On April 22, WhiteWater took to the stage with some of the best-known names in the industry at the Themed Entertainment Association’s Thea Awards Gala to celebrate the most innovative technologies in themed entertainment.

The Canadian waterpark supplier took home a Thea award for Outstanding Achievement in Technology, thanks to the success of its Slideboarding ride/video game hybrid.

Slideboarding signals new directions and opportunities for waterparks in several ways. The ride creates customer engagement, both in and outside waterparks, via a game app, which has been a huge driver of social media and traditional PR.       

The Slideboarding concept can be a retrofit to refresh an older slide at a fraction of the cost of installing a new one. And importantly, the ride data can make operations more efficient and give valuable insight into performance and guests.

Launched two years ago, Slideboarding is already in over a dozen parks, with notable early adopters being Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas and Hyland Hills’ Water World in Denver.

“Slideboarding is unique,” said Yvonne Fischbach, executive director of Hyland Hills Park and Recreation District. “It works on every level. Our guests keep coming back to pass each game level while our park collects hugely valuable operational data and marketing insights.”

This is the second time WhiteWater has received a Thea award. The first Thea award the company received was in 2001 for Parc Asterix’s Spinning Rapids Ride, L’Oxygenarium.