There are perhaps multiple origins for the lazy river, including a 1940 Wisconsin man who was famous for operating a nightclub at which customers could float on a nearby river in inner tubes while drinking their beer. Princess Chumbhot of Nagar Svarga was credited for popularizing tubing by Sports Illustrated in the 1960s. \
However, the term lazy river was first used in the 1970s by the founder of SeaWorld, George Millay, who is credited with creating the first water parks in the U.S. \