wiegand.waterrides, a leading water rides and attraction provider, is celebrating the successful launch of the Monster Lotus slide at The Parque Aquatico water park in Portugal.
This Looping Group attraction is set on the hillside, 100 metres above the Tamega River. Its unusual location offers breathtaking views and innovative slides that take advantage of the terrain’s variations in height.
Creative slide concept
Helder Silva, the park’s director, wanted to reinvigorate the southern area of the park with a new family rafting ride constructed on the rock slope. Guests frequently overlooked this area, and so the project would optimise visitor flow.
“wiegand.waterrides was chosen to deliver a slide concept here for the first time that convinced with its creative solution,” explains a spokesperson from the firm.
The new Compact Rafting concept was selected for this project. This product was originally developed for the Icon of the Seas cruise ship, and The Parque Aquatico marks its first deployment on land.
See also: wiegand.waterrides creates innovative waterslides for Royal Caribbean
“It had to be something special,” says a spokesperson from the firm. “Helder Silva wanted the patented LOTUS element to be unusually scary – and not cheerful. This approach was to create a real, almost 140m long marketing attraction that simply does not exist anywhere else.”
The Monster Lotus launched in June and has been promoted in advertising throughout the region.
The ride’s theming includes evil eyes and scratch marks, which can be seen in the ride’s daylight effects in the slide tube. These complement the graphics in the Lotus element. The slide tubes can accommodate three riders, or four if there are small children in the group, and are lightweight and easy for visitors to carry.
Even more thrilling is wiegand’s 16-meter-tall freefall slide, Vertigem (fear of heights). This slide descends at an extremely steep 55.7%, which challenges even the bravest park visitors.
The tower was built by the park in collaboration with regional partners. A splash guard tunnel eliminates unnecessary water loss in the landing.
The Parque Aquatico is already developing plans to add a further slide in the future.
wiegand.waterrides recently shared how its stainless steel solutions can help attractions get ready for the summer season by providing a smooth slide finish, long lifespan and minimal maintenance.
