The Ninja Warrior Television Series is a worldwide phenomenon that originated in Japan with a television show called Sasuke. This popular series had many spin-offs and was later licensed to many Asian countries. The American Ninja Warrior series followed, along with many European and Middle Eastern countries, further cementing its worldwide recognition and popularity. The concept has also been adapted by Ninja Clubs, which are attended by fans who want to experience the thrill and challenge of the Ninja Warrior course. These clubs number more than 800 across Germany, the UK, France, and Israel.
Enter the Greek-based Ninja Pool - the brainchild of Barak Tzur. Ninja Pool is part of the worldwide trend in providing “active attractions”, based on the Ninja Warrior series, to companies within the hospitality industry. But Ninja Pool takes this concept a step further by designing and placing ninja courses at rehabilitation centers, public pools, private pools, and even over natural bodies of water. Ninja Pool is certified to provide its structures and services to companies and individuals throughout the EU.
The seed that grew into a winning business idea
Barak Tzur is a well-known personal trainer, health journalist, celebrity coach, and owner of Ninja Pool. From an early age, Barak had a love for swimming and physical fitness, but little did he know where these interests would eventually take him.
Our story starts with Barak as an overweight boy, who spent much of his childhood as a successful competitive swimmer. Achieving this level of success required many laps of training in pools, along with workouts outside of the water to increase his fitness and strength. When he reached the age of 13, a mental switch was activated and he was able to lose 1/3 of this body weight. A change that helped propel him to future success.
As a result of his continued interest in physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle growing up, Barak later became well-known for building large, challenging obstacle courses and even created ones for the Ninja Warrior series.
Making “Ninja Warrior” accessible for everyone
In the years leading up to 2020, Barak started thinking about two things that had always played an important role in his life - pools and fitness. He began to ponder if there could be more than just swimming laps to increase one’s fitness using a pool.
Could there be a way to make it more interesting and exciting, and maybe use the space above the pool as well? And could it be for people who were not exclusively fitness buffs, such as the average man or child? After all, one could be fairly daring using their body weight to exercise above the soft cushion of water below them or be partially submerged in water to help reduce the amount of body weight for workouts.
This was the moment when the “Ninja Pool” concept was born. An obstacle course filled with zip lines, rings, bars, nets, and more that could be built above a pool. And since it would be located above water, it could be safe and appealing for children, a wide range of adults, and even elite athletes. A fall from the obstacle course would only mean a wet, but soft, landing.
Ninja Pool courses are fun and challenging for all ages and levels of fitness
Talking with the original “Ninja Pool” warrior
We sat down with Barak to learn more about suitable locations for Ninja Pool obstacle courses, what sets Ninja Pool apart from similar companies, and how TAF truss plays an important part in the structures he creates.
Can you tell us what locations are the most suitable for Ninja Pool obstacle courses and if they are customized to fit within these areas?
Sure. There are three main areas where Ninja Pool operates. First, there are sport and entertainment installations. These include hotels, water parks, and facilities in the hospitality industry. Therapeutic and rehabilitation pools are also prime locations, which range from spas and rehabilitation centers to hospitals. And lastly, public and residential pools.
We have several courses that are tailored to fit well in these areas. They respect the specific dimensions of each pool and style of installation, coming with a specific set of accessories and solutions. Although each course is unique, the one thing they all have in common is they are designed to operate over water. It’s important to note the we say “water”, since their use is not strictly limited to pools. They can also be utilized at lakes and seaside locations with calm waters.
What sets Ninja Pool apart from similar companies in your industry?
It’s important to note that there are many challenges when working over water. These include the installation itself, design of accessories, user safety, and overall durability of the structure, due to the extremely humid and warm environment where the structure is located.
Ninja Pool is uniquely qualified in this respect, as it has specialized in this field for eight years, handling diverse installations—from pool parties that last only a few hours and floating installations on lakes, to the latest trend of above-ground, portable pools. Each concept requires a customized set of solutions, specific methodologies for installation and operation, and strict measures to ensure the safety of its users.
What led to your decision to start, and continue, using TAF truss for Ninja Pool projects? What features or qualities of TAF products are important for you?
The collaboration with TAF has played an instrumental role in helping us push the boundaries of our imagination. One of the core components of Ninja Pool systems is the truss structure.
Having the ability to consult with professionals who have a deep understanding of truss and how it performs under stress is crucial. We greatly appreciate the guidance that TAF provides on which truss series would be the most appropriate, the optimal connections, and what the structures can achieve. This allows us to expand our ideas. The use of TAF truss structures allows us to integrate rails, lifting mechanisms, and other advanced mechanical systems that transform our range of courses into what they have become today.
And since all structures use TAF’s aluminum truss with quicklock connection system, they are quickly and easily assembled, with no drilling, digging, or disturbance to the surrounding area.
What are some examples of projects where TAF truss was utilized? Are there particular standout projects you can mention?
When our clients expressed a need to utilize Ninja Pool systems with above-ground pools that could be set up and then put away after a few months, our collaboration with TAF's engineering team was fully utilized and enabled us to provide a precise solution. We developed and fine-tuned multiple versions of this new structure, with the first model launched in the 2024 summer season. As a result of feedback received from our customers, together with insights gained in their construction, a path for the development of an improved model for the upcoming summer season became clear.
Two additional projects from this year that I can mention are located on the Greek island of Crete. The first is located at the Aqua Plus Water Park in Hersonissos, where we delivered two Ninja Pool systems (5 meters + 10 meters long) constructed from TAF’s HT34 truss. The second is a newer project near the city of Sitia on the eastern side of Crete, which features five Ninja Pools that are connected together to make a complete course. All five structures are made with TAF’s HT34 truss and feature a series of stages and staircases between them.
Aqua Plus Water Park (Hersonissos, Crete)
Two Ninja Pool systems (5m and 10m) constructed from TAF’s HT34 truss
Multi-Obstacle Course (Sitia, Crete)
A 5-piece Ninja Pool course constructed with TAF HT-34 truss
How would you describe the services provided by TAF? What extra value does TAF provide, in addition to the provision of truss?
The technical assistance we receive from TAF’s engineering and design team is crucial and reflected in the design of our systems. Unlike the entertainment business, where structures are normally built to support static loads, we're suspending people. As a result, there are many dynamic forces at play that include crazy jumps, swings, and other movements that generate complex loads. All of these forces need to be taken into account with the truss we use and the overall design of the structure. That’s why we primarily use TAF’s HT-34 truss for our smaller structures and their larger 40mm truss for our bigger structures.
What are Ninja Pool’s plans for the future? How do you see development of your activities going forward?
We worked very hard for a year and a half to obtain TUV certification for our system. Now that we have this certification in place, we're looking to expand our operations within Europe and explore additional markets.
The field of active tourism is growing worldwide and we aim to match this growth. Ultimately, as both a father and the owner of Ninja Pool, there’s nothing more exciting than seeing a family arrive at a facility, with each person able to accomplish something that suits their skill level and strength—whether it’s a reflection of their age, fitness level, or amount of courage they can muster when going through the course. From zip-lining over the water to running across a suspension bridge, or even swinging between giant wheels, each experience is unique.
There’s immense satisfaction when seeing the response each person has to their own achievements. We believe that every water park, lakeside sports club, or hotel should have these kinds of systems installed for their guests.
Ninja Pool brings out the ninja in all of us!
For more information about Ninja Pool and their obstacle courses, visit the Ninja Pool website at https://ninja-pool.com. You can also contact them at info@ninja-pool.com or +30 698-4289228.
