Give us a quick history on how Terminus came to be.
Talks about opening a wake park in Georgia started around 2011 or earlier between Austin Singleton and his sponsored riders at Singleton Marine Group. We all were chipping in and helping figure out what we would all like if we could pick and choose our own Wake Park. As everything was starting to become a reality he reached out to me to partner with him and help run the place. Let’s back up a bit actually… I had gotten out of the boat sales industry in 2008 to start a film company as well as design and build my own cable park. Fortunately and unfortunately the film company had taken off so I had lost sight of the wake park idea until this opportunity came about! That’s when I had to do one of the hardest things I’ve done and leave the film company I had started. Leaving that team was terrible, but I knew God was calling me to lead this new venture. My parents met show skiing at Callaway Gardens so watersports is a part of my blood! I saw the passion for adventure on the water at a young age from BOTH parents and all of our relatives. I saw my dad teach well over 1,000 kids to ski. In fact, my aunt taught Travis Moye (owner of The Boarding School) how to ski (love you Travis!) Anyway, that passion for adventure and sharing that adventure was calling me!
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in wakeboarding since Terminus opened?
We are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this September and it’s crazy to think about how much has changed in our industry in the last decade. It is so fun to see the board technology that has come about since the only options were pretty much the LF Deluxe and FLX. I’ve loved seeing the creativity in the Noodle (still miss that original shape), the amazing new Illusion shape (not many people realize the turned up tips are actually a little retro throwback). It is amazing to see all the parks getting creative with their features, and how UNIT has really embraced making features that are more universal and hackable. That was not a thing 10 years ago… you bought a feature for that individual design and that was that. I am massively thankful to all the other cable parks out there for putting in the work to grow our sport. It’s with that growth that we will see new ideas, new tricks, new technologies, etc. Thankfully, I think we are still on the verge of so much progression in the sport!
Terminus is different from a lot of parks in the U.S. in that there are two lakes/parks to choose from. What’s the difference between the two?
Like I mentioned at the beginning when all those team riders were in the room giving ideas, one of the main things that was discussed was having two different lakes, one solely devoted to intermediate/advanced riders, and one solely devoted to beginner riders. We are blessed that that became a reality. We are able to serve our advanced and beginner customers to our best abilities! Plus, if we ever have a cable down for maintenance then at least you can keep riding! However, double the cable, double the trouble… haha, but seriously there is a lot more to care for, staff, etc. I love having two different direction cables though. It can help as beginners learn or as our team practices for other parks! I’ve got some big audacious ideas for the lakes in the future too!
What else does Terminus offer that makes it such a fun and unique spot to visit?
Terminus prides itself in so many things. We definitely have a lot of things going for us, but our absolute best thing is our people, our staff, and our community! We offer pretty much the same as most parks now, smooth water, all UNIT features, relaxing environment, other fun attractions, but it’s the people and staff that you meet that makes this place home to so many. I really set out to make a park that was for EVERYONE. Not just the cool kids, the pros, the whatever… I want every little dorky kid, AND his grandfather, to come to Terminus, have fun, be encouraged, and feel like they are home! (Yes, kids will be kids and cliques happen, but… that is our goal!)
*plus the Chickfila on the corner doesn’t suck!
