WhiteWater, a leading waterpark manufacturer, has shared insights into the impact of its new product launches at IAAPA Expo 2024. The company revealed more new products than ever before at the leading industry event and was honoured with two Brass Ring Awards.
The awards were presented for Walhalla, as runner-up in the Best New Product: Class A (over $2m) category, and Mini Blaster as runner-up in the Best New Product: Class B (under $2m) category.
Award-winning products
Walhalla is the world’s fastest six-person raft ride. It is a combination of two striking attractions, Boomerango and Manta, and offers the highest climbs, fastest speeds, and largest thrills in WhiteWater’s repertoire.
The ride launched at Meryal Waterpark in Lusail, Qatar, and offers a shared experience with friends and family. Features include lateral high speed at 50 km/h (31 mph), up to seven thrilling oscillations, maximum Gs and weightless experiences and a terrifying plummet at 11.4 meters (37.4 feet). Testament to its popularity, a single Instagram reel of the ride has received over 286 million views. Beyond the excitement, Walhalla is built to use little water and energy, which results in low operational costs for its size.
The company’s second award-winning product, the Mini Blaster, scales down the classic Master Blaster to cater to children 36 inches (91.4 cm) and taller. The Mini Blaster has more gradual acceleration than the adult version, a speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph) as opposed to 48 km/h (30 mph), and a shorter ride time of just over 20 seconds. Children can ride time and again as the run-out lane is purposefully positioned at the attraction’s entrance for high throughput. Additionally, this design and its slide course are suitable for parks where limited space is available.
“The ride is a winner to us,” comments Schlitterbahn New Braunfels, Texas, which features the first Mini Blaster in its new kids’ area.
Doug Smith, global head of sales, WhiteWater, says: “The contrast between these award-worthy products couldn’t be greater, but they are both proven to thrill their target audiences. Kudos to everyone involved for the careful thought and hard work that went into making these attractions a reality.”
New products revealed
WhiteWater debuted Wall Runner at IAAPA Expo last year. Set to open at Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Tennessee next year, it provides a thrilling ride experience with a first-of-its-kind lateral acceleration that prolongs the zero-G sensation.
At IAAPA Expo 2024, WhiteWater unveiled the following new products:
- Topspin. With a high-banking corkscrew descent, Topspin is a stunning attraction by itself and can also be paired with other features to create an exhilarating slide that is guaranteed to delight visitors. Both an enclosed and an open type are available in this newest addition to WhiteWater’s small footprint features. Topspin will make its premiere at Parrot Island Waterpark, Arkansas.
- Nautilus. This ride features a unique 90-degree turn, twisting over, under, around, and through. Because it can adjust to different incoming slide routes and speeds, Nautilus is perfect for fusion slides. It is offered in two forms, one enclosed, while the other has a centre hole for a crawl-through, walkway or flume-thru-flume slide. Nautilus will also launch at Parrot Island Waterpark, Arkansas.
- Slingshot. This innovation allows for quick direction changes and high-banking curves that are enjoyable both to ride and watch. Slingshot’s curves, which have an intimidating sawtooth finish, enhance the physical presence of any slide and perform well in small spaces. They also help to effectively contain water. Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi will host Slingshot’s premiere.
- Covered Boomerango. The classic zero-G Boomerango wall may now be covered and extended outside of an indoor water park. This not only saves valuable space inside, but it also makes an excellent billboard. Covered Boomerango will premiere at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions – Wisconsin Dells, in Wisconsin.
- Fiesta Slide. Simple and tempting, the Fiesta Slide enables up to six adults to slide down an undulated ramp side by side. It comes at various heights and levels of excitement, with a vast surface for creative theming or park branding. The Fiesta Slide debuted at Evermore Resort in Florida this year.
- SmartPay. SmartPay by Vantage enables visitors to share payment access with friends and family, such as for corporate events or older children, and set tailored spending restrictions for each individual. This feature manages charging rights for groups of guests, offering security, autonomy, and the possibility to increase sales. The first SmartPay deployment will take place at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas.
Onno Meeter, WhiteWater’s president, water parks, says: “These awards and new products demonstrate WhiteWater’s continued commitment to providing both unique attractions and clever solutions to serve diverse market needs. As we head into 2025, we are excited to bring these new innovations to life.”
At IAAPA Expo 2024, WhiteWater also announced its ISO 14001 certification and celebrated the induction of its CEO, Geoff Chutter, into the IAAPA Hall of Fame.
