Play All Day New Malibu Jack’s Indoor Theme Park Is A Family Affair Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
In the 1950s, Vernon Hatton became a Kentucky basketball legend when he made a half-court shot to send the University of Kentucky into a third overtime in what resulted in a victory over Temple University. He went on to become an All-American and played in the NBA, but ultimately left the sport to become an auctioneer in Lexington, Kentucky - a career that suited him well. His sons, Steve, Jeff, and Terry, grew up in the auction business, watching their dad in action every Monday morning in a Lexington tobacco warehouse. “Dad was an entertainer,” Steve says. “He told stories and got people laughing. People drove several hours to come listen to him and eat chili dogs.” Steve and his brothers carried on the tradition until about 15 years ago, when they decided to branch out from the
auction business and open the Kentucky Basketball Academy, a five-court facility that held national basketball and volleyball tournaments. Steve’s son Tyler began working with his dad at age 12, acting as scorekeeper at basketball games. Though the family enjoyed aspects of the business, they dealt with a good bit of negativity. “Basketball tournaments had 40 teams and 39 of those teams lost, so you can imagine that there was a lot of complaining,” Steve says. “Just dealing with that negativity was an event itself.” Steve and his brothers thought about how great it would be to create a place that would foster nothing but good times and fun vibes. Steve had a friend who opened an outdoor family fun center in Kentucky, but the fickle midwestern weather was brutal for business and it closed after a few years. Steve began thinking about offering an indoor facility APRIL 2020
with similar amenities. In the meantime, Tyler was studying communications and advertising in college. He also served for a few years on a church mission trip to Argentina where he learned how much he enjoyed helping others and seeing joy in people’s eyes. “Dad was cooking up this idea of a family fun center with his brothers, and although I knew they were full of great ideas, I wanted to make sure they could refine those ideas,” says Tyler, who worked on branding the concept by creating logos and signage, and officially joined the family business after graduating from college. The family did some research and found that most arcades were dark and filled with neon. They chose to go in a different direction, envisioning a beach vibe that was bright, colorful and festive. In 2013 Steve and his brothers found an
