The 2019 Leading Edge Awards were announced and WhiteWater celebrated with clients, Royal Caribbean International for Perfect Day at CocoCay and Horizon Waterpark, LLC for Island H2O Live! Additionally, Andrew Mowatt, Executive Vice President of Global Key Accounts at WhiteWater was inducted into the World Waterpark Association’s (WWA) Hall of Fame. The Leading Edge Awards are given out by the World Waterpark Association every year, to individuals and parks for creativity in the development of new themes, facilities, programs, services, or products and operational concepts in the water attractions industry.
“What we created with Royal Caribbean International and Aquatic Design & Engineering at Perfect Day at CocoCay is truly exceptional. The park is already receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from guests. Island H2O Live! on the other hand, is pushing boundaries by introducing new levels of interactive guest technology with Vantage on their slides. Working with Horizon Waterpark, LLC, Aquatic Development Group, and Innovative Attraction Management has been a pleasure and enabled us to bring to life our clients’ vision to make memorable experiences for their guests,” said Geoff Chutter, President & CEO of WhiteWater.
“Our goal is to create an extra dimension of fun and thrill with innovative products and technology, and it is our belief that both Perfect Day at CocoCay and Island H2O Live! really showcase this,” he continued.
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A Bahamian icon
Set in the heart of paradise, Thrill Waterpark at Perfect Day at CocoCay is part of Royal Caribbean’s $250 million transformation of this private island in the Bahamas. When the much-anticipated island opened in May, the iconic tower, dubbed Daredevil’s Tower, immediately became instantly recognizable.
Standing at 135 feet (41 meters) tall, Daredevil’s Peak is the tallest water slide in North America. The tower’s brightly colored aluminium cladding has also become postcard-worthy in addition to having been designed by WhiteWater engineers to withstand winds of up to 185mph (298kph). The tower’s durability was tested when the category 5 Hurricane Dorian passed through the area in August, leaving it largely unscathed.
Daredevil’s Tower houses two Flatline Loop slides named Dueling Demons, a Freefall slide named Screeching Serpent, an AquaTube slide and Pool Sider named Manta Raycers, and a green AquaTube slide with AquaLucent polka dots called Green Mamba.
Splash Summit, on the other hand, features a 4-lane Whizzard Mat Racer called Splash Speedaway, AquaSphere + Boomerango Fusion called The Singshot, and a Constrictor called The Twister. These multi-rider slides are the favourites of families or groups of friends who are thrill-lovers. Perfect Day at CocoCay is also home to the largest wave pool—which WhiteWater has offered in their product line for over 30 years—in the Caribbean.
Giving guests a personalized experience
Island H2O Live! in Kissimmee, Florida, opened its doors in June and features not only a host of WhiteWater slides, but also Vantage, WhiteWater’s award-winning technology. With Vantage, the park’s operator is now able to deliver a more tailored, personalized experience to their guests through the use of relevant data to make strategic decisions. For example, they are able to see current attendance dispatch rates, guest dispersal and dwell times, queue times, historical data, and even offer food and beverage selections based on what the data shows as preferences.
Meanwhile, Vantage also benefits guests by enhancing the park experience. With the proprietary- technology wristband, they can seamlessly purchase food and drinks without the need for cash or cards, upload photos to social media in real-time, personalize music selections or lighting effects on slides, and more. The Vantage app also enables guests to check ride wait times, park information, track their friends, or put parental controls in place for kids.
Island H2O Live! is spread across 12.9 acres (68,400m2) and provides a beloved experience to guests with slides such as the Super Bowl, Blasterango, Constrictor + Rattler Fusion, 6-lane Mat Racer, Flatline Loop, and more.
Andrew Mowatt now part of WWA’s Hall of Fame
Andrew has been part of the WhiteWater family since 1995, during which he led the marketing team. Thereafter, he transferred that consumer insight to support WhiteWater’s key account clients and has been instrumental in helping bring to life projects at MSC Cruises, Great Wolf Resorts, Universal Studios, Disney, SeaWorld, Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Palace Entertainment, Cedar Fair, and Six Flags. A well-known figure in the industry, Andrew’s talents are multi-faceted, as those who have enjoyed his piano performances behind the keys at events over the years will testify.
“We are honoured to have Andrew in our team, as his passion and commitment have played a big part in helping to grow WhiteWater into what it is today,” Paul Chutter, Chief Business Development Officer of WhiteWater said.
