In the city of Marco Island, where sunsets paint the sky in a vivid collage of oranges and purples, and the beaches convene tourists from all around the globe. A simple question comes about underlying all of the youth that have come to Marco these recent years, Should Marco have more activities for teenagers? Before making this article a poll was conducted with 130 responses questioning MIA students which activities are best fit for Marco, those activities are a Skatepark, Turf Field, Beach Volleyball, an Escape Room, Better Movie Theatre, and last but not least, a Flow Rider. Out of the 6 only a few provided consistent results that they should be on Marco. In this article we will not only learn why these activities will benefit the youth, but the entire community.

The top choice among the six activities is beach volleyball, with only 15.1% of people voting against it, saying, “We don’t need one.” However, this wouldn’t just entail setting up a volleyball net at the beach for community use; it could involve organizing a volleyball tournament where individuals of all ages can compete for potential prizes. With some assistance from the city of Marco, such an event can be coordinated. Yet, this raises the question of where it should take place. Among the two primary beaches, Residents Beach and South Beach, which one is the best fit, according to the Manta Ray? Initially, 46.8% of votes favor South Beach. Why South Beach? South Beach is one of Marco’s two public beaches, providing direct access to the water, sand made from seashells, and an amazing sunset view. On the other hand, the close runner-up is Residents Beach, with 42.1% of the votes.

However, Residents Beach also has several notable features. This beach is more exclusive, accessible only to members, and that’s only possible if you’re a Marco Resident. It offers dining options at Paradise Grill, along with sheltered dining areas, convenient parking, restroom facilities, refreshing showers, picnic tables equipped with charcoal grills, and a nearby playground. Both of these options have their pros and cons, but the final decision lies with the City of Marco Island as to whether this will go through.

The very next highest voted activity is a FlowRider with only 20% of people voting “Aren’t the waves on Marco good enough? (they aren’t).” Although a FlowRider can cost millions of dollars depending on the type, could the City of Marco Island afford that? Possibly, but this can also act as a call out to any local businesses. But if there were a FlowRider on Marco what type should it be and where? First off if any business on Marco should tackle this it should be the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, they have the space, they have the money, and this isn’t too far off the lines of what they do as a company. For example, according to flowrider.com the “JW Marriott Turnberry Miami Resort & Spa” owns a “FlowRider Triple.” For those who don’t know, a FlowRider Triple offers triple the amount of space to shred waves than their traditional FlowRider Single, same concept, bigger scale. 

There are over 14 different types of FlowRiders, however, which one is best fit for the Marco Marriott? To be honest, over the 14 different types of FlowRiders, almost all are fit for the Marriot. If the Marriot wants to go the more traditional style they can do the single/double/triple. Though with a different approach, they can do something like a FlowSurf, FlowCurl, and FlowBarrel. The FlowSurf for example is “The perfect, silky-smooth and rippable river wave designed to transform any venue into a world-class surf spot.” According to FlowRider.com. The FlowCurl however may be the best choice, as it offers a FlowRider Double while also combined with a curling wave. So it has “plenty of room for beginners to learn,” while also having “the steep wave face and curling section allows more advanced flowboarders to show of their skills and attempt more radical maneuvers.” According to FlowRider.com. Lastly, the FlowBarrel offers a ten-foot barreling wave, probably not the best choice for the the Marriott because it’s more for the “thrill seeker.” Overall where the FlowRider should be is unknown, and what FlowRider it should be is still a mystery.

The third highest-voted activity is an Escape Room, with only 26.4% of people voting that “it already failed once.” However, for those who don’t know, there already was an Escape Room on Marco, but sadly, Covid-19 took a big toll on it and put them out of business. But what can be done to make sure that won’t happen again? For starters, the location plays a crucial role. If the Escape Room were in an area where more people congregated, maybe it would have a different story. Some good places are Marco Walk Plaza, Island Plaza, Marco Town Centre, and the Esplanade Shoppes at Marco Island. Another option could be a hotel/resort on Marco, and once again, a great choice could be the Marriott. Though this isn’t a challenge that anyone can take on lightly; they are hard work to start and maintain, and they aren’t cheap either, at least not on Marco. For example, out of the 8 properties for sale on loopnet.com, the cheapest is “500k,” and for everything else, the average property price is roughly 2 million dollars.

What else can be done to ensure it won’t happen again? Maybe pricing is another key factor. Price can also be a significant consideration because, in the city of Marco, things are normally quite expensive. However, there is a fine line between being too expensive and affordable. For example, Ever Davis suggests that “per adult, it should be around $30, and per child/senior citizen, it should be $25.” Ever also stated that “the old escape room was way too expensive.” But in the end, the escape room was great, and it was a shame to see it go. Hopefully, the Manta voice can bring it back.

Nonetheless, the question arises once more, should Marco have more activities for teenagers? In short, the answer is yes. Among the six activities presented in the poll, only three arose of whether or not we should have them, Beach Volleyball, a FlowRider, and an Escape Room. However throughout the article, it has been discussed why we should have these activities on Marco and what benefits they would bring, normally this wouldn’t be possible, but maybe with the help of The City of Marco Island, this can all be possible.