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1 Comment [ View ]Children discover new playground at Ogden park
By RACHEL J. TROTTEROGDEN -- As Ogden residents Brian Stromberg and Greg Pickett watched their toddlers play at the park they thought there should be something more than slides and swings.
Now, 10 years later, the two budding entrepreneurs with their own playground business, Playscape H20, have unveiled that something more at Grandview Park -- Canyonz.
Stromberg and Pickett hatched their idea to build a climbing wall that would encourage more imaginative play.
Their first prototype was an elaborate one with water and several other features, but it was hard to market.
They scaled things down and have seen success in parks with their original model, the El Kap.
But while they were getting under way with production, bigger playground companies started selling climbing walls, making it difficult for them to compete.
"We decided we needed to have something more than just a climbing wall," Stromberg said. They added a slide and other features were added that gave a feel of rock-climbing in a mountain setting.
Now their manufacturer is in Ogden and everything is Ogden-based, something Pickett and Stromberg are very proud of.
One year ago they met with Mayor Matthew Godfrey and Jay Louder, the city's director of parks and recreation, and brought along a full-size prototype.
"It was very cool.They set it in place and before I could get out of my office, kids were playing on it and our other playground was empty," Godfrey said. He and Louder decided to buy two for the city at a cost of about $15,000 each.
"We are excited," Godfrey said. "We've been wanting to do something like this so kids have an early experience with what's along the foothills in Ogden. It's a good link for our recreation and adventure theme."
Pickett and Stromberg have also sold a Canyonz product to a school in Kentucky and the feedback is positive.
"The principal says that not a day goes by that several kids are not on our product," Stromberg said.
As the manufacturer, Custom Crafting, the mayor, Pickett and Stromberg tore the covering off the equipment Wednesday, a large gathering of kids ran, climbed, whooped and hollered as they attacked the climbing structure.
"This is the best rock thing I've ever been on," said 8-year-old Elizabeth Williams. "It's better than that park over there," she said as she motioned to the old playground structure.
Pickett loves the idea that the climbing structure goes along with Ogden's theme of being an outdoor recreation hub.
He feels the exposure is good for the city as a way to promote kids being active in recreation as well as bringing exposure to the company he and Stromberg founded.
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