I have to admit that I love going to waterparks just as much as going to the theme park or local science museum. Even while growing up, few things satisfied me during the summer like going to the local pool and heading down the waterslide over and over and over. The best times were when someone rented out the pool for a party and they didn’t staff the slide, meaning we could slide in all the positions not allowed during regular operation.

I’m pretty sure those days are over.

Perhaps we wouldn’t have been so anxious to slide head first in a chain of five kids had we been presented with the prolific variety of slides and water attractions now on the market. The waterpark market has expanded in so many directions over the past five years, it’s difficult to keep up.

All this expansion has caused some to wonder, including myself, exactly how long this sustained growth can last. In this issue we examined how waterparks have grown and changed, as well as what future lies ahead. Given the breadth of ideas in this issue, along with the supporting statistics from our Top 15 US Waterparks report, I think the future looks bright.

Yes, it does seem that my youthful days of reckless sliding are over, and I’m probably pretty lucky to have escaped unscathed. But clearly the waterpark industry’s days are not numbered, with plenty of imagination and ideas to keep kids and kids-at-heart entertained for years to come.
-MARTIN PALICKI