Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleNew thrill ride planned atop Stratosphere
Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.
The Stratosphere, which already boasts several rides atop its tower, is planning on adding another attraction, the SkyJump.
Sky Jump SkyCity Tower Auckland
Auckland Sky Tower Jump (from inside)
The Stratosphere is looking to add a new attraction atop its observation deck for the ultimate thrill seeker.
It’s called Sky Jump and it’s more like bungee jumping than a ride. The attraction’s Web site describes Sky Jump as “base jumping while attached to a wire.”
A similar attraction in New Zealand features an 11-second free fall of 629 feet.
American Casinos & Entertainment, which owns the Stratosphere, said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that $3.6 million of its $22 million 2010 capital expenditure budget would be allocated for the Sky Jump.
A spokesman for the Stratosphere said the property plans to make an official announcement on the attraction early next year, pending approval from the proper entities.
City of Las Vegas spokesman Jace Radke said the Stratosphere will need to file plans with the city’s building and safety department, as well as get a building permit, certification and annual inspection, which the Stratosphere has yet to do. The process could take weeks, Radke said.
The cost of New Zealand’s Sky Jump is $140 per jump. Prices for the Stratosphere’s three existing rides — Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity, the Ride — cost $30 for an all-day pass.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- UNLV can move forward without the burden of losing streak to San Diego State
- A wife’s wisdom shows birth control issue needn’t be divisive
- Surprise links, negotiated deals addressed by commissioners
- Motorcycle accident claims life of man in northeast valley
- Hope and change and … what’s missing?
- New York mayor has the right idea
- We don’t need a CEO in charge
- Paying our own way
- Country has ‘given’ citizens a lot
- Jerry Tarkanian: Mike Moser impresses yet again on a day to remember former Rebel greats
Blogs
The Kats Report
Color from scene at Thomas & Mack: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (4 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Sky Jump attraction? They better be careful with that one. How do they get insurance coverage for something like that? when we can't even get high diving boards around swimming pools anymore... Ha ! just open the windows, there are plenty of people who will jump these days without a safety wire LOL! (bad joke)
Fools and ignorant asses will do anything for a thrill....Why not load them in an old V-2 rocket and send them off to hell knows where...the trip will be a real thrill for these mental cases and the landing could be very, very schocking...
First it was a Gorilla ride climbing the tower, then over the edge scary and frequently malfunctioning rollercoaster and , now a 600+ foot bungie jump... Nutso to all of the idiots who continually try to make Las Vegas a 'happy slappy version of Disney Land'....
Mercy on all of us normal folks,we're living in an asylum called Las Vegas and the asylum is being run by idiots; we are all stuck here watching this bullcrap... Oh, for the days of the Mob when sanity prevailed.
They didn't kill anyone that didn't deserve it, but these modern Landmark casino knumbskulls want to possibly kill people with a thrill ride...which groups is more insane, cruel, and corrupt?
With the Mafia at least it was worthless punks that ended up buried in the desert....
Now the Landmark wants to possibly kill innocent, but totally ignorant, moronic people looking for a cheap thrill for the day....Heaven help us and Las Vegas...how low can we go?
I doubt the Landmark will have any major problems getting a license and permit for its latest hairbrained bungi thrill ride; a few bucks under the table to grease the right wheels and all will be a go ahead.
Our illustrious Mayor, with Gin glass in hand, will proudly and gleefully announce before TV viewers another "wonderful tourist attraction to Las Vegas."
Give me a break please! Some in this city have promoted and promised so many wonderful, tourist attracting ideas that one could fill books twice the length of War and Peace.
By the way, whatever happened to the Michael Jackson Theme Park, and what about the MLB Ball Park, or another version of Disney Land Park, and what about the proposed world's largest shopping center with enclosed amusement park? All are pipe dreams, pie in the sky ideas proposed with hot air instead of realistic plans and finances....
vsestini : Umm.. It's called The Stratasphere not ..The Landmark...
Hey, look on the bright side - this ridiculous thing will need people to operate it, take your money,strap you in - so that takes 3 former McDonald's employees off the unemployment rolls!!!
$30 for an all day pass beats $40 for a 3 minute lap dance (a.k.a thrill ride). Which one gives a better happy ending might be debatable though.
$3.6 million???? Huh??? Sounds like bad business to me. $140/jump, NO THANKS!!
Been to NZ and the Sky Jump. What is neat is that you don't simply jump, stop and go back up. You jump, and then stop in front of an observation deck where your friends are watching. Suddenly, off you go way down. Then quickly back up. Regarding the danger, you're in a suit that a gorilla couldn't get out of. Very safe. They also have a platform you can walk about outside at 600'. I was too chicken for that, even with all the harnesses.
The place is a casino, but it is filled with mostly gamblers, not drinkers. So I guess it more of a gamble here than NZ.
why cant u just jump off for free? it is going to cost $140 to end your life? It use to be free
Wow, I'm am totally shocked by the comments posted! Who said anybody is going to die? It's FUN, like Vegas "used to be in the good old days when the mob would break your kneecaps for a $500 bet."
GO VEGAS! GO NEVADA!
No way in hell i would do it. I can hardly walk around the top of stratosphere without my heat beating like its going to jump out of my chest. Sitting in the lounge at the top was horrible even after a couple drinks my heart was still pouding. Im not scared of heights,ghostbar and voo doo lounge dont phase me, its just something about the top of the stratosphere that scares the crap out of me.
WOW!! PS this is not NZ. NO-ONE is stupid enough to pay that much for a jump, not even close.
vsestini, why are you so bitter?
isnt there enough to do in vegas w/o getting thrown off the strat'?
vestini, I've seen the big mall with the amusement park, It's in Minnesota, Saw another one in Canada. Nothing new there. This will be something for people to do if the balloon down bt Mandalay Bay or the crane cafe out on West Sahara just don't give enough thrills. I remember when Stupak wanted to build a King Kong ride to climb up and down the tower. If the cost is anywhere near $140, there will be few takers, regardless of how safe it is. Maybe they can call it the "economy is in freefall" ride.
That would be awesome to jump and freefall over 600 feet.
I got another idea.....
Build a cable suspended tramway system from the top of the Stratosphere roof on one end and link the tram ride to the other end at the top of the Fontainebleau roof ..Wallah- (now the Fontainebleau will have a real purpose other than looking like the old IBM building in Los Angeles).
Just think of the impossibilities with that scenario.
Why did they take out the roller coaster?
I am amazed that there are so many people throwing pot-shots at something new that can generate revenue and fun in Las Vegas!
Numer 1: so what if the charge is around $100.00? ... sounds better in the "memory department" to actually do something other than feeding that money into a slot machine, Number 2: what does anyone know first-hand about the safety criteria for this new attraction? ...I seriously doubt that the Stratosphere is planning on throwing people off the highest building west of Mississippi to their deaths (that's kinda bad for business, right?),
Number 3: if this new attraction brings money in any way, shape, or practice for the State of Nevada - what's your gripe?
Lighten up folks...we must look forward in Las Vegas and seek new ideas to bring more tourism to the city. Bad mouthing something we don't know anything about is just plain ignorant!
I personally hate heights, so seriously doubt that I'll do the jump! But darn it . . . those who are claiming this is unsafe and stupid, need to research the information before mouthing off.
Viva Las Vegas!
why dont they put the stripper mobile up there?