"What is that thing?"

Johnny Fisher, general manager of LuLu’s at Homeport Marina, has heard that question a lot lately.

Currently, “the thing” doesn’t have a name. Technically, it’s an Adventure Ropes Course.

But the winner of a Facebook contest to give it a name will have the final say about that.

“I just posted a contest on our Facebook page to name it and in the first two hours of our contest, we’ve had 143 comments,” Fisher said Friday afternoon.

Watching guests clamor all over it’s ropes and ladders and stairs and swinging bridges has become somewhat of a “social experiment” for LuLu staff members.

“At first, we didn’t know what the average age would be,” Fisher said, “but the kids have taken it over. It’s like a fear of heights is a learned fear. It’s amazing how fearless they are.”

The adults haven’t been as adventurous.

“We’ve had a few adults,” Fisher said with a laugh. He had yet to try his hands and feet on the contraption.

“We think that the adult market is something we’ll have to work on,” he said, still laughing. “We feel if we get a few on there then peer pressure will get some others on there, too. It’s fun and exciting.”

From ground level, Barbara Rexing of Evansville, Ind., was excited about taking pictures as her daughters Kendra and Erica braved the challenges and heights.

“I’m not going up on that thing,” Barbara  said.

The Adventure Ropes Course is a daunting 44 feet high. There is no age limit, but adventurers under 48 inches tall must be accompanied by an adult.

“It’s about three times as high as it looks,” Fisher said.

A guest pays $12 to spend time on the contraption, all the time secured firmly to an overhead rail in a body strap. There is no time limit and the course can accommodate 30 to 35 people at one time.

Fisher said the LuLu’s staff found the apparatus on a back lot at The Wharf and the owners were looking to sell. During the reconstruction, another level was added to get it to it’s current four-story height.

Now it’s also sporting some signature LuLu’s bright colors.

Next year, yet another level is planned. At its current height, Fisher says it’s a great place to watch the sunset and you can see the beach from the top level. Night climbing is out for now, “but we’ve got lights for it coming soon.”

Fisher says the course is one of the many ways LuLu’s is evolving.

“We’ve become more than a restaurant,” he said. “We are an entertainment destination and we are constantly looking for more forms of entertainment to add.

Supper on the Sand

Fisher is also intimately involved in the upcoming “Supper on the Sand” event planned for April 17. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri will be the host and the Faulkner State Culinary School will provide 500 guests with a variety of fresh seafood dishes.

“The whole point … is to generate publicity and bring some positive attention to our area,” he said. “It’s going to be one of the most fantastic things to happen on the beach since the concerts. Five hundred people at one table is going to be fantastic.

“Hopefully, we are sending out a big message.”

The group putting on the event is well-known for blow-out dinners for large crowds with stunning results.

“There’s nothing like one big table,” he said. “You have the best restaurant in the world for that one night.”