Troy Richardson of Elk Ridge has been coming up with new things for years.

"I've always been the type of kid that can take and look at something and make it better," said Richardson, who also works as a boiler maker, owns a welding business and is part-owner of a recycling company in Cedar City. "There are times when I just walk through a Home Depot and look for different items that I can improve."

One of his first inventions was a shock absorber for a bike seat. Richardson was starting a new exercise program when the idea came to him, he said. It turned out that his idea had been patented by someone else, but Richardson said his drive to create has continued unchecked.

In the ensuing years Richardson has built a swing that rotates 360 degrees around the axis, and has reverse engineered a pair of Wurlybirds, a four-seated apparatus that spins as the participants alternately push out with their feet and pull with their arms.

Richardson's most recent and probably best-known invention is a zipline with braking capabilities. Richardson said he built his first zipline eight years ago for the Park City Mountain Resort for rescue workers to help people off of a ski lift in an emergency. The resort had approached Richardson with what he called "old-school stuff." He described the system they were using at the time as a pulley on a cable that carried the rider at an unchecked speed down the line.

"Mine brakes all the way down," he said.

Richardson has built two zipline systems since then, one of which was recently installed near Spanish Fork Reservoir.

Richardson approached Spanish Fork city officials in November last year to construct a line that would stretch a quarter-mile long and another that stretches 1,000 feet. The city approved the pair of ziplines on a year-long lease agreement, and Richardson had his zipline ready to ride by Pioneer Day.

Built on the edge of the Spanish Fork Reservoir, the new zipline up to Red Knoll encompasses about 20 patents.

"We saw it as a great opportunity to bring people to the reservoir," said Spanish Fork Mayor Joe Thomas. "It creates a small revenue center for the city that offsets the maintenance of the grounds. A lot of people are enjoying it. We're just happy he's up there."

From the parking lot, the top of the zipline is a 5-10 minute hike up the side of Red Knoll. For those who can't hike it, Ziptraveler staff members have a golf cart that can take riders up the hill for an additional fee.

"There's nothing like it," said Richardson's son, Josh Fullmer. Fullmer works for his dad and is a manager at Ziptraveler, the company Richardson formed around his zipline. "I ride it probably three or four times a day that I work. When people get on, they're all scared asking a whole bunch of questions, but when they got off they all want to go again."

The ride itself takes about a minute, with riders achieving speeds of 35 to 40 miles an hour.

"When you take off, you think it's going to be scary or so forth," Thomas said. "But within a second of taking off you recognize that you're safe. It's not like a roller coaster. It's a very peaceful and enjoyable ride that's over way too quick."

"Our plans are to disrupt the industry," Richardson said. "Never again will you have to pay a million dollars to build a zipline."

The zipline is intended to have a small footprint.

"It's the cheapest of its kind," Richardson said. "And it's eco-friendly. I want people to get their heart rate up. I want them to enjoy hiking and enjoy nature. It's part of the thrill. It's only a half-mile hike up."

Collette, Richardson's wife, said they hope to sell the zipline to the city and move on to their next project, though city officials say they have no plans to buy it.

Richardson said his dedication to all things green has captured his imagination for a while.

"I'm always looking for energy efficient things I can do and work with," he said. "The next house I build is going to be green."

He said he'd also like to build an engine that is powered, every other stroke, by water.

"It seems like he invents a new thing every week," Fullmer said. "He'll do something two or three times before he gets it right. He likes to hurry up and do something and then backtrack. It usually works out in the end."

Collette said her husband's creation process is open and somewhat of a family affair.

"He bounces ideas off of the kids and the grandkids," she said. "Then he listens -- even when it comes from a 3-year-old. Sometimes you'll think, 'Whoa. Even kids can teach us.' They don't look at the world in a little box. It's kind of a neat thing in our family. Now we have two grand kids that are really inventive and want to tell grandpa all about it."

In his spare time, Richardson can be found working with inmates at the Utah County Jail. Richardson said he also employs some of the work-release inmates at the jail, teaching them a skill around which the inmate can build a new life.

Early in his life, Richardson said he struggled with several additions and he's interested in helping others to overcome their struggle. He's been clean from drugs and alcohol now for 20 years. While they lived in Cedar City, he and his wife ran a 12-step program through the LDS church.

His wife said that their ultimate dream is to someday build a recovery center to help those struggling with addictions to overcome.