If you guessed the big metal arch in Torviscas was part of a giant McBurger drive in you would be wrong. The large abandoned area just behind San Eugenio was Sky Park, an ambitious bungee jumping theme park that had a short and patchy history over 10 years ago. There was I flying back to the UK a few weeks ago when I saw a large advert in a Canarian newspaper offering the forgotten leisure area for sale or rent – that untapped quite a few memories.
It was in my early days (2002) with The Western Sun as a cub reporter (I think cub was the word people yelled at me) when I joined a pre opening tour of the park. It was all very high tech and impressive although there is no way you would ever get me to dangle on a length of knicker elastic, even if it was over a vat of beer. Bureaucracy was even worse in those days and there were delays galore in getting the park doors open, then the police closed it just a few days later and so the game went on.
Finally up and running and sometimes using the alternative name of Water World, they hosted a joint live broadcast afternoon in August featuring Power FM with their recently aquired subsidiary Waves FM, and Oasis FM. This was the second part of the inter radio challenges, the first was a paintball face off at a site just south of Playa San Juan. It was a fun event around the many pools and on a range of bungee rides. The daddy of them all was the mega tall jump from a crane platform, it could be adjusted so you dipped gently into the pool or stopped just short.
One remarkable wheelchair bound ex soldier did the jump in his chair ending up just above the pool. I was snapping away at the amazing feat thinking what good pics it would make, unfortunately while it was going on I missed four young female Waves FM presenters flashing their ample charms as they whizzed back and forth on the bungee swing ride. The climax of the afternoon was a head first leap off challenge between Chris Elkington boss of Oasis FM and Gavin Watson his opposite number at Power Fm and Waves FM. What can I say, Chris hurled himself down but Gavin was not available and Charlie Thornley of Waves FM had to uphold the west coast honour with a dive that Ronaldo would have been proud of. Sadly the report of that afternoon is the only Sky Park article I have in my small archive.
There were other visits, FAILTE held their St Patricks Day party there and at one time the lounge bar on the complex was a mini night club that held music and comedy nights with shuttle buses from around the south. Those good times were all too few and the next enforced closure was final leaving the prime site to the elements, there was a newspaper report a few months ago of a small fire in a shed on the site, maybe people living rough?
I believe the area can only be used for leisure rather than building apartments and the advert stressed for sale or rent, quite a lot of the infrastructure is still standing. It’s return would make an interesting addition to the Tenerife leisure scene so if you have a big wad of cash contact skiparktenerife@gmail.com (yes that spelling). I promise that given another chance I wont miss any sky high female flashing.