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Just Add Water!
Water is an effective way to add excitement to a ride. Riders can float, slide or be splashed. Paul Ruben traces the history of water rides, and asks several park operators and suppliers why they are still so enduring, while elsewhere we note five current trends.
Water-powered gravity rides trace their lineage back to the Saut du Niagara (Leap of Niagara) at the Jardin Rugieri, Paris, which opened in 1817. It was the first boat chute, in which a boatload of customers slid 240ft downhill into a pool of water.
An improved version of this primitive ride first achieved commercial success when Paul Boyton introduced his Shoot-the-Chutes at Sea Lion Park, Coney Island, New York, in 1889. Here a specially built boat, filled with passengers, slid down a large incline at high speed. At the bottom it encountered an upward lip, sending the boat into the air before skipping across the water, finally splashing to a thrilling finale.
Inspired by the Canals of Venice, a ride invented by Arthur Pickard of London in 1891, other versions of this dark boat ride appeared in several locations and were often called the Old Mill or Tunnel of Love. A dozen or so small boats drifted slowly through a darkened canal powered by a paddle wheel driven water current, the journey interrupted by a variety of scenes along the way, much like a dark ride.
Another early water ride, the Mill Chute, was developed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Boats slowly meandered through a narrow channel before being raised to the top on an incline. At the apex they slid rapidly back into the water, their momentum and the current carrying them through the remainder of the channel.
Coaster track and water first merged in 1905 at Coney Island with the introduction of the Mountain Torrent. Passengers rode in a single car that was shaped like a boat. It rolled around a mountain-themed layout, and then at the bottom of the ride it would splash into a lake and float back to the loading station.
Wild ‘n’ Wet
The most outrageous introduction of water to the coaster experience is described in the patent for a diving coaster issued to John F Burke in 1917. Built on the shoreline, riders at one point were lightly showered with water as they were carried through the course before the coaster train abruptly stopped and catapulted its cargo into the lake. This was before the introduction of liability insurance.
Today, at California’s Disneyland the Matterhorn's bobsleds splash through water. The Anaconda at Kings Dominion dives into a tunnel that appears to go under water. Togo's Diving Shooter combines coaster and flume thrills, while Miler's Ker-Splash features a watery finale. Diving coasters from Bolliger & Mabillard now send up a rooster tail of water from their inclusion of water brakes. Suspended coasters such as the Busch Gardens' Big Bad Wolf, Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Infusion, Cedar Point's Iron Dragon and Canada's Wonderland's Vortex all dive towards and skim over water. Like going through a car wash, on the 'Wolf you even get sprayed.
One of the evergreen water rides is the log flume, pioneered by Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon of Arrow Development in the late 1950s. “At this time,” recalls Karl Bacon, “there was nothing else in any of the parks that was similar. There were slow boat rides but nothing you see in the flume. That was the first time that any ride went through two stages of water flow.”
In the early 80s, Bill Crandall from Six Flags Astro World in Houston, Texas, starting talking to Intamin about an idea he had had for a ride after watching the kayak racing at the Olympics, and so the rapids ride was born. Intamin alone has built over 80 such attractions around the world.
Aqua Adventure
Modern water rides now fall into many categories including water coasters, tow boats, round boats, paddle boats, submarines, bumper boats and interactive water carousels, offered by a variety of suppliers.
“The track might be always the same, but you get wet in different ways each time you ride,” observes Michael Mack in Germany, whose family has experience both building and operating water rides, at Europa-Park and Mack Rides respectively.
“Water rides are popular for many reasons,” believes Alain Vleminclx of Hopkins Rides. “First, they appeal to all ages, unlike other rides such as coasters or kiddie rides which only appeal to a limited percentage of park patrons. All people seem to be drawn to water. Also, almost every water ride is unique, we do not do ‘cookie cutter’ rides. Water rides offer a type of intimacy with nature other rides do not, often blending in with the natural surroundings.”
“In just about all the guest research I've ever seen, water rides rank just below coasters in popularity. You really can't go wrong with a water ride,” highlights John Hildebrandt, vice-president and general manager of Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. “Many people who are afraid of riding coasters will ride water rides.”
That latter statement is something that has made at least one traditional thrill ride manufacturer wake up to the potential of water rides. “We recognise that not everybody can or will ride a 100 mph+ coaster, but water ride experiences can be enjoyed by virtually everyone,” says Stan Checketts of S&S Power. The US supplier has now set up a water ride division and its first product, the Pirate Plunge, which will debut soon at Checkett’s own Celebration Centre FEC in Logan, Utah.
“Water rides are not white-knuckle rides, but they are not soft rides either,” observes Luis García Calzada, rides & shows manager at Isla Mágica is Seville, Spain. ”They are for all ages and type of visitor and because they have a longer cycle time, guests get more of an experience.”
Soaking Sensation
Water rides occasionally find a home in waterparks too. “Noah’s Ark in Wisconsin Dells, America’s largest waterpark, has a Hopkins Shoot the Chute,” reveals Vleminclx. “This ride, normally a staple at amusement parks, has been the most popular attraction at Noah’s Ark since it opened in 1998.”
The relatively high cost of purchase compared to water slides, however, means that such rides are not a viable option for the majority of waterpark owners, “and I don't think waterpark guests are looking for the kind of experience either,” adds Hildebrandt. “At a waterpark, you are already in your bathing suit, so you want to get 100% wet, not teased.”
Not that regular theme park patrons don’t enjoy a soaking. “Who didn’t love a good water fight when they were kids?” asks Checketts.“ People have always enjoyed getting wet and getting their friends wet! Water rides are a great way to bring the fun of a day at the beach to all kinds of people who live in all different kinds of places.”
“Maybe it just goes back to when we were kids and we used to spray each other with the garden hose,” continues Hildebrandt. “Water rides are also great for spectators, too. We all seem to enjoy watching other people getting soaked.”
Increasingly spectators are being encouraged to join in the fun by aiming water cannons at their riding friends. Checketts reckons the interactive trend isn’t over yet: “I expect that the water gun-based rides will continue to hold their own, but they will also evolve as we come up with more ways to use water.”
One thing that will surprise the few parks that haven’t yet added a water ride is that, sometimes, the colder the climate, the more guests enjoy getting wet. “A Northern European would go to swim in the sea when the water was 15 degrees; a South European definitely would not!” notes Mack.
As is to prove the theory that different nations react to water in different ways, Calzada tells us his Southern European guests prefer to keep relatively dry. “Water rides are very refreshing in warm parks like Isla Mágica, but in Seville the people don’t want to be very wet, only on the hottest days.”
Stan Checketts is prepared for all outcomes. “With our investment in our new water ride products, we are banking on water rides being enjoyed by people everywhere, including some of the new indoor facilities. Our splash rides have been designed such that, if the park desires, the passengers will hardly get wet; but the perception of dropping into water and creating a splash is still great fun!”
“Just getting wet isn't enough,” confirms Hildebrandt, “but a water ride where you knew you were never really going to get wet would be a bore. With many water rides you can regulate, to some extent, the wetness of the experience, turning it up in warm weather and down in colder weather. The bottom line: it's not a water ride if you don't get at least a little wet.”
With summer fast approaching, there can surely be no better ride experience.
World's Longest Flume Ride?
The classic water ride is still arguably the Log Flume, and Peter Ziegler of Bear Rides in Switzerland believes the example his company has installed at Eco Park in Shenzhen, China, is the biggest yet – at over 1km and over 13 minutes long!
“We don’t yet know when the ride will open,” he tells Park World, ”but it has yet to be challenged as the longest in the world.”
The ride, components of which were built locally, features five lifts, seven chutes/ramps, including a 20-metre plunge and a backwards drop, and three turntables. The ride also features a section passing through a building.
Riders board the 29 six-seater boats in two station areas. Due to the long ride time, however, the theoretical capacity is not as superlative as the rest of the ride, at 775 passengers per hour.
World's Smallest Flume Rides?
While certain suppliers might be concentrating on massive installations in far off countries, two Italian manufacturers recently produced some incredibly compact water rides for their European customers.
At Barry’s Amusements in Northern Ireland, a new ride opened last season called the Turtle Splash, featuring the smallest of six mini flume layouts available from IE Park.
Featuring just 47.8 metres of channel inside a 22 x 8.5 metre footprint, the ride comes with a single 2.7 metre drop, or ‘plop’. The ride was supplied with four turtle boats, but alternative options include a whale, duck, raft or the trusty old log.
L&T Systems meanwhile supplied a similar sized mini flume to Funland at Hayling Island on the South Coast of England. Measuring just 21 x 9 metres, the ride features a 46-metre-long channel. “It has a simple oval shape and one chute 2.2 metres high,” explains L&T’s Andrea Mazzeranghi. The ride in question comes complete with four small logs, each with capacity for 1 adult and 2 children.
L&T Systems is currently working on a new version of its Splash Coaster, combining elements of a wild mouse and a flume.
Interactive Water Coasters
The amusement industry’s obsession with ‘interactive’ attractions hasn’t escaped water rides. In fact, if you haven’t got a water cannon on your latest offering, you might as well drown.
Having previously produced the Pteranodon Flyer suspended coaster for Islands of Adventure, Setpoint utilised the same vehicle concept for the Super Saturator water coaster, which debuted in 2000 at Carowinds in North Carolina, followed by Hersheypark in Pennsylvania three years later.
Setpoint has now created a new generation Swing Thing water coaster, complete with on-board water storage, pump and gun systems, complemented by on-ground water guns, geysers and blasters. Supplied with either individual ride vehicles or, for larger parks, a train, capacity will be in the range of either 400-600 or 800-1,000 persons-per-hour. Scoops on the bottom of each car will direct and spray water onto the queue line.
Meanwhile, Vekoma Rides Manufacturing reports that it is progressing well with plans for its Splash Party water coaster, and has now developed several potential ride layouts.
The Splash Party uses the same layout and seating as Vekoma’s latest Suspended Family Coaster. Each pair of riders are given their own water bombs, which they can release with a button at various ‘drop zones’ during the ride. Water guns, geysers and various other tools are installed on the ground in order to create an interactive environment between the guests in the train and the queue line. The water bombs are refilled while the train is back in the station for loading.
Interactive Boat Rides
Roger Houben of 3DBA began talking to parks with a view to supplying a water ride around four years ago. The concept he settled on, the simple but effective Splash Battle, has now been sold to over 10 parks worldwide.
“There were several concepts in the market before but they were merely based on hitting targets,” notes Roger. “I wanted something with more interactivity, where the riders would be in control and you wouldn’t be affected by external factors like wind and speed when attacking other guests. For this reason we decided to design the track on the ground.”
Roger had a very clear idea in his head what the finished product would look like. “The Splash Battle had to be a ride experience which was marketable for the whole family and teenagers too.”
The first Splash Battle opened at Walibi World in Holland in spring 2005 and has since opened at venues including Indiana Beach in the USA, Walibi Aquitaine in France and China’s Chime Long Paradise. The yellow submarine boats, designed by Forrec and built by Preston & Barbieri, remain the most popular theme, but custom versions have also been produced for Legoland California and Movie Park in Germany, where a SpongeBob Square Pants version has just opened.
“Even now competitors are copying the concept we have noticed that they are not able to create the real Splash Battle experience, which is the interaction from the passengers in the boat with the guests outside and the interactive elements. We are able to design the lay-out in such a way that the all riders interact in a similar way. The trackless version will add another dimension to this.”
So what are some of those competing products hoping to give Splash Battle a run for its money? Well the Fabbri Group is hoping its Hydro Mania ride will appeal to park operators looking for a more cost effective solution. The attraction uses bumper boats similar to those employed on Fabbri’s River Rapids, available in two sizes. The spinning of the boats cannot be controlled, but thanks to their bumper boat construction, a few harmless bumps along the way should add to the fun.
Anglo-French supplier Interlink will deliver an interactive rapids ride this season to Soukra Park in Tunisia, while ABC Rides is about to supply an interactive boat ride to Futuroscope in France. Mack Rides has just installed a ride called Captain Nick’s Splash Battle (the park’s name, not Mack’s) at Legoland Deutschland as part of the German park’s new pirate-themed area. On this, the first interactive boat ride from Mack, passengers shoot at shipwrecks and other targets along the way. Each boat seats up to eight passengers, with one water cannon each.
Wild Water
Rafting attractions have been a popular theme park feature ever since Intamin pioneered the rapids ride back in the 80s, but recently some slightly more intense variations of the theme have been developed.
ABC Engineering from Switzerland has now completed four River Splash rides for neighbouring countries including Germany, two with an ingenious vertical lift system. Passengers begin their ride high up, coarsing through the channels on gravity rather than water current. As the boats begin their descent through the ride, they navigate sharp turns and slide to edge of the channels – it’s part water ride, part rollercoaster and part water slide. The latest River Splash has just opened at the Prater in Vienna, Austria.
Vertical lifts have caught the imagination of a number of ride designers lately, and in Italy two manufacturers are now producing raft rides with this feature. As well as SBF/Visa, which is working on the Niagara Flume, Zamperla has developed the Hydro Lift, the first ride to come to fruition since the company established a dedicated Aqua Division.
Billed as an “extreme rafting” experience, the 6-seater boats go into a spin as soon as they leave the tallest (12-metres) of two vertical lifts. The sensation is similar to a spinning coaster, reckons Zamperla’s Bruno Lancetti. The fibreglass troughs twist and turn several times before the rafts splash into the pool below and navigate a rapids section.
Pictured here outside the Zamperla factory, the prototype Hydro Lift was due to go into operation at Marina D’Or in Valencia,
Spain, any day now. Watch it on YouTube.
