WhiteWater has scooped a plethora of awards at The World Waterpark Association Show in Las Vegas.
Among the awards earned was its Meryal Waterpark project. Spread over 60 acres, Meryal Waterpark in Lusail features 69 attractions that satisfy all types of guests – from aquatic play for young children to high-thrill water slides for the daring – all in an intricate setting that pays homage to Qatarโs oil and gas heritage.
Its centrepiece is the Icon Tower. A feat of engineering, it is the worldโs tallest water slide tower at 85-metres (278ft) and launches a record-breaking 12 slides. Also featured is the Middle Eastโs first Walhalla – the fastest six-person raft ride in the world at up to 50km/h (31mph) and the Middle Eastโs first SlideWheel.
Meanwhile, The Rise of Icarus Having unveiled the first SlideWheel in the Western Hemisphere in 2022, Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park continued in 2024 with another innovative endeavour: the tallest water slide tower in the Americas: The Rise of Icarus. It soars 160ft (48-metres) into the air and is themed with vibrant colours that reflect the story of a young man who flew too close to the sun and fell.
Aptly named โThe Fall,โ the tallest water slide in America is a High-Speed AquaTube launching from 145ft (44-metres) above ground, through a length of 780ft (237-metres), at speeds of up to 30mph (48km/h). Four more body slides on the tower provide a mix of smooth yet thrilling ride experiences.
Another award WhiteWater earned was for the Worldโs First Reverse AquaLucent Slide at Wilderness at the Smokies. For its 15th anniversary, Wilderness at the Smokies in Sevierville, Tennessee, celebrated with a 40,000-ft2 (3,716-m2) expansion of its Wild WaterDome. One of the major highlights was the opening of โRidge Runner,โ a three-story Master Blaster featuring the worldโs first Reverse AquaLucent effects featuring colourful patterns on translucent flumes.
Another innovative project WhiteWater was acknowledged for was its work at the Kidsโ Area at Aquascope, Europeโs First Aquatic Cinema, located at Futuroscope. This ground-breaking immersive experience features at Futuroscopeโs new water park of Aquascope where Kids are entertained with an underwater theme called โLa Faille de Kraki,โ a kidsโ zone with a friendly octopus whose tentacles have transformed into slides.
Complete with AquaSplash and AquaSpray Toys, itโs an area that piques the imagination of children.
And WhiteWater gained recognition for its Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas, which provides 24 FlowRider Doubles on 20 Royal Caribbean ships providing both active fun and spectator appeal.
โItโs an absolute privilege to be able to work with these ambitious clients,โ said Onno Meeter, WhiteWaterโs President, Water Parks.
โOur teams thrive on challenges such as those that these award-winning projects presented. Groundbreaking parks like Meryal give us the opportunity to find innovative solutions that drive the attractions industry forward.
โThe Leading Edge Awards showcase the collaboration of suppliers, designers and clients to create these exceptional projects,โ added Doug Smith, Global Head of Sales.
โThey are located in different corners of the world and vary in size and scope, yet they all show a very high level of creativity and dedication.โ
Images: WhiteWater
