SkyWheel is a Ronald Bussink Professional Rides designed R60 Giant Wheel, and was manufactured by Chance Morgan. It is similar in design to the Niagara SkyWheel on Canada's side of Niagara Falls, and the Seattle Great Wheel, both of which are tall. Skywheel has "42 glass-enclosed, temperature controlled gondolas" described as "ballooned-out square", each with seating for six passengers. City manager Tom Leath said, "It's big enough to be an iconic feature for the city." The wheel operates year-round except forthe day of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each gondola must be removed if high winds are predicted, completing a process that takes around eight to ten hours. Each gondola is equipped with temperature-controlled air conditioner units with hatch windows that allow airflow into the gondola. The gondolas are also equipped with a red "Emergency" button that alerts the ride operator for your own safety. Unrelated people are not required to sit together. If in the chance a child were ride without their parents or guardian, they must be able to reach the top of the gondola where the emergency button is located. If the child does not meet this requirement, a staff member can be provided to ride with the child or the child may ride with another customer with the consent of the adult.
Location
-based developer Koch Development Company and Pacific Development had been looking for a site for a Ferris wheel; they chose Myrtle Beach because of its new boardwalk, which has its northern end near the site, next to Plyler Park. Architect James Hubbard, AIA a Principal with Pegram Associates, Inc. designed the site, which includes a building with a restaurant, gift shop and the ticket booth. The Golden Villas motel was torn down and an alley was moved. The September 8, 2010 meeting of the Myrtle Beach Downtown Redevelopment Corporation included a discussion of SkyWheel. TLC planned a show about the wheel's construction, and a camera was positioned above the site at the Slingshot reverse bungee attraction across Ocean Boulevard. Al Mers, a Pacific Development partner, said later in the month that the steel frame was being built outside St. Louis, while the gondolas were made in Switzerland. The wheel went on a deck above sea level to protect it from possible hurricane storm surge. Construction of the building started in December, while the wheel's frame began work on February 23. Land Shark Bar & Grill opened the same day as SkyWheel, the third restaurant in the city connected with Jimmy Buffett. The others are Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville at Broadway at the Beach and Cheeseburger in Paradise on the city's north end.
Honors
In 2012, Officialbestof.com named SkyWheel "Best Scenic Experience in South Carolina".
