Las Vegas waterpark Cowabunga Bay remains on track to open this summer – with Turkish designer Polin unveiling a new giant waterslide attraction.
The US$23m (€16.7m, £13.8m) Cowabunga Bay represents Istanbul-based waterpark designer Polin's first turnkey contract and largest waterpark project in the US. The park was originally scheduled to open in 2013, but construction issues created significant delays. Early summer has been set as the new date for opening.
Polin says the improved waterslide attraction – Wild Surf – will be the first of its Surf Safari high-capacity waterslides, which feature a 40-degree sloped entrance and a parabolic design. Wild Surf has been designed and created exclusively for the Las Vegas park.
The giant slide features a four-person raft that travels through the dark before dropping 55ft into the world's largest man-made parabolic wave.
"It offers a creative twist to a ride that already offers lots of great heart-pounding excitement," said park general manager Shane Huish. "It also presents an added thrill to guests waiting in line at the top of the slide tower. From their vantage point, they get a bird's-eye view of what's in store as they look down into the funnel and see the riders zipping around inside."
Cowabunga Bay will be located on a 23-acre site. It is segmented into three areas – the Hawaiian-themed Aloha Shores, the 1950s-inspired Surf City U.S.A, and The Boardwalk. As well as a host of aquatic rides and attractions, Cowabunga Bay will feature two restaurants, shops, locker rentals, an arcade and private cabana rentals.
Polin has master-planned and plumbed the park for potential future expansion.