Wave goodbye to Surf Cincinnati, an abandoned water park and associated banquet hall complex that once entertained overheated Ohioans but now only breeds mosquitoes.

Cincy You’ve Been Gone

Plastic glass, jumbo shrimp, Surf Cincinnati? It may sound oxymoronic but the Surf Cincinnati water park conjured up a batch of bodacious beach blanket bingo in a place roughly equidistant from either ocean coast. A generation of wave-riding wannabe’s enjoyed the park’s many liquid-infused attractions until events conspired to shut the fun down at the end of the 2002 season.

Slip Slidin’ Away

Surf Cincinnati seemed to have it all when it opened in 1984. Situated on the border of Butler and Hamilton counties in far southwestern Ohio, the park complex boasted a huge wave pool, several kid’s pools, a winding “lazy river”, and an assortment of wild water slides built into the site’s rugged geological contours.

Six Feet Under

Water sports weren’t the be-all and end-all at Surf Cincinnati, however. Those who preferred their recreation on the drier side could partake in miniature golf or go-kart racing. When it came time to unwind, two spacious banquet halls (and later, a popular watering hole called “Caddies”) served up refreshments of the edible and drinkable persuasions. Sounds like a can’t-lose concept, right? Wrong…

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Beach Please Abandoned Surf Cincinnati Waterpark

There are few things more poignant than a lost soccer ball, as illustrated by both a charitable Lost Footballs calendar and these 12 emotion-laden examples.

“Ever lost a ball down the park, into a river or onto a busy road? It’s upsetting,” states the Brit-typically understated copy at the Stadiumhoppers site. Since losing the ball pretty much means Game Over, “upsetting” would be putting it mildly to say the least.

While the evocative 2019 Lost Footballs calendar (in aid of the Sporting Memories Foundation) features a dozen photographic depictions of misplace-kicked soccer balls, we thought there must at least a dozen more examples of aching athletic angst out there… and we were right!

Our lead images of an unaccountably (“High Visibility” Orange much?) unaccounted-for soccer ball plus the bonus brightly-colored Brazil-emblazoned ball just above both hail from Cardiff Woods Park in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Flickr member Dan Keck captured the oddly optically-elusive orbs in April of 2018 and February of 2017, respectively. By the way, if you’ve lost a soccer ball in the Upper Arlington area, contact Dan Keck – he’s got a knack for finding ’em.

Booger Kickin’

If a booted ball ends up in, say, Clearwater Creek you’d leap in to retrieve it without a care in the world. Then there’s this free-floating futbal, benignly bobbing away in… Booger Creek. Oh yeah, that ball is gone like the ex-girlfriend who is never coming back, or as Yankees YES Network broadcaster Michael Kay might put it, “SEE YA!” Flickr member Rona Proudfoot (ronnie44052) snapped the now-untouchable sphere near Harmon’s Beach in Lorain, Ohio, in April of 2008.

Rue Britannia

Back we go to merry olde England where things are looking decidedly LESS merry. Flickr member Des Morris (Mr Mo-Fo) was seemingly struck by the enduring pathos of an English National Football Team “Three Lions” ball abandoned in a deep muddy puddle near Eastney, Portsmouth. Looks like Beckham bent it a bit too far.

Bahston Bahl-Yahd

Off to Boston, the “City of Champions” where the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and… the New England Revolution (had to look that one up) go for the glory, cheered on by huge crowds of fanatical fans. OK, three out of four ain’t bad and surely someday the Revs will hoist the coveted MLS Cup. In the meantime, practice makes perfect – just don’t do it in the downtown Boston park above… DOH! Flickr member Paul L Dineen snapped this sign-trolling soccer scofflaw in August of 2006.

Swedish Meet Ball

“Found this abandoned football on a walk. Yeah.” So stated Flickr member Denis Dervisevic in a rather laconic tone back in March of 2012. The photographer encountered the still-serviceable sphere in Skovde, a town of about 35,000 in south-central Sweden’s province of Vastra Gotaland. One might say, it was forgotten in Gotland.

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Kick Stopper 12 Sadly Lost Forgotten Soccer Balls

There wasn’t much room for cold feet in this high-flying marriage ceremony, vows for which were exchanged over a gaping void (complete with BASE-jumping flower girls).

Ryan Jenks and Kimberly Weglin were first engaged on a similar space net in the same place, then decided to keep up the tradition with the wedding. The brave pair also invited photographers Abbi and Callen Hearnes to document the event in a series of stunning photographs.

As the ceremony unfolded, friends of the couple performed aerial moves and walked across high lines. Flower girls packed thousands of pedestals into backpacks (alongside parachutes) before jumping off surrounding cliffs.

Every year, a group of athletes and filmmakers called the Moab Monkeys come to the site to create a huge hand-knitted hammock to hang out in before taking their own brave leaps into the void.

Their creations involve thousands of feet of colorful cordage, often designed to hope a dozen people or so and extending hundreds of feet over the canyon (with a hole in the middle for those looking to hop off and pop their chute, Brian Mosbaugh of Slacklinemedia). Also, be sure to check out more extreme wedding photos from The Hearnes duo, who have shot in a lot of exotic locations.

Your sweaty neighborhood gym has nothing on these beautifully designed fitness facilities full of multi-story climbing walls, skybridge pools, dramatic boxing rings, nightclub-style lighting and cool typographic murals. It looks like the architects and designers had as much fun dreaming up these beautiful modern fitness centers as clients get to have using them. Do yoga in a glass box overlooking Manhattan, lift heavy in a former communist monument, test your arm strength in the world’s largest bouldering gym or kickbox in a room that looks like a sci-fi movie set.

Wellness Sky in Belgrade, Serbia by 4of7

‘Wellness Sky’ is a pretty good name for a glassy triangular building cantilevered over a river and pedestrian esplanade in Belgrade. The building began as a communist monument known as the ‘Danube Flower,’ but lay abandoned throughout the 1990s during the Yugoslav wars. Today, its exterior looks much the same, but the interiors by firm 4of7 are transformed, with the backlit, faceted semi-translucent Barrisol stretched ceiling brightening up a fitness facility.

Brooklyn Boulders Coworking Space in Somerville, Massachusetts

Doesn’t this look like fun? Graffiti from local artists encourages you to find your strength at the Brooklyn Boulders facility in Somerville, Massachusetts – which is actually an unusual take on the co-working environment, seeking a balance between work and play. The facility hosts the usual work tables, but they’re a pretty minor feature compared to the 40,000-square-foot rock climbing wall that reaches all the way to the ceiling.

American Copper Gym in NYC by ShOp

What’s inside the skybridge connecting America’s tallest copper towers? A double-height fitness center with enviable views of New York City. This skybridge at SHoP’s residential towers, known as the American Copper Buildings, contains a 75-foot lap pool overlooking the East River, a climbing wall and a fitness center as well as a hot tub, bar and lounge.

The Burrow: Boxing Gym in Kuwait by Lab 100

Sabhan, Kuwait gets its first commercial boxing gym in the form of ‘The Burrow’ by Lab 100, a beautifully designed facility full of semi-private workout halls, a huge boxing room and an elevated crossfire area. “While designing the space, the key factor was in emphasizing a natural flow of movement and the element of surprise,” say the architects. “In order to reach the workout area, members have to take a narrow corridor, passing by the locker area and into the main workout hall. In contrast to the corridor, the spacious workout area embraces an elevated boxing ring in its center. The boxing ring is dramatically lit with nine pendant lights to highlight its importance in the facility.”

Rock Gym in Polur, Iran by New Wave Architecture

The striking exterior of this facility in Iran sort of looks like a rock cracked open to reveal a geode inside, a fitting aesthetic choice for a huge climbing gym with boulder-like interior walls. New Wave Architecture found inspiration in the large-scale movements and tectonic forces of the earth’s crust for the design, which also enables climbing up the exterior.

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Beautiful Modern Gyms And Fitness Facilities

Roller skating may not have been as “cool” as ice skating but it was one hot recreational activity back in the days before inline was superseded by online.

Roller rinks, along with bowling alleys and drive-in movie theaters, form a sad triumvirate of dying “family” recreational venues done in by economics, demographics and the rise of personal electronics. The former Valle Vista Skating Center in Hayward, California epitomizes the decline and fall of old-fashioned outdoor entertainment – sign out front shoulda told ya’.

Speaking of which, the sign was the last vestige of the business to go after its closure, long abandonment, and destructive fire in early 2008. Kudos to Flickr member Michael Van Vleet (signalstation) who snapped these images in October of 2007. To quote the photographer, “Glad I snapped photos. You know, I passed that roller skater sign for seven years thinking ‘I should get a photo of that.’ I’m glad I finally did before it vanished.”

He Shoots, He Snores

Roller hockey was yet another attempt to extend ice hockey’s appeal beyond the winter months. Of course, “hockey” and “appeal” are two words that too often don’t make enough economic sense south of the World’s Longest Undefended Border. This abandoned roller hockey rink captured at sunset by Flickr member Setve Nogar (snogar) in June of 2013 can be found in the Dayton, Ohio neighborhood of Walnut Hills… assuming anyone’s looking.

Pro and Conway

The Conway Roller Rink in Conway, Arkansas opened in 1973 and was a popular hangout for local college kids – Conway was and still is known as “The City of Colleges”. The rink had to compete for customers with a bowling alley right next door but soon garnered a reputation for its theme nights, parties and other such events.

Like many non-chain enterprises, the Conway Roller Rink depended on the vision and energy of its owner. Larry Billings bought the rink in 1981 and his dedication to making the rink “a safe and fun environment for many families in Conway” made him a beloved figure in the community. In October of 2012, Billings was fatally shot at home – a murder whose perpetrator has still not been found. Billings’ wife and son inherited the rink but had no interest in operating it.

NOLA Tengo

La Fleur’s Roller Rink in Sulphur, Louisiana (just west of Lake Charles) has seen better days. Now it’s one of “Five Big Eyesores in Southwest Louisiana That Could Be Great Opportunities.” That was in 2015 – Flickr member DieselDemon snapped the long-abandoned roller rink back in 2007 when its corrugated siding was a tad less rusted.

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Rollout 10 More Abandoned Roller Skating Rinks