Wild Rapids Waterslide Park

Last updated
Wild Rapids Waterslides
Wild Rapids Waterslides.png
The middle tower of the waterpark.
Location Sylvan Lake, Alberta
Coordinates 52°18′39″N114°6′2″W / 52.31083°N 114.10056°W / 52.31083; -114.10056
Theme Waterslides
OwnerBear Development Corporation
General managerBert Messier
Opened1982 (1982)
Closed2016 (2016)
Operating seasonSummer
StatusDefunct[[]]
Area Sylvan Lake
PoolsSeveral small pools including three hot tubs pools
Water slides12 water slides
Children's areasA single children's area

Wild Rapids Waterslide Park was located on the shores of Sylvan Lake in the resort town of Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada. Wild Rapids opened to the public in 1982, and it was Alberta's second-largest water park after the World Waterpark in West Edmonton Mall. Wild Rapids Waterslide was one of five waterslide parks in Alberta, and the last outdoor water park to operate until it closed in 2016. [1] The park contained 12 slides, many small pools, three hot tubs, and a children's water playground. The park closed at the end of the 2016 season, after operating for 34 years. [2] The park was located near Red Deer, between Edmonton and Calgary, [3] along Alberta Highway 11A. Wild Rapids was the largest water park of its kind in western Canada.

Contents

History

Wild Rapids Waterslide was founded in 1982 by Dave Dubeta and Garry Johnson, and opened just in time for its first full summer of operations. [4] Wild Rapids Water Slide was built on the land previously owned by the Johnson Family, known as Sandy Cove Campsite, which was next to the public pier.

Thirty-four years later, it was announced that the park would close after the 2016 season, as it was being bought by the town of Sylvan Lake for redevelopment. The slides and equipment were put up for sale on Kijiji. The president of Bear Development Corporation, Bert Messier, hoped that an entrepreneur would see the advertisement, buy the equipment, and build another waterpark in Alberta. The children's playground was sold, and will now operate on the shores of Gull Lake. [5]

Attractions

Slides

There were 12 main slides in the park, and one small water playground that contains other small slides for children. [6] The slides were all white in colour, except for the playground slides. While facing the park from the entrance, there was a left tower, a middle tower, and a right tower. [7]

A collection of waterslides. Visible in the front of this photo are the Cinnamon twist and Squiggles. In the back of the photo are also the Sneaky Snake, Tube Blaster, Kami Kazi, Hari Kari, and other slides. Wild Rapids Waterslides right tower.png
A collection of waterslides. Visible in the front of this photo are the Cinnamon twist and Squiggles. In the back of the photo are also the Sneaky Snake, Tube Blaster, Kami Kazi, Hari Kari, and other slides.

Individual slides

These slides are all beginner class body slides.

SlideDescription
TicklesA small straight children's body slide that drops into a pool.
SquigglesA small children's body slide that contains only one turn before dropping into a pool. Previously known as "Wiggles".
Cinnamon twistA body slide with its own tower. Smaller than most of the other larger slides, but contains twists, turns, and drops. Drops into a large pool.
PlaygroundA children's playground containing several small waterslides that drop into a large pool.

Middle tower

These slides are all intermediate class. There are three body slides and one tube slide.

SlideDescription
Body BlasterA body slide halfway up the tower. The slider positions their body in the chute, and waits before a tank releases a large wave of water that propels the rider into the chute with twists, turns, and drops. Drops into a splashdown pool.
Tube BlasterA tube slide halfway up the tower. The slider sits on their tube in the chute, and waits before a tank releases a large wave of water that propels the tube-rider into the chute with twists, turns, and drops. Drops into a splashdown pool. Single tubes only.
Sneaky SnakeA body slide located at the top of the tower. Many twists, turns, and drops. Drops into a splashdown pool.
OctopussyA body slide located at the top of the tower. Many twists, turns, and drops. Located opposite of the Sneaky Snake. Likely named after the James Bond film Octopussy, which was released not long after the opening of the park. Drops into a splashdown pool.

Left tower (River Rides)

These slides are all advanced class tube slides.

SlideDescription
Hell's GateA large tube slide. Riders prepare themselves in a pool at the top of the tower, before launching themselves down a steep slide. The slide contains a number of drops, turns, and pools, before finally splashing riders down into a splashdown pool. Single tubes only.
Rio GrandeA large tube slide. Riders prepare themselves in a pool at the top of the tower, before launching themselves down a steep slide. The slide contains a number of drops, turns, and pools, before finally splashing riders down into a splashdown pool. The ride is similar to Hell's Gate but has turns and drops that are different as they vary in length and direction. Likely named after the Rio Grande river. Single tubes only.

Right Tower

These slides are all extreme class. There is one tube slide and two mat slides.

SlideDescription
Kami KaziA very fast slide at the top of the tower. Riders race on carpets down a series of drops, while picking up speed before slowing down in a straight-away at the bottom of the slide. Named after Japanese Kamikazes during World War II.
Hari KariA very fast slide at the top of the tower. Riders race on carpets down a series of drops, while picking up speed before slowing down in a straight-away at the bottom of the slide. Staying with the Japanese theme, the slide is another name for the Japanese ritual suicide called Seppuku. The slide is identical to the Kami Kazi.
SidewinderA large very fast half-pipe slide located halfway up the tower. Riders position themselves at the top of the slide in either single, double, or triple tubes. The rider(s) is/are then pushed down by an attendant, either facing backwards or forwards. The rider(s) then speed down one side of the half-pipe, before reaching the top (or near) of the other side. The rider(s) then continue this until they stop at the vertex of the parabola. Riders may ride in single tubes, double tubes, or triple tubes.

Other attractions

Wild Rapids Waterslides also had three hot tubs and several small pools. There were also four concessions that had been renamed.

Concessions:

A panorama view of the waterpark. Nearly every slide is visible. Wild Rapids Waterslides panorama.png
A panorama view of the waterpark. Nearly every slide is visible.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Edmonton Waterparks: Waterparks in Edmonton, Alberta". www.discoveredmonton.com.
  2. ↑ "Wild Rapids Waterslide Park in Sylvan Lake shutting down after 2016 - Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. 28 June 2016.
  3. ↑ "Attraction Archives".
  4. ↑ "Press Release - Wild Rapids Waterslide Park". Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
  5. ↑ Snowden, Wallis (Aug 25, 2016). "Bids for Sylvan water park slide as low as $1 ... if you have the cash to move it - CBC News". CBC.
  6. ↑ "Calgary Kiosk".
  7. ↑ "The Experience - Wild Rapids Waterslide Park". Archived from the original on 2016-08-27. Retrieved 2016-08-26.

52°18′39″N114°6′2″W / 52.31083°N 114.10056°W / 52.31083; -114.10056

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