In 2001, Lost Island Waterpark, owned by Gary & Becky Bertch of Bertch Cabinet Manufacturing, opened. It has since evolved to be ranked among the best waterparks in the United States. Now, the 159-acre Lost Island Themepark, which features in blooloop’s list of the top 11 new themed attractions for 2022, is preparing to open on June 18.
The attraction is unique in numerous respects. Firstly, it is located in Waterloo, Iowa. Secondly, it was planned and executed through a global pandemic. Thirdly, a brand-new, ground-up theme park with a bespoke IP is incredibly rare, especially as a waterpark’s second gate.
Eric Bertch, son of Becky and Gary and owner/GM of the waterpark, speaks to blooloop about the concept and its development.
The inspiration behind Lost Island
The idea for the Lost Island Themepark came over several years of idea brainstorming, says Bertch:
“We had created the waterpark with a South Pacific feel, as a way of providing our neighbours with a vacation destination that they may not have the opportunity to visit in real life: bringing the vacation to them.”
The theme park had a similar objective. However:
“We quickly realised that simply putting roller coasters in the middle of a desert island wouldn’t make people want to revisit. A visitor to an amusement park is different from a waterpark visitor. There’s much more lounging around in a waterpark, where in an amusement park people basically want to ride the rides that they enjoy, and then leave.”
They jettisoned the original core idea, which was that this had to be a tropical place in the middle of Iowa, too.
“This needed to be a whole new world that draws guests back and makes them want to experience something that they can’t find anywhere else. So, drawing inspiration from the Harry Potter, Disney, and Marvel universes, we decided we had to have some kind of intellectual property to get the visitors invested in. We set out initially thinking about legends and pre-existing myths about lost continents, going towards an Atlantis route.”
All new IP
They had, by this point, decided to divide the park into several themed realms:
“We had settled on five and were able to find five lost continents in our planet’s history. The more research we did into them, besides Atlantis and Zealandia, however, the more we realised the others were not family-friendly, or something that we wanted to be associated with.”
It was then that they decided they would have to invent a story:
“We decided on using the elements as a basis and eventually we settled on this story about a magical island that has four different realms associated with the elements, and an overarching group of magical guardians that keep the peace.”
“An ancient evil is stirring because the balance has been disrupted, and the magical guardians, these little Tamariki, which is Maori for children, get the other four realms to collaborate and find a way to keep this lava monster from destroying the island.”
It’s an impressive undertaking. While many people would have hired a writer or a creative team – “That probably would have been the smarter thing to do,” he concedes – essentially, the four family members who had been kicking the idea around for six years, have constructed a whole mythology.
Lost Island in Iowa
Iowa is an unusual location for such a venture – but this, he points out, is why they decided to do it:
“The original idea for the waterpark was to bring these types of experiences to our neighbours and other people who wouldn’t have the opportunity to visit them otherwise. Waterloo is fairly blue-collar; I would imagine that probably fewer than a quarter of the residents have passports. This is about showing them what a world-class entertainment opportunity looks like.”
It is also unusual for a theme park to be an attraction’s second gate.
New themed entertainment destination
Thematic storytelling runs through the Lost Island’s lands, creating an immersive atmosphere:
“We took great pains to spend an inordinate amount on theming and the environment because that is what will set us apart. We also have three amusement parks within a four-hour driving radius of our location. So, that was another driving factor behind why this needed to be a theme park.”
We had to figure out something that would make us a different experience, and maybe draw in additional visitors. It was very important to us that we make the environment as much of an attraction as the rides.
“There has to be something to differentiate us because, again, we didn’t have hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on the tallest, fastest, most impressive inversion coasters, or to put in a hundred attractions. We had to figure out something that would make us a different experience, and maybe draw in additional visitors.
“It was very important to us that we make the environment as much of an attraction as the rides.”
Themed lands at Lost Island
Outlining the themed lands, Bertch says:
“As you walk through the gate, you are greeted with our own Tiki totem archway. This represents the stories from each of the four main realms. Air, water, earth, and fire support the entryway, and if you choose to learn about the stories, you can see elements of each of those in these eight-foot Tiki totems that are your first impression.”
“Immediately to the right is the Tamariki realm. Because this is geared towards children, all the kids’ rides are in this area. It’s an explosion of colours.”
Rides include a giant tropical fish-boat, colourful chirping frogs, and a child-sized drop tower, the Mura Dancer.
“It’s all swirly patterns, and there’s a jungle gym with cupcake roofs with curlicues. Everything is just very bright, with colourful, random site props all over the place.”
The air realm
As guests move into the air realm, Udara, this changes:
“You immediately notice a change. The site props become white cloud features in the landscaping; all the buildings and structures are in whites and pastels.”
The story here is that the Udara are a scientific, inventive people. They once lived in the skies in a floating city, and long to return. The rides – an inventor’s playground of swings, suspended coasters and flying contraptions – are focused on flight:
“There’s a Sky Fly, a family swinger, a drop tower, and a suspended looping coaster. Your feet are off the ground in all of them. One element that we are working towards is taking some of the more classic rides like the drop tower, which you can find in any park, and incorporating it into the story with a themed queue.”
Themed queues
Here, there is an observatory structure built around the drop tower.
“In order to get to it, you have to go through a themed queue,” he explains. “It tells the story of the Udara people, and what they’re up to.”
“There’s a photo opportunity with a DaVinci-style flying machine that people can stand against. Then there is a little pre-show that they’ll be able to view right before they get on, where an older scientist thanks them for being willing subjects and participating in this test, expressing the hope that nothing will go wrong this time, and explaining that they are doing a lot better coming up with a way of levitating structures.
“This could be the one, so keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, and secure loose articles. You then go out to ride the ride. We had a video made for that, just to create a bit more of a Disney-style experience”
The water realm
As guests exit that ride, they enter the next realm at Lost Island – Awa, which is water. The Awa people are easy-going nomads. They once sailed the oceans of the world, but are now mostly content to enjoy island life, their toes in the sand and a drink in hand. Here, he explains, all the rides are on the water, or incorporate water:
“This area is the one most like our waterpark. There is lots of blue, and a small town on the water.”
A central feature of each realm is an unmanned meeting-square type area:
“In Udara, there’s an interactive windmill feature with some pedal structures where, if you push those, it causes the windmill to turn in a certain direction.
“In Awa, the central feature is a pop jet maze. There is a pattern on the ground so that, as you walk, you can avoid the fountains. At the centre, there are some pressure sensors. If you get two additional people to come with you and can push all three of those at the same time, then the pop jet maze will do a routine, then all of the fountains go off at once, and then it shuts off. You’re able to exit without having to use the maze again.”
Unique experiences
The idea is to include unique experiences:
“The Awa realm is the one that incorporates our island – it has an island in the middle of our lazy river. All the properties we have include an island in the design. So, the waterpark has one in the middle of our lazy river. We have a KOA campground that also has an island in the lake, and, in the theme park, our island is a sort of homage to the nostalgic Coney Island.
“This is where you go if nostalgia is your bag: a Ferris wheel, a carousel, teacups, midway games. There is also a bar that has a beach, and, again, some water-play features along either side.”
On exiting the island, guests find themselves in Yuta, the earth realm, which nature has reclaimed. A lush tropical island, it is home to the Yuta, keepers of the forest and its creatures. This includes the green, snake-like Matugani launch coaster.
“The central feature here is a sand play area, the Pengali Ruins, where elements that are buried in the sand can be uncovered. There are also inscriptions written on the crumbling central gazebo that can be deciphered if people want to. They’re not necessary for your visit to the park in any way, it’s just flavour.
“This is also where our second major restaurant is located. It’s themed to look like a Totara tree. We took inspiration for this structure from Angkor Wat, and the trees that have grown up around those ruins. If you look closely, you might be able to see a face in that tree.”
The earth realm
The main feature in Lost Island’s Yuta realm is the Intamin launch coaster:
“It has been totally re-themed,” he explains. “The storyline, which is something that you will learn about if you download the companion app for the park, is that the Yuta people over-industrialised. Then there was an earthquake that swallowed them, and they ended up underground.”
“The launch coaster is themed up like a pit Viper. This snake is the creature that teaches them that they need to take care of the earth and gets them back to the surface. It’s going to be amazing because it’s themed up like a snake, and the queue building has a wonderfully fabricated opening, so when it rushes out, it’s just like a pit Viper. We’re excited to see that work.”
The fire realm
Finally, we come to Mura, the fire realm. The Mura are fierce warriors, athletes and spiritual guides. They are responsible for keeping watch on the most important artefact on the island: The Ora Tika idol.
“If you’re following the companion app storyline, this is the climax,” says Bertch. “Every ride in Mura is a thrill ride. So, kids that are not a fan of going upside-down will spend very little time in this area.”
The park features a range of new and used rides. These are from manufacturers such as Interlink, Gerstlauer, Moser’s Rides, SBF Visa Group, and Zamperla. Mura’s thrill rides include a Zamperla Disk O’ Coaster, a Moser’s Rides Maverick Top Spin, and a Moser’s Rides Sidewinder.
Bertch adds: “The major feature in Mura is from Sally Dark Rides, VOLKANU: Quest for the Golden Idol.”
The dark ride is the largest structure in the park.
“We encased the building that houses the dark ride with a volcano and village structure. The entry to the dark ride is a temple feature, and there are outbuildings with very severe rooflines, so it emulates the architecture of a fire.”
“It’s very imposing. The volcano is about 40 feet tall. The realm’s central feature is a shrine fountain, which has molten lava handprints. If you press into them, it causes different features to fire in the fountain. Again, if you can get four people to press those handprints at once, there is a fifth secret feature that only works when everybody’s working together.”
A brand new dark ride for Lost Island
In terms of the dark ride itself, he says:
“Sally worked very closely with us to modify an existing design that they had kicked around almost 10 years ago at IAAPA when we first started speaking with them. When we saw it, we realized we had to work with these people because they had the same vision as we did; it was serendipitous that we came across it.
“We really liked the concept, which was a forbidden island one. But as we started developing the park we said, ‘Is there a way that we can tweak this so that it’s more geared towards our park specifically?’
“Together, we pared down the overall concept, which was all kinds of different island tropes, and focused on the volcano part, fleshing out this evil villain for the overall park story. We were fortunate enough to be able to incorporate this fire-focused storyline in such a way that we’ve created a unique dark ride experience that is only available at Lost Island.”
The preshow has an animatronic Mura shaman who explains the treacherous journey that lies ahead, referencing the Tamariki. The preshow also outlines the plight of Lost Island, and the threat posed by the villain Volkanu if he escapes.
A great collaboration
Speaking about the creation of the new dark ride, Drew Hunter, VP of creative design at Sally Dark Rides says:
“The collaboration between Sally Dark rides and Lost Island Themepark was a delight from the very beginning! Lost Island’s owners recognized the potential of a volcano-theme concept Sally had developed over several years and how it could be adapted to blend with the backstory of their new park.
“They wanted a unique and original dark ride as the park’s signature attraction and Sally’s concept was the perfect foundation for it. We worked very closely with Eric, and with Molly Bertch (creative director) to incorporate the imaginative Lost Island mythos and colorful characters into the concept. It all blended seamlessly and effectively into what is now known as VOLKANU: Quest for the Golden Idol.
“Speaking as the Lead Designer for the project, joining forces with the entire Bertch family and the Lost Island Themepark team was an honor. It was a truly exciting and fulfilling creative experience.”
Bringing VOLKANU to Lost Island
“VOLKANU: Quest for the Golden Idol will be another jewel in the crown of remarkable dark ride attractions designed, supervised, produced and installed by Sally Dark Rides,” adds Hunter. “It echoes the technical wizardry of Sally’s interactive Justice League: Battle for Metropolis rides as seen at several Six Flags parks with the use of “DOF” vehicles, realistic animatronic figures, 3D CGI video on giant screens, expansive practical scenery and loads of special effects.
“Yet differing, VOLKANU stands alone as an original, non-IP, totally unique interactive attraction. While the JL rides are based in a stone & steel city environment, VOLKANU is highly organic in nature, featuring lava grottoes, jungles, magma monsters and volcanic caverns. Even the hand-held “Thermal Equalizer” blasters which guests use to defeat Volkanu’s minions have an organic, natural rock look enhanced with a glowing crystal.
“This distinct style serves as an excellent backdrop for a thoroughly thrilling and always entertaining experience. I know that all of us at Sally Dark Rides are extremely proud of this remarkable – and very different – brand new addition to our already expansive and popular dark ride repertoire!”
A repeatable experience
“The entire story is a unique experience,” Bertch says. “We partnered with a gentleman named John Citroni, who wrote an original score for the queue and the ride. As you’re walking through, learning why the Mura are spearheading the containment effort, you are hearing this music playing the entire time. It’s an hour-long score that John has put together for us. It is incorporated into the ride, so it’s a seamless experience.”
The unique ride features interactive 3D imagery, special effects, and cutting-edge gameplay. Guests are equipped with Thermal Blasters, to battle Volkanu’s minions.
“We’re also very happy that the ride incorporates the blasters that we see on a lot of the newer dark rides. This increases replayability. I’ve ridden it half a dozen times, and there’s always something new that I didn’t notice before because it’s going so fast. There are so many images coming at you that it’s easy to miss some things.
“People will want to ride it over and over.”
Rethemed rides
Lost Island’s used Vekoma suspended looping coaster in Udara, the Nopuko Air coaster, which features five inversions and incredible G-forces, has been overhauled, he explains:
“It’s got the M3 newest trains on it with the soft shoulder harnesses. And everything else on the ride has been completely refurbished. It’s basically a brand-new coaster.”
He also references some of the other companies and suppliers contributing to the park’s creation:
“Interlink sold us the water battle and flume rides. COST of Wisconsin did the working water wheel structure for that. Unfortunately, we had a fire back in March that destroyed the queue building for that ride. We’ll finish it in September, but it’s going to miss this season.”
Theming is key at Lost Island
COST of Wisconsin has been working with the Bertch family since work on the waterpark began in 1999.
“When we started this project, we included them from the beginning with all the thematic design,” he explains. “They created the Totara tree on our restaurant and they built the volcano that houses the dark ride, as well as most of that central icon. They also did all the rock work throughout the park on our retaining walls and any structure with any sort of thematic coating. And they created the Udara drop tower observatory.”
He adds:
“The other thematic group is the Weber group, which is managing the project overall.”
It was recommended by the architect who designed the waterpark, Bruce Robinson of the Cincinnati-based Bruce D. Robinson Design Group.
The Lost Island theme park opened on June 18.
