The giant slide's path runs nearly 195 feet and is made from 31 …
The giant slide's path runs nearly 195 feet and is made from 31 tons of fiberglass. It features a 40-degree sloped entrance and a unique, parabolic design. The ride begins with a rushing trip through the dark, followed by a drop down 55 feet through an enclosed flume before entering the swell of a mammoth wave to catch some "hang time." Twisting and turning, passengers continue along the ride's path, speeding through numerous unexpected changes in momentum before shooting through the wave's crest. Finally, they they slide from side to side, forwards and backwards, before splashing into the exit.
Wild Surf and the Beach Blanket Banzai stand side by side and gr…
Wild Surf and the Beach Blanket Banzai stand side by side and greet guests seeking both family friendly and thrilling attractions. They join the park's 25-plus attractions, four surf-and-swim pools, an interactive kid's play area with 10 pint-sized slides and tipping buckets, and the longest leisure river in Nevada.
According a press release from slide maker Polin, the new Family…
According a press release from slide maker Polin, the new Family Rafting Slide at Cowabunga Bay is the first and only resin transfer molded (RTM)-manufactured family slide in the industry. A 9-degree slope takes passengers on an 8.5 mile per second ride through more than 600 feet of twists and turns, wild "S" curves and an overall 60-foot change in elevation.
When Cowabunga Bay opened in 2014, it was one of two in Henderson, Nevada, to debut after a decade without a public waterpark in the region. After just one season in operation, it was clear the 1950s surf themed facility was a hit. When the park kicked off its second season this past May, it had a new surprise for patrons: the world’s first Surf Safari attraction.
Named Wild Surf, the slide by Polin features the largest man-made ‘wave,’ a fact that has impressed waterpark enthusiasts and management alike.
“The Surf Safari is unlike any other waterslide we’d ever seen,” explained the facility’s general manager, Shane Huish. “Not only does the Surf Safari give guests a longer ride than other slides I’ve seen with similar features, but it has supercreative extras,” he explains. “And it all starts from the moment guests reach the top of the slide tower. Up there, the adrenaline really gets pumping, because they get a bird’s-eye view of what’s ahead of them. They can look down into the funnel and see the dizzying ride below. And when they hit splash down? All we hear are, ‘Wow! I’ve gotta do that again!'”
Check out the slideshow for some closeups of the slide, along with more details.
Polin’s Family Rafting Slide, which the park named “Beach Blanket Banzai,” joined for 2015. Here we see the slide, which sites just adjacent to Wild Surf, in action.
Erin Ansley is a frequent freelancer for Pool and Spa News and Aquatics International. She has been a professional journalist since 2001. When not sleuthing the web for the latest news or calling on sources in the construction industry for the inside scoop, Erin can be found surfing waves along the California coast, challenging her athletic limits in her favorite CrossFit box, playing drums with her indie rock band, and spending time with her daughter and husband.
