:

A reluctant exchange of headgear:

It’s go time.

Then he was off:

Here’s a close-up of those cardinal socks:

The landing tower. Here’s the reverse angle from David Paul Morris

And then a press conference:

His reaction after flying through the sky?

“I was scared as Hell, but there was no way I was going to show it!”

Good for you, Mr. Brown. Will you ride again in 2011?

Anyway, if he can do it, you can too.

See you there this summer!

And get the latest info direct from la source here:

*Aka flying fox, foefie slide, zip wire, aerial runway, aerial ropeslide, death slide or tyrolean crossing