Venice Zipline Breaks Ground, Opens July 8

By Erika Maldonado

With just a couple of days to go before Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s last day in office, he made sure to attend the Flightlinez Zip Line attraction ground breaking ceremony on Venice Beach, Thursday.
“I wanted to lock this in before I leave,” said Rosendahl. “I’ll be out [of office] the first of July, but I’ll come down to Venice Beach and watch [this zipline] sail through the skies.”

Venice Neighborhood Council President Linda Lucks, LAPD Captain John Peters, and children from the Oakwood Recreation Center’s summer camp also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony.

The zipline was due to open July 1, but that has been pushed back a week and the new opening date is now July 8, said Brina Marcus, Flightlinez P.R., sales and marketing director.

Minor adjustments were made to the towers that are being built in Canada and driven down, which is what is causing the delay, she said. Set up begins July 1 and the city inspection is scheduled for July 5.

The entire process has taken over a year. Kevin Regan L.A. parks and recreation assistant general manager thanked Rosendahl for his efforts in bringing the zipline to Venice Beach. He also spoke about the positive impact the zipline will have on children in the community.

“I’ve worked in the parks department for 33 years and I’ve talked to all kinds of kids through programs we’ve put on,” said Regan. “Some who have never seen the ocean before. These types of programs bring revenue into the city, but they also give kids who would otherwise not have an opportunity to experience Venice Beach and ziplines for free.”