Seaside Heights, NJ — After nearly six years of uninterrupted vacancy, the men’s bathroom at Surf Horizon Waterpark finally received its first visitor Saturday, prompting mild confusion and logistical re-evaluation among park staff.
The man, later identified as 52-year-old Greg Hummel of Toms River, reportedly entered the air-conditioned facility near the lazy river at approximately 2:15 p.m., used the urinal, washed his hands, and left “without incident.”
“It was sort of a historic moment,” said facilities manager Brad Keller. “We always assumed the plumbing worked, but you just never know until someone actually uses it.”
According to employees, the bathroom had been installed in 2019 as part of a broader renovation effort, complete with automatic sinks, soap dispensers, and what Keller described as “an aspirational number of toilets.” However, until this weekend, its existence had remained largely theoretical.
“We keep it clean, stocked, and ready every day,” Keller said. “But realistically, it’s always been more of a decorative element. Like a nice mural. Or the park map.”
Waterpark attendance data appears to support this. Despite hosting over 800,000 guests per year, usage logs show no record of a single flush, stall door latch, or soap dispenser activation—until now.
It was always a bit of a puzzle for Keller, “I really don’t know why it took this long. Apparently people were just going before they got to the park or after they left? Who knows.”
After the first patron used the facility, it reportedly caused a bit of a stampede. “Once the other visitors saw that first guy go in,” said Keller “People started flowing like crazy.”
The increase in use is apparent. “It now looks like all the other public bathrooms in the state,” said Keller. “That is to say, it’s as if Tony Soprano made an emergency pit stop after Mama’s gabagool didn’t sit right.”
But that’s OK with Keller, “We are used to cleaning gallons of hair gel, baby oil, and cologne out of the pools, so this is nothing. I’m just glad someone finally took a piss in Snooki’s mouth!” (It should be noted that the urinals are in the shape of Jersey Shore cast members.)
Surf Horizon is open from May to September.
