Ninja Nation, a Colorado-based youth fitness franchise, is opening a new obstacle course arena in North Austin on Saturday, July 8. The new arena is the first Austin facility, and the third to open in Texas.
The new, 15,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility on North Lamar is one of the largest obstacle courses in the nation, according to a press release. A grand opening celebration with obstacle course demonstrations, giveaways, local vendors, and more is planned for Saturday, July 8 from 10 am to 6 pm.
The new facility will be run by longtime Austin residents, entrepreneurs, and parents Atlas Cage and Tatiana Jitkoff. Cage's interest in opening a Ninja Nation in Austin stemmed from his past experience competing on the TV show American Ninja Warrior.
"Growing up, I played in several traditional sports, but never really felt like my heart was in it," said Cage in the release. "I was a nerdy kid – still kind of am – and was into video games, kung fu movies, and superheroes."
He continues, "When we found Ninja Nation, we were so excited to be able to bring this arena to a community of people who may never have felt like traditional sports were for them. I personally am looking forward to people pushing their limits and gaining a huge sense of accomplishment and confidence training here."
Ninja Nation also offers mobile obstacle courses for school and public events or festivals. Above all, the mission behind the business and its owners is to help community members find and embrace the "hero" in themselves.
Facilities have common training courses like rock climbing walls and monkey bars, but also more advanced training like a vertical wall to run up, and rings to use as handles while swinging across a structure for upper body strength.
"We couldn’t be more excited to bring the Austin community together through a positive fitness experience," said Jitkoff in the release. "As parents ourselves, we love that Ninja Nation is community- and family-oriented and encourages people of all ages to spend time together in a unique and active way."
Ninja Nation was founded in Colorado in 2017 to help children improve their confidence in a fun and safe space through obstacle courses, training, and fitness classes. There are five other arenas operating in Colorado, North Carolina, and California, with additional facilities under development in Tennessee, Washington, and Arizona.
The North Lamar location is the only Ninja Nation in Austin, with two others currently open in Dallas-Fort Worth, and a Houston facility in the works.
The new Austin Ninja Nation is located at 6500 North Lamar Boulevard. More information and tickets ($10) for the grand opening celebration on July 8 are available at austin.ninjanation.com.
