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course at a slower pace, you can do that on an electric bike.”

Coral Crater’s newest offering is the Zombie Apocalypse Rescue Mission, a laser tag-style experi-ence. The scenario: A virus is transforming people all across Oahu into zombies. Rogue mili-tants have imprisoned the doctor who has developed the antidote for the virus.

You’re in the elite squad that has been assigned to rescue the doctor from Camp Zombie, so he can dis-tribute the antidote and stop the zombie invasion. You must find him in the camp, which is popu-lated by zombies, and transport him safely back to headquarters.

“The camp looks like a real camp, with a guard station, bar-racks, a hospital and laboratory,” Owen said. “What’s cool is the

weapons are replicas of M4 tactical laser guns. They’re

not plastic neon toys; they’re constructed from real M4 bodies. They’re the full weight and have 30 percent of the recoil of actual M4s, so when you’re shooting zombies you feel that.“During the mission,

you’ll be free-falling, riding off-road, zip-lining in the dark

and searching for clues to get in and out of the buildings just like a Navy SEAL.”

According to Owen, Coral Crater has attracted a surprising demo-graphic since it opened in January. He was expecting the park to draw

teens and families with young chil-dren, and while that has been true, he’s also seeing a lot of retirees and honeymooners.

“People are happiest when they’re spending quality time with their friends and family,” Owen said. “They bond when they’re playing and laughing together, and there are plenty of opportunities for that at Coral Crater Adventure Park.”———Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.

Jim Owen knows all about adventure. When he was 17, he spent a year in Thai-land as a Rotary Youth Ex-change student. While there, he lived a monk’s life at Wat Chom Tong

monastery near Chiang Mai for a month — wearing a plain cotton robe, never speaking, eating just one meal a day and meditating

from dawn to dusk.

At 20, Owen took a year off from his stud-ies at Hawaii Pacific Univer-sity to travel around the world. He vis-ited 10 Euro-pean countries, including Greece, Den-mark and the

Czech Republic. He rode camels in the Thar Desert in India, helped a man who owned a land-mine mu-seum clear explosives in Cambo-dia and hiked to the base camp of Mount Everest (17,590-foot eleva-tion) in Nepal.

After Owen received his bache-lor’s degree in international busi-ness from the university, he hit the road again, this time stopping in Machu Picchu, Sri Lanka, Borneo and Laos.

After all that adventuring, taking on the role of Coral Crater Adven-ture Park CEO came naturally. In six years, he turned the dusty 35-acre site formerly owned by the U.S. Navy into the ultimate play-ground for thrill seekers. Ten of those acres are a 60-foot-deep cra-ter where, in the late 1940s, the Navy dug up coral to build run-ways at Barbers Point Naval Air Station (now Kalaeloa Airport).

“Coral Crater exemplifies our philosophy that life should be fun,” Owen said. “You can have a blast

just by being outdoors and trying activities you don’t normally do.”

Did you ever dream of being Spi-derman? Get a taste of the superhe-ro’s high-flying antics on the 60-foot Aerial Adventure Tower, which tests your pluck and agility as you cross wobbly wooden bridges, glide on a surfboard mounted on a rail, climb a 50-foot wall and then free-fall back to solid ground.

“Even with a full body harness and a carabiner system that keeps you connected to a safety line at all times, the tower activities are big psychological as well as physi-cal challenges because you’re 25 to 50 feet above the ground,” Owen said.

“We’ve learned that nearly ev-eryone is physically capable of conquering the challenges. The difference for some individuals is getting over fears, which is easier with family and friends encourag-ing them. That is part of what makes this an incredible team-building experience.”

The adrenaline rush continues at a course with six zip lines rising as high as 70 feet and ranging from 300 to 900 feet long. Participants soar over the crater at up to 35 mph, and when they near the end of each line they don’t have to think: A state-of-the-art braking sys-tem slows their speed. Kids weigh-ing 40 to 60 pounds can zip tandem with a guide.

Prefer being on terra firma? At the steering wheel of a two-seat ATV, you can zoom around sharp turns, over ruts and rocks, up and down hills and past thick stands of kiawe, monkeypod and Chi-nese banyan trees. Ex-pect to get jolted, bounced and dirty (even muddy, depending on the weather), but it’s all part of the fun of off-road exploring.

“You have to be at least 18 years old to drive our ATVs, but a child as young as 4 years old can ride along with his or her parent,” Owen said. “And if you want to tackle the

HAWAI I’S BACKYARD

CHERYL

CHEE TSUTSUMI

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GROUNDS TO THRILL

IF YOU GO…Coral Crater Adventure Park>> Address: 91-1780 Midway

Road, Kapolei, Oahu. When using GPS, however, enter “3845 Roosevelt Ave-nue, Kapolei, Hawaii 96707” as the alternative address as some systems do not accurately report the park’s physical ad-dress.

>> Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

>> Rates: Range from $50 to $300 for both adults and kids. Kamaaina and mili-tary personnel receive a 15-percent discount. Ad-vance booking online is recommended.

>> Phone: 626-5773>> Email: info@coralcrater.

com>> On the Net: coralcrater.

com>> Notes: Participants need

to be reasonably fit and capable of carrying 15 pounds. Activities are not recommended for pregnant women, people with back or neck injuries and those who have diffi-culty walking.

racks, a hospital and laboratory,” Owen said. “What’s cool is the

weapons are replicas of M4 tactical laser guns. They’re

not plastic neon toys; they’re constructed from real M4 bodies. They’re the full weight and have 30 percent of the recoil of actual M4s, so when you’re shooting zombies you feel that.

you’ll be free-falling, riding off-road, zip-lining in the dark

and searching for clues to get in and out of the buildings just like a Navy SEAL.”

ing 40 to 60 pounds can zip

wheel of a two-seat ATV,

bounced and dirty (even muddy, depending on the weather), but it’s all part of the fun of off-road exploring.

“You have to be at least 18 years

Kapolei’s Coral Crater Adventure Park offers high-climbing, fast-flying, zombie-slaying fun

PHOTOS COURTESY CORAL CRATER ADVENTURE PARK

The Aerial Adventure Course, top, is the perfect place to challenge yourself in a safe and secure environment. The Zipline Tour features six lines ranging from 300 to 900 feet in length. Riders can reach speeds of up to 35 mph, above. Below, at Coral Crater, you can swing, step and glide your way across a course that’s 50 feet above the ground.