Austin Ashlock

Sioux Falls City Councilor Greg Jamison wants to turn a recent vacation highlight into a tourism and recreation draw in Sioux Falls.

Since a 2010 vacation when Jamison rode a zipline in Mexico, he's been hooked on the idea of building one in one of Sioux Falls' city parks.

"I had such a gas doing it, I thought 'Heck, could Sioux Falls do that?' " Jamison said. "I see it as a niche the city can fill, and it's a great asset to do something like this — turning recreation into revenue for the city."

While the proposal has skeptics on the City Council, the parks department is researching the feasibility of putting in a zipline, possibly in Great Bear Recreation Park.

"The ski lift is already there to bring people up, and they could just glide down the hill, making some stops on the way," Jamison said.

Jamison brought up his idea after returning from his vacation, and the topic resurfaced last month at a council's budget meeting.

Jamison said he wants to get a city-operated zipline in the city's budget and hopefully bring his vision to life before his term ends in 2016.

"I'm just trying to get people to consider taking the first step towards this," Jamison said. "If the cost is overwhelming, I could see it fade away, but I think this is a real opportunity for tourism and for the people."

Parks Director Don Kearney said he is waiting for a report on the costs, insurance, safety regulations and operational issues related to ziplines.

Council member Kermit Staggers said he would like to see a private company build a zipline in Sioux Falls instead of the city owning one.

"It shouldn't be a money loser for the city," Staggers said. "The city gets involved in a lot of things, and we already have a couple money losers. I don't want to see that happen with this."

However, with the possibility of Great Bear providing the land and some of the resources needed to operate, Jamison thinks the city could quickly profit from a zipline.

One of the nearest ziplines, Rushmore Tramway Aerial Adventure Park in Keystone, draws approximately 300 people per day, manager Mark Fullerton said.

"There's a lot of people (in Sioux Falls), I'm sure they would all want to try it out," Fullerton said.

Staggers is skeptical, though, about whether demand exists in Sioux Falls.

"(Sioux Falls) doesn't have a zipline because people know they wouldn't make money doing it," Staggers said.

Despite the lack of exotic landscapes, Jamison said there's no shortage of potential zipline locations in Sioux Falls, pointing to Tuthill and Sherman parks.

"That hill at Tuthill is perfect," he said. "I'd ride that."