Polin brings their King Cobra waterslide to the US
by Sohret Pakis
ABOVE: The King Cobra slide allows guests to race side by side before splashing down towards the giant snake’s fangs. Courtesy of Polin.
This article originally appeared in InPark Magazine issue 43, published in 2012.
The snake known as the King Cobra may not be native to the United States. But the kingsized serpent-themed waterslide from Polin Waterparks and Pool Systems (Istanbul, Turkey) slithered into a new home in Jackson, N.J this summer. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor opened the first US version of this slide, enticing guests with stomach-churning speeds and adrenalinepumping drops.
Together, Six Flags Great Adventure, Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor create America’s largest regional theme park. Hurricane Harbor waterpark, located on 45 acres, features more than 20 high-speed thrill slides, a family water playground, a million-gallon wave pool and a half-mile-long leisure river.
Polin’s supersized cobra version is no less threatening than the real one. Bold red, black and white scales provide an imposing veneer over the exterior and interior of the slide’s massive 50-foot (15.24-meter) height and 260foot (790-meter) length.
The core feature of King Cobra is its unique configuration that enables two riders to race along a circular path filled with twists, turns and surprises. Water pressure of 3,875 gallons (14,668 liters) per minute catapults riders through open and closed tubes before they brave a heartpounding plunge nearly 25 feet (8 meters) down a 50-degree slope. Along the way, riders accelerate to a maximum speed of 32 mph (51 km/h).
Six Flags Great Adventure Park President John Fitzgerald said, “We are confident that King Cobra’s intense ride experience and unparalleled design will make it our most popular and entertaining water attraction.”
Alper Cetiner, Polin Project Manager, echoed Fitzgerald’s comments. “With so many special features, we expect the ride to be more successful than even anticipated.”
Polin installed the first King Cobra waterslide in Europe before exporting the massive attraction to Turkey and Russia. This year, in addition to the New Jersey installation, the company-which has designed, manufactured and installed waterparks in 80 countries around the globewill create new habitats for King Cobra in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. • • •