Bumper cars open at Triple Play

HAYDEN — After little Ashlynn Victor's bumper car powered down, she happily stepped to the edge of the floor, wearing a smile from ear to ear.

"I want to do it again," she said sweetly.

Thursday just happened to be her 5th birthday, a birthday she shares with her dad. What better way to celebrate than for the two of them to be some of the first to try the new bumper cars at Triple Play?

"It was a lot of fun," said Ashlynn's dad, Aaron Victor of Spokane Valley. "We love bumper cars."

The 768-square-foot area in the basement of Triple Play Family Fun Park once housed laser tag, but has been vacant since the laser tag area expanded and moved upstairs about a year ago.

That space is now home to a dazzling new 24-volt floor-powered bumper car arena, complete with mirrors, colorful LED lights and eight round bumper cars that resemble miniature hovercrafts that can spin like tops.

Meaghan Goodwin of Otis Orchards and her boyfriend, Bryan Malakowsky, were also celebrating a birthday at Triple Play. They joined in the fun for the first public bumper car session.

"It’s really cool," Goodwin said. "We were just playing miniature golf and we snuck around the corner and saw it and we’re like, ‘Ooooh’ at all the lights."

She said riding the bumper cars brought back the exhilaration of carnival rides from childhood.

"It’s just like being a kid again," she said. "It was my birthday a couple days ago, so I always just want to be a kid again and have fun."

General manger Mike Murphy has been with Triple Play for 15 years. It opened in 2000 and has at least tripled in size and activities since that time. He said indoor bumper cars are perfect for a North Idaho venue.

"We like the idea of indoor attractions," he said. "We wanted to be able to offer our guests something (more) to do in winter as well, so they're a great fit."

He said he test-drove them Wednesday and was pleased with everything. The LED lights are brilliant, the cars boast a flashy metal flake paint and the mirrors capture and reflect all of the excitement.

"It was just a creative effect," Murphy said. "I think they're great."

Marketing director Jennifer Ross said the mirrors help give the room a larger feel and the old laser tag space was the perfect size for bumper cars. Triple Play got the idea to add bumper cars after staff members attended an International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions conference in November.

"Bumper cars are a popular attraction in the family entertainment center industry," Ross said. "It lets people be kids again. They get to crash into people and just have fun."

The bumper car attraction is included in the Triple Play Day Pass, $34.95 plus tax. Bumper car drivers must be 44 inches or taller.

For other pricing information, visit www.3play.com/triple-play.