AquaLoop
AquaLoop | |
---|---|
AquaLoop at Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast | |
General statistics | |
Type | Water slide |
Designer | WhiteWater West, AQUARENA |
Height | 17 m (56 ft) |
Drop | 16 m (52 ft) |
Length | 88.4 m (290 ft) |
Speed | 60 km/h (37 mph) |
Duration | 7 seconds |
G-force | 2.5 |
Installations | 20+ |
Restrictions | Riders must be at least 120 cm (3 ft 11 in) in height and weigh between 45 kg (99 lb) and 130 kg (290 lb) to ride.[1] |
An AquaLoop is a type of body water slide where single riders are dropped down a near vertical slide and into an inclined loop. They are usually located in water parks.
History
[edit]Austrian manufacturer Aquarena[2] developed the world's first mass-produced fully inverted looping water slide, known as the AquaLoop.[3] The slide is currently licensed and distributed by Canadian water slide manufacturer WhiteWater West.[4] There are nearly 20 AquaLoop installations around the world.[5] The first installation was at Terme 3000 water park, Slovenia in 2008.[6] Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast was the first to install more than one AquaLoop at a single location.[7][8][9] The AquaLoop uses a trap-door to release riders down a 17-metre (56 ft) near-vertical descent at a speed of up to 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph). Riders experience 2.5 Gs in less than 2 seconds.[10] The whole ride is over within 7 seconds.[11]
Ride
[edit]An AquaLoop is launched from a 17-metre (56 ft) platform. A single rider is loaded into a launch chamber where they stand with their hands across their chest. After a countdown, a trapdoor opens and the rider immediately drops 16 metres (52 ft) inside a near vertical slide. The rider accelerates to 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) in just 2 seconds before entering the loop element. This element is a variation of the traditional vertical loop because it lies on an angle of approximately 45°. This variation of a loop is called an inclined loop. The 165-metre (541 ft) slide is over within 7 seconds.[11][12]
Installations
[edit]Name | Water park | Location | Number of slides | Opened | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
360Rush | Wet'n'Wild Sydney | ![]() | 4 slides | 12 December 2013 | [13] |
Climax | Waterbom Park | ![]() | 1 slide | 2010 | [citation needed] |
AquaLoop | Paradise Island Water Park | ![]() | 1 slide | 28 June 2013 | [citation needed] |
Loopy whoopy | Aqua magica | ![]() | 1 slide | ||
AquaLoop | Beijing Watercube Water Park | ![]() | 1 slide | 8 August 2010 | [14][15] |
Mambo | Blue Bayou and Dixie Landin' | ![]() | 4 slides | 2012 | [16] |
Aqualoop | Calypso Park | ![]() | 2 slides | 24 June 2011 | [17] |
AquaLoop | Caribbean Bay | ![]() | 4 slides | 17 June 2011 | [18] |
AquaLoop | El Rollo | ![]() | 1 slide | 2014 | [19] |
El abismo | Parque Acuático Ixtapan | ![]() | 1 slide | 2010 | [20] |
La Chute | Jay Peak Resort | ![]() | 1 slide | 25 November 2011 | [5] |
Aqualoop | Jolly Roger Amusement Park | ![]() | 1 slide | 2012 | [21] |
Aqualoop | Terme 3000 | ![]() | 1 slide | May 2008 | [22] |
AquaLoop | Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast | ![]() | 4 slides | 18 September 2010 | [23] |
AquaLoop | Camping Le Pommier | ![]() | 1 slide | June 2013 | [24] |
AquaLooping | Aqua Magis | ![]() | 1 slide | 19 September 2008 | [25] |
Climax | Waterbom Park | ![]() | 1 slide | 2011 | [citation needed] |
Cyclone | World Waterpark | ![]() | 1 slide | 12 August 2011 | [citation needed] |
Goop Loop | Cartoon Network Amazone Waterpark | ![]() | 1 slide | 3 October 2014 | [26] |
L2 | Wave | ![]() | 1 slide with double loop | March 2010 | [27][28] |
Liwa Loop | Yas Waterworld | ![]() | 1 slide | 2014 | [citation needed] |
Looping-Rutsche | Aqualand | ![]() | 1 slide | 11 April 2009 | [29] |
Lunar Loop | Wilderness Territory | ![]() | 1 slide | June 2012 | [citation needed] |
Scorpion's Tail | Noah's Ark Water Park | ![]() | 1 slide | 29 May 2010 | [5] |
Booster Loop | Aquaparc | ![]() | 1 slide | 8 May 2010 | [30] |
Unknown | Therme Amadé | ![]() | 1 slide | August 2011 | [31] |
Pegasus II | Kristall Palm Beach | ![]() | 1 slide with double loop | 12 December 2012 | [32] |
Hurricane Loop | Miramar | ![]() | 1 slide with double loop | July 2012 | [33] |
Skyron Rocket | Odissea 2000 | ![]() | 1 slide | June 2014 | [34] |
AquaLoop | RamaYana Water Park | ![]() | 1 slide | May 2016 | [35] |
AquaLoop | Wild River Country | ![]() | 1 slide | May 2015 | [36] |
The Bullchute | Typhoon Texas | ![]() | 1 slide | May 2016 | [37] |
Lassoloop | Epic Waters | ![]() | 1 slide | January 2018 | |
AquaLoop | Water Park Tychy | ![]() | 1 slide | 30 April 2018 | |
Posseidons Revenge | Atlantis Aquaventure | ![]() | 2 slides | May 2013 | |
Free Fall | Norwegian Breakaway (Cruise Ship) | ![]() | 2 slides | 30 April 2013 | [38] |
Free Fall | Norwegian Getaway (Cruise Ship) | ![]() | 2 slides | 2 November 2013 | [39] |
Free Fall | Norwegian Escape (Cruise Ship) | ![]() | 2 slides | 15 August 2015 | [40] |
Ocean Loops | Norwegian Bliss (Cruise Ship) | ![]() | 1 slide with double loop | 15 March 2018 | [41] |
Ocean Loops | Norwegian Joy (Cruise Ship) | ![]() | 1 slide with double loop | 4 March 2017 | [42] |
Ocean Loops | Norwegian Encore (Cruise Ship) | ![]() | 1 slide with double loop | 30 October 2019 | [43] |
Wipeout | Hurricane Harbor Rockford | ![]() | 1 slide | 2017 | [44] |
Similar water slides
[edit]The first known existence of a looping water slide was at Action Park in Vernon, USA, in the mid-1980s. Their water slide featured a vertical loop but was repeatedly closed due to safety concerns.[45][46][47]
More recently, ProSlide developed the SuperLOOP which features a fast, downward spiralling helix after a trapdoor release.[48] The first installation was The Wedgie at nearby WhiteWater World.[49] It was marketed as a looping water slide despite riders never actually experiencing an inversion.[50]
References
[edit]- ^ "AquaLoop – Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast". MyFun. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
- ^ "AQUARENA - Wasserrutschen und Kinder-Erlebniswelten". AQUARENA GmbH. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ "AquaLOOP". Aquarena. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ "AquaLoop". WhiteWater West. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ a b c MacDonald, Brady (22 November 2009). "Water parks vie to open first U.S. looping water slide". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ "Aqualoop". Aquarena. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
- ^ "WhiteWater launches Dueling AquaLoops". WhiteWater West. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ "Fun the theme for school holidays". Gold Coast Bulletin. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ Ardern, Lucy; Westthorp, Tanya (30 December 2009). "Gold Coast theme parks in ride war". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ "New attractions for Coast theme parks". Gold Coast Bulletin. 14 July 2010. Archived from the original on 5 November 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ a b Stojceska, Milena (17 September 2010). "Wet'n'Wild's new AquaLoop set to thrill". Gold Coast Bulletin. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ WhiteWater West (12 January 2010). "AquaLoop". Retrieved 29 January 2011 – via YouTube.
- ^ "360Rush (Wet'n'Wild Sydney)". Parkz. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ Farrar, Lara. "Beijing's Water Cube now has slides, rides, a wave pool and spa". CNNGO. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
- ^ "Attractions – AquaLoop". Beijing Watercube Waterpark. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
- ^ "Weltweit erste Aqualoop Loopingrutsche". Archived from the original on 9 February 2012.
- ^ Levine, Arthur. "Calypso Waterpark". About.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ "아쿠아 루프 오픈기념 1,000명에게 쏜다!". Samsung Everland. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
- ^ "El Rollo Aqualoop". Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ "El abismo". Archived from the original on 3 August 2014.
- ^ "Aqualoop | Water Park Ocean City MD". Jolly Roger Splash Mountain Water Park Ocean City MD. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Weltweit erste Aqualoop Loopingrutsche" (PDF). Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "AquaLoop (Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast)". Parkz. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
- ^ "Aqua Park – Aqua Breeze". Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ "AquaMagis Plettenberg – Rutschen & Action – AquaLooping". AquaMagis. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ "Goop In This Gravity-defying Water Rollercoaster Thailand". Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "L2 – die Doppel-Looping Rutsche". Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ ""L2" – The World's First Double-Loop Water Slide" (PDF). Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "Aqualand in Köln mit Loopingrutsche". Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "L'Aquaparc du Bouveret inaugure le Booster Loop le 8 mai 2010". Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- ^ "THERME AMADÉ – Water Slides". Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "Kristall Palm Beach in Stein – Doppel-Looping Rutsche". Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ^ "Rutschvergnügen – Miramar". 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Acqua Park Odissea 2000 – Skyron Rocket". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ "RamaYana Water Park – Rides".
- ^ "Wild River Country – Attractions".
- ^ "Typhoon Texas Waterpark Houston – Rides and Attractions".
- ^ TODAY, Gene Sloan, USA. "5 things you'll love about the new Norwegian Breakaway". USA Today. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "11 Things to Know About the Norwegian Getaway Cruise Ship". Cruise Hive. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Cruise ship tours: Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Escape". USA Today. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ Meltzer, Matt (5 June 2018). "The World's Newest Cruise Ship Also Has the Sickest Rides Onboard". Thrillist. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "The Most Exciting Things to Try on Norwegian Joy |". Cruise Addicts. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Look inside Norwegian Encore, cruising to New England in 2020 | Boston.com". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Wipeout | Hurricane Harbor Rockford". Six Flags. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ Austin, op. cit., 21.
- ^ Fergus, Tom; May 2006; "Another Action Park Employee Spills His Guts", in "The Reaction to Traction at Action Park"; Weird NJ, 29.
- ^ Braybrook, Steve; May 2006; "A Survivor from Action Park Writes In", in "The Reaction to Traction at Action Park"; Weird NJ, 29.
- ^ "SuperLOOP". ProSlide. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "SuperLOOP – Installations". ProSlide. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ WhiteWater World (7 April 2010). "THE WEDGIE WATER SLIDE". Commercial. Retrieved 30 December 2010 – via YouTube.