Our Story
Brilliant Engineers. Adrenaline Seeking Designers. We’re the ultimate left brain/right brain company.
With over 28 years in experience and as the original creators of patented mobile rock climbing walls and Auto-belay systems, Extreme Engineering has been globally recognized as the primary supplier in family-friendly attractions such as the Cloud Coaster roller coaster, High-Action Adventure parks, ziplines, Extreme Air launchers, climbing walls and other theme park attractions. Extreme Engineering is an engineering design and fabrication firm, offering design solutions in several industries such as aviation, amusement, transportation, farming and green energy.
1995
Extreme Engineering Was Born.
Jeff Wilson, with his son Phil Wilson, loved to hit their local indoor climbing gym frequently. With a passion for the outdoors, Jeff and Phil loved everything from mountain-biking, climbing to whitewater kayaking. Jeff met another outdoor enthusiast, through his local church, where they both thought it would be great to bring climbing to the masses on a portable trailer. With Jeff’s massive background in both aeronautical and mechanical engineering, he designed and introduced the very first mobile climbing wall to the public. Phil spent his days after high school helping his dad build the first several prototypes in their R&D shop. Later that year the mobile climbing wall was debuted both at pier 39 in San Francisco, California and at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, Utah. The very first mobile wall was sold during the show. Jeff filed for the company name “Extreme Engineering,” patents on the mobile climbing wall and the rest was history.
1996
Jeff Wilson, the Father of the Auto-belay.
After starting Extreme Engineering and patenting the very first mobile climbing wall, Jeff wanted to make climbing safer for the general public. He saw a massive challenge with rock climbing, which was you couldn’t climb without a belay partner nor could you belay without being properly trained to use the right climbing equipment. Jeff immediately hit the drawing board, inventing an air over hydraulic mechanical device that would safely allow climbers to click into a machine and not worry about the risks of a belayer. The machine, later named by Jeff as the “Auto-Belay,” would take up the slack of the cable on the climber but always have enough tension, in case they fell or pushed off the climbing wall. The Auto-belay revolutionized rock climbing, making it safer to operate while also removing all human risks out of the equation. Jeff patented the very first Auto-belay device and included it on every mobile and stationary climbing wall sold through Extreme Engineering. Today every climbing wall built by Extreme Engineering still comes with the Auto-belay device. Chances are you probably climbed on an Extreme Engineering climbing wall with an Auto-belay.
1998
Extreme Engineering Builds Amusement Rides.
In 1998 Jeff decides to fully dedicate his career from high-tech and aerospace to building and designing amusement rides. The mobile climbing wall became the foundation of Extreme Engineering but the future was in adventure rides. Jeff’s mindset of, bringing adventure to the masses, was in every new product design introduced to the market. Jeff created 4, first-of-its-kind attractions from portable jumper systems using fiberglass pole technology to enclosed adventure courses for kids that required no harnessing or safety gear. Extreme Engineering debuted every new attraction at the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions), winning 5 consecutive “Best New Product” awards and “Best Technology” awards.
2004
Extreme Engineering Sells WorldWide, Reaching Its 1,000th Customer.
Jeff’s son Phil Wilson expands sales through Australia and Asia, earning their 1,000th customer worldwide. Phil moved to Australia in 2004 to help expand Extreme Engineering’s brand globally, bringing the first adventure attractions to Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia. Since then, Extreme Engineering has major installations worldwide, including clients such as Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., Vinpearl Vietnam, Trans Studio Malaysia, One and Only Resorts Maldives, MegaParc Quebec and many, many more.
2010
Extreme Engineering Wins Best Major Theme Park Ride Award.
Extreme Engineering’s debut of the popular Fly Wire Zipline attraction won a “Best Major Theme Park Ride” award at IAAPA, making this the company’s first award in a major theme park ride category. The Fly Wire Zipline was also awarded for “Best Technology” on its stopping device called the “Decelinator.” These prestigious awards rocket launched zip line sales into theme parks and resorts worldwide, including the very first and only zip line on the island of Aruba. Today there are over 100 Fly Wire Ziplines across the globe, operating on tropical islands, mountain scapes to high-end resorts.
2012
Extreme Engineering Expands Its Factory and Moves To Texas.
With the massive growth of Extreme Engineering’s sales and manufacturing, the company expands its factory into over 50,000 square feet, on 9 acres, located just outside of Dallas, Texas. This factory was equipped with over $5M USD in state-of-the-art laser, presses and additional equipment for high-end fabrication. The buildings were designed to support an advanced MRP inventory control system and also horizontal manufacturing methods, including massive bay doors for easily shipping across the globe. Extreme Engineering also expanded its engineering design capabilities, offering everything from mechanical, structural to electrical. With Jeff’s core roots in design, he expanded his firm, quickly becoming an industry leader in engineering design and fabrication to other suppliers. Today Extreme Engineering supplies everything from roller coaster parts, support columns, suspension bridges, complex thematic structures, large steel facades, to even aerospace parts. Extreme Engineering is a turnkey manufacturer, offering value engineering, design and fabrication.
2013
Extreme Engineering Builds Adventure Parks.
Extreme Engineering expands into providing adventure parks to world class resorts such as Exploria, Bluegreen, Marriott, Vail and Westgate. The new High-Action Adventure concept was largely accepted by resorts, providing them an affordable and stay-t0-play experience for their guests. The adventure park offers all of Extreme Engineering’s award winning attractions, from rock climbing, ziplining, ropes courses, air jumping to even a roller coaster all in one themed area. Each park was designed to be inclusive for all ages to enjoy, especially young families. Extreme Engineering’s adventure parks won an award from the resort industry (American Resort Development Association) for “Best Recreational Amenity.”
2015
Extreme Engineering Debuts Cloud Coaster Concept at IAAPA Expo 2015, wins Best Display on the entire show and gains spot in USA Today’s Top 10 latest attractions.
2017
Extreme Engineering Builds Family Coasters.
Extreme Engineering enters the family coaster business, building their very first roller coaster called the Cloud Coaster. The Cloud Coaster is a suspended family coaster designed to use low power requirements and provide the sensation of flying through the clouds. Extreme Engineering’s cart design gives riders, of all ages, a complete 180 degree view below. The Cloud Coaster was awarded “Best Major Attraction under $3M” by IAAPA and also top new attraction by USA Today. Recently the Cloud Coaster was ranked top 15 most anticipated roller coasters to open in 2019 by Coaster101 and it was also inducted into the Roller Coaster Database. Today Extreme Engineering has several installations in Qatar, Vietnam, Canada and in the USA. Mega Parc is the most recent completed coaster project, being the very first roller coaster in North America to go through a Ferris Wheel.
2019
Extreme Engineering wins very first IAAPA Expo Asia award for Best Exhibit on their Cloud Coaster roller coaster.
2021
Extreme Engineering wins its 16th industry award for “Best New Product Concept” at IAAPA on the Surfin Tsunami, the world’s only standup surfboard roller coaster.
2022
Extreme Engineering wins two, first place industry awards, making it a total of 18 awards with a “Best New Product Concept” on the Parkour Around and a “Best Services, Equipment and Supplies” for the FLX Shade.
2022
Phil Wilson, Chief Development Officer with Extreme Engineering, was honored as the recipient of the prestigious 2022 IAAPA Meritorious Service Award. Each year a dedicated IAAPA volunteer, who shares their time, talent, and expertise with the Association and fellow IAAPA members is recognized.
Today
Extreme Engineering is completing over 4 new coasters, new attractions, gains more industry awards and is on numerous iconic projects to be unveiled soon. The future is incredibly bright and exciting for Extreme Engineering.
