Istanbul, Turkey (October 30, 2015) — After an interval of nearly 30 years, the first waterpark in France has opened with a variety of “firsts.” Not only does the tropical-themed park feature Europe’s tallest free-fall slide, but it also is home to the region’s largest racing slide, longest toboggan slide and longest leisure river. Polin Waterparks is the waterslides supplier of the Project.
Frederic Bouvard, founder and CEO of Splashworld, said that as his firm was planning its development of one of Europe’s most spectacular waterparks, it considered the partnership with the appropriate slide supplier to be absolutely critical.
“After 25 years in the waterpark industry, I had a good understanding of which companies were up to meet our requirements,” he explained.
But he also took advantage of his position on the Waterpark Committee of the IAAPA, representing Europe, to share his toughts with his peers. “Although I never contracted with them before,” he said, “I was very interested in Polin.” A trip to its state of the art manufacturing plant convinced him of the quality of their products, he added, as well as of the flexibility of its designers – “something that is not so commonly seen,” he added. “They truly want to produce what you want and are not constantly trying to convince you that their off-the-shelves product is what you need!”
Now, with the park having opened to much acclaim, he added, “We are extremely happy to have contracted with Polin to provide all the waterslides in our park.”
Among the waterslides that Polin installed at Splashworld are:
- –The Huricana Sliiide. This 33-meter-high (108-foot-high) free-fall slide is the tallest in Europe. Manufactured by Polin as its Kamikaze, this expertly engineered ride delivers a high-speed thrill with a slide path consisting of multiple drops.
- –The Banzaii Bomber. This 18-meter-high (59-foot-high) “rocket launch” free-fall slide launches from the same departure platform as the Huricana Sliiide. It offers guests an exhilarating drop that combines adrenaline and unexpected entertainment. In upcoming seasons, the same tower will host two extreme slides.
- –The Aloha Racer. Polin’s Windigo is a 17-meter-high (55-feet-high) eight-lane, head-first mat racer that starts with Polin’s Black Hole slide. This sophisticated thrill ride then transforms into a high-speed multiracer to create the largest racing slide in Europe.
- –The Mini Kuntaa Chutes.Polin combines a Blackhole and Rafting Slide with its Uphill Navigatour for this exciting ride. The Blackhole is an enclosed tube slide with special effects not offered by any other manufacturer. Additionally, Polin’s Rafting Slide offers an open tube slide the allows friends, spouses and parents to experience the joy of riding together.
- –The Kina Kuntaa Chutes. Two Navigatours provide guests with a “water coaster” ride up and over a variety of hills that delivers a truly adrenaline-charged experience.
- –The Kind’a LoOops. Polin’s Black Hole is an enclosed tube slide with similar special effects to the Mini Kuntaa Chutes. The color effects are embedded directly into the tube’s fiberglass to create uniquely dramatic visual effects.
- –The Tikki LoOops. Another Black Hole, this slide delivers a high-speed ride with dramatic visual impact that creates instant demand once the sliding adventure ends.
- –The Splash Breaker. A water coaster combines with two of Polin’s giant Spheres to give guests a whirling, swirling ride through the helical structures. This ride is a premier for this combination of elements in Europe.
- –The Twisty Turvy. Polin’s speed rafting slide – an open tube slide – delivers an unforgettable group ride. Because this slide has the same sections as a Black Hole, parks can combine the two into one slide to give guests the experience of both an open and a tunnel slide in the same ride.
- –Adventure Island. This giant multilevel play structure features countless water gadgets, from water guns to buckets. Some of its slides range from 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) up to 9 meters (30 feet) to provide attractions of interest to guests up to 14 years of age. Younger park guests also can take advantage of Kay-Ki Cover, a toddler pool with a maximum depth of 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) that features gentle water jets and soft foam sculptures.
Splashworld was so focused on making sure its attractions were one-of-a-kind that Bouvard personally reviewed all slide paths and slopes and worked with Polin to modify several of them. As a result, the park can rightfully claim that the waterslides are custom-made and truly unique.
Bouvard said that the rides that Polin provides wasn’t the only reason he chose to work with the firm. “Polin Waterparks has proven itself to be not only a professional supplier but also a reliable partner,” he explained. “Their dedication is second to none, and I would highly recommend any waterpark or other leisure venue developer interested in a first-class attraction to consider Polin Waterparks.”
Bouvard said he would personally make himself available to provide details to others interested in learning more about the advantages he found in working with Polin, which he thanked for “helping us pull out a great waterpark!” certification
Splashworld’s first phase opened in late August spread out over 45,000 square meters (484.375 square feet). The park can accommodate up to 6,000 guests.
Other unique offerings include the world’s largest sheet-wave surf simulator (Guinness World Records pending) that has attracted the attention of some of the world’s most prestigious surfers. The surf simulator is located in the park’s Wave Club, a free-access area featuring a themed restaurant with Bali-island-imported furniture and a bar and lounge that rocks until 1 a.m. with a resident and guests DJs.
Back in the park, Ri’Kiki Bay is a small 950-square-meter (10,225-square-feet) wave pool awaiting to be completed by a giant surf pool in Phase II.
Two other attractions are unique for being the largest or longest in Europe: Splash’Air Slides, an 11-meter (36-foot) complex of three mega inflatable slides and the park’s 650-meter (2,132-foot) leisure river.
Private beaches with exclusive features, lockers, a retail store, three food outlets, a cashless payment system and a unique Splash Pass – which provides fast-pass access to departure platforms – round out the park’s well-planned offerings.
In addition, Splashworld includes a 10-hectare (24.7-acre) lake in the center of a semi-wild park. Guests can go swimming, canoeing, ride a pedal boat, fish, bird watch, jog and walk the fitness trail.