“One of my earliest trips to Japan, I was warned I’d fail—locals wouldn’t want to tan, they said, so waterparks had no future here. But I believed otherwise. At Toshimaen, where we built a tower with 36 slides, welcomed 60,000 visitors in a single day. I’ll never forget the sound of children laughing and parents capturing the moment on camera. It proved something: waterparks aren’t just about sunshine or splashes—they’re about shared joy and last memories for the entire family. “

“In 1991, I traveled to Kobe, Japan with our designer Peter Cooper to test by then the world’s largest slide complex—50 intertwining slides called the “Super Whooper”. The layout looks like a 100-meter-wide spaghetti bowl, all hand-drawn with tracing paper by Pete. Pete and I rode every single slide—over and over—armed with the latest waterproof video camera, filming to analyze ride paths and velocities. Rumor has it, those original hand sketches still live in his desk drawer today.​ ​”

“My first trip to Asia was in September 2000, when I traveled to China with Andrew Wray and Harley Bostock for a project with the Beijing Recreation Centre. Things were very different then— bicycles still filled the streets. Although the project was never built due to its location on the future grounds of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the experience left a lasting impression. Another highlight of my years working in the APAC region has been the incredible people—clients, consultants, and colleagues—I’ve had the privilege to meet and build relationships with across so many countries. These experiences have not only enriched my career but also my life.”

“In May 2019, we were building a water park on Hon Thom island, Vietnam, called Geyser Gulch (now Aquatopia). To reach the site, workers rode an 8.5 km cable car—the world’s longest at the time—from Phu Quoc, a stunning 20–25-minute commute each way. It felt like the world’s most beautiful commute to work to me.”