American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park makes debut in SoCal Mall

For more than a dozen years, NBC has challenged top amateur athletes in the United States to compete against each other in high-flying obstacle courses and win a spot in the “American Ninja Warrior” finals in Las Vegas.

Now slackers and hackers will get a chance to test their skills at the nation’s first American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park in Santa Ana at Centennial’s MainPlace Mall.

“We are bringing the hit television show to main street USA. You won’t have to be a top-level athlete to participate, which allows fans of all ages to engage in the fun,” said Adrian Griffin, the CEO of the TV brand’s adventure parks outfit, a division of Air Park USA.

The difficulty of the demanding obstacles presented on TV is scaled down in the consumer version of the obstacle course, inviting fans of the show who’ve never climbed a rock wall or practiced Ninja tactics to take part in the fun.

Indeed, Centennial CEO Steve Levin feels that the park will appeal to the millions of visitors who flock annually to other popular Orange County attractions like Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland.

“We are in show business, we are in the entertainment business,” said Levin. “When malls were created, shopping was an important form of entertainment. Now people have so many different ways to entertain themselves, we have to deliver them different products. We think the American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park is one of them.”

The 17,000-sq.-ft. attraction will feature versions of truss obstacles seen in the show such as Monkey Swings, Spider Walls, and the Warped Wall. There will also be a 10,000-sq.-ft. inflatable obstacle course.

Levin feels that Class A malls in top markets need to strive for entertainment tenants that are first-to-market and have brand recognition across wide segments of the populace.

“A lot of entertainment concepts today are centered around food and beverage and then add activities like pool tables or bowling,” Levin said. “This is entertainment that’s centered on the experience. It has national brand recognition and we believe it will draw crowds that will have a great time and then eat at other restaurants in the mall and sustain their business.”

MainPlace’s American Ninja Warrior park will be located on its upper level between Macy's and J.C. Penney.