wiegand.waterrides, a leading water rides and attraction provider, has been honoured at IAAPA's Brass Ring Awards for the Slide Coaster, the world's first combination roller coaster and water slide.
The ride was awarded Best New Product in the Water Park Ride/Attraction category, with a product cost of more than $2 million. This follows the Best New Concept Brass Ring Award in 2019.
Slide Coaster premiered on the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship Norwegian Aqua in March this year. It boasts the world's most intense water slide acceleration, which can be enjoyed by groups of up to four with the simultaneous launch of two rafts.
'New category of onboard thrill'
Alex Tavernini, senior director, guest experience and innovation, Norwegian Cruise Line, says: "Introducing such an advanced prototype attraction on Norwegian Aqua (and soon on Norwegian Luna) was a bold step, driven by our commitment to push the boundaries of what’s possible at sea.
"Our previous five vessels set a new standard with the go-kart track, so the challenge was clear: innovate beyond what guests already thought was groundbreaking.
"What followed has redefined our expectations. This new attraction has generated unprecedented attention and media engagement, signalling how powerfully true innovation resonates.
"Guests aren’t just impressed - they’re experiencing a completely new category of onboard thrill. The acceleration alone is something that you truly have to feel to appreciate."
Hendrik Wiegand, general manager, Josef Wiegand GMBH & Co KG, says: "The Slide Coaster is a huge leap forward for Wiegand, and is based on many well-known fields of our business. The track for the catch car pushing the waterslide boats, for example, is the same as on our Alpine Coasters.
"To debut such an innovation with the most extreme acceleration in the waterslide industry is always a huge event. Doing this on top of a cruise ship vessel is yet another challenge we were very happy to accept.
"Norwegian Cruise Line is a long-standing partner and we appreciate the trust and close cooperation to make this extraordinary attraction possible."
A second Slide Coaster is planned to open aboard NCL's Norwegian Luna next year.
