About Us - Our Roots

About Us - Our Roots

When two guys decide to leave the “normal” world behind and move to Costa Rica to pursue their dream … you know they are passionate about adventure! That’s exactly what Darren Hreniuk and his partner, Rick Graham, did in the early 90’s when they left their native Canada for warmer environs.

Their dream?

Find a way for ordinary people to experience the rainforest canopy and, in turn, bring greater awareness to world ecology. Well, little did they know that their passion would spawn one of the most popular tourist adventures in the world.

On arrival, Hreniuk began designing a system, making calculations and experimenting with prototypes in the humble surroundings near the Quaker-established, world famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. After several years of experimentation with different designs, materials and operational techniques, Hreniuk struck upon a formula he felt was functional and safe. Recognizing the potential commercial value of what he had created but also equally concerned that design and operational safety be rigorously followed, Hreniuk applied for and received a patent in 1997. Granted in Costa Rica, the patent provided for 20 years of exclusive rights. Unfortunately, due to political pressure and social factors in Costa Rica, the patent has been in dispute and usurped since it was granted. This has not stopped Hreniuk from pursuing patent rights in other countries including the U.S. “This is not an activity you can just decide to get into one day and profess to be an expert the next,” says Hreniuk. “We liken ourselves, in a sense, to dive operations like PADI and NAUI, where years of experience and training are combined to allow you strap on fins and air tanks to go safely and confidently into completely new and different environments with minimal risk.

As part of the system, Hreniuk devised a fail-safe mechanism that employs a self-equalizing second line. The design evenly distributes weight between independent lines, thereby reducing wear and prolonging the life of the proprietary cables, another Hreniuk invention. In the unlikely event of a failure anywhere on the system, this fail-safe feature assures that guests arrive safely to their destination platform. Even with these built-in protections, The Original Canopy Tour® does not take safety for granted—system operators submit to well over 100 hours of initial training. As noted, Hreniuk’s “Original” idea was to create something unique to help protect the world’s rainforests and to develop an awareness of the fragile ecosystem, in the process channeling money back into reforestation, conservation and education programs “The idea to protect the earth’s natural resources was from the beginning a goal of this company,” says Graham, a biologist by profession. “Darren’s ingenuity gives people a truly different way to experience the environment in each project he builds and it is his intention to make each new location truly different. Darren adds, “I go to great lengths to make sure the environment is protected when I install a system. After all, it’s not a good idea to harm the area we are touring. We want everyone to see the natural beauty—not compromise it. We also require that each new partner contribute to the preservation of each new location.”

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