wiegand.waterrides, a leading water rides and attraction provider, has announced that Norwegian Aqua will premiere the world’s first hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, the Aqua Slidecoaster. Featuring three levels of thrilling twists and turns around the ship’s funnel, this Norwegian Cruise Line-exclusive attraction includes dual slides and a magnetic lift that propels adventurous guests through two different courses.
The award-winning SlideCoaster concept comes from wiegand.waterrides, a company known for its innovation in the waterpark business like the SlideWheel, Xslide crossing and Lotus. The firm has a long-standing relationship with Norwegian Cruise Line, having delivered memorable attractions for its cruise ships previously, such as the world’s first dry slide with a free-fall capsule and the first Lotus waterslide element at sea.
The attraction also features innovation by Up and Down Engineering.
The new SlideCoaster
The ride’s launch mechanism features contactless linear synchronous motor technology, which is also used in major accelerated roller coasters. This launches the boats on each of the two waterslides simultaneously. With two 2-person rafts, the SlideCoaster has a capacity of 720 people per hour.
The patent-pending launch mechanism can control the strong acceleration of 0.8g in the direction of travel while guaranteeing safety at the same time. The catch car that uses the magnets to accelerate is built on a track taken from Wiegand’s famous Alpine Coasters.
The waterslides themselves are the longest ever built on a cruise ship, and the SlideCoaster also features new slide tubes with a diameter of 2.05m. These are filled with colour and daylight effects to further enhance the fast-paced race through the tube.
wiegand.waterrides also recently shared details of its 110-meter-long tyre slide, which is a centrepiece of the indoor wave pool at Piorama in Penzberg, Germany. The comprehensively refurbished family pool has opened to visitors following a three-year construction project.
Last year, the firm brought four new slide experiences to Palm Beach, including a free-fall slide.
