Please welcome Tre Pan to MiceChat. Tre has a long history with water park attractions and has some interesting videos to share of some of his personal favorite Central California slides!
Overview: Central California has a great variety of waterparks and waterslides ranging from vintage slides like “The Rampage” to the latest and greatest such as “Riptide.” I recently went on a tour of the major waterparks in central California and documented my favorites for you. Hopefully you can enjoy them sometime too.
Note: California has even more slides than those listed here. I did my best to limit my list to my two favorite slides per park, so feel free to let us know what your favorite slides are in the comments below. Also, I made my videos in quick little snap collages to give you just a taste of what the slide is like. I am sure there are dozens of better POVs, videos, and photos on the net if you want more information.
My Background: Our family business sells products to water parks, so I’ve ridden a lot of water slides in my time. In fact, our family vacations consisted of cross country waterpark road trips where my parents would visit accounts for sales meetings while my sister, brother, and I worked hard riding water slides. As a young adult I graduated college and moved to the United Arab Emirates for 3.5 years to be a part of the pre-opening team for both Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi. Now that I am back in the USA I visit waterparks for sales meetings and still enjoy riding the slides.
The Rampage at Wild Water Adventure Park
This water slide is a true gem and a rare find, making it worth the visit for any waterslide enthusiast. I call this type of slide a Toboggan, some people call them Bonzai, either way they are really scary and fun. In essence, you sit on the sled and hold on for dear life as the tower drops-out and you skitter across the water at a super speed!
I only know of one other toboggan slide similar to this at Waterworld in Highland Hills Colorado. Previously they had this at Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels Texas. However, I don’t remember riding this there. I do remember sitting on top and being terrified, maybe I blocked it out, or wimped out. Either way, here is proof I did it!
Note: Wild Water Adventure Park recently refurbished this ride, so that we can keep riding it for years to come.
Tre Tips: Lean with your weight forward to skip as far as possible. Any other direction could result in a wipeout.
Kings River Waterworks at Wild Water Adventure Park
These slides are another American classic. Choose from 1 of 4 slides, sit your booty on the mat, and swirl down a relatively long serpentine pathway with quick turns and sharp banks. Most modern mat slides have handles and send you head first. However, this type of mat allows you to sit feet first, which is quite fun. There are also no handles. I love this slide because there is little control, you don’t really know what to expect when you hit a turn, hence me almost falling off the mat and my classy exclamation of excitement in the video.
Tre Tips: Choose slide 3 or 4, they are the wild ones.
Cozumel Cliff at Island Waterpark California
The Cozumel Cliff is a classic multibump speed slide (one of my favorite types of slides) using momentum to boost your pace with every drop. You can find this type of slide at many of the waterparks in Central California, the thing I like about this slide in particular is the view from the top! You can see the whole park and have the choice of 2 other slides (Acapulco dive, and Mazatlan plunge), so you can keep visiting this tower again and again.
Singapore Tsunami at Island Waterpark California
Another of my favorite types of slide is 4 or more rider family slides. They take me back to my childhood, riding down the turns with my whole family laughing together. My sister always thought she could take the ride to a whole new level by manipulating the weight in the tube. Island Waterparks’s Singapore Tsunami might as well be called big red for its color and ride time. You really get to enjoy this slide and the people you are with. It is just plain fun.
Down Under Thunder at Boomerang Bay Great America
Not to be confused with a risqué show on the Vegas strip, down under thunder is an epic waterslide. As you can see I went solo, but riding with a sidekick will help you go even higher on the nearly vertical wall. This was the steepest 1-2 rider slide I’ve ridden in Central California making it one of my favorites. This is a great slide for families.
Didgeridoo Falls at Boomerang Bay Great America
Again, family waterslides have a special place in my heart. Didgeridoo falls is another great family slide, starting 54 feet up in the air with fun turns all the way down. This family slide seemed to be a bit quicker than Island Waterparks Singapore Tsunami, but also a bit shorter in length. Unfortunately, I had some technical difficulties shooting my ride, so I made a photo collage for you instead. I am sure you get the idea.
Shotgun Falls at Raging Waters San Jose
Love the feeling of a drop? I know I do. Shotgun falls is a short ride that will let you free fall 10 feet into the pool of water below. You literally just fall off the end of the slide. Throughput on this type of slide is quick, so you can keep riding again and again. You can find this same offering at Waterworld California and Raging Waters Sacramento.
Warning: This type of slide is NOT FOR WEAK SWIMMERS, the drop can disorient riders and the catch pool is very deep. DO NOT RIDE THIS SLIDE if you have any doubts about your swimming abilities. I say this because as a young child I once snuck away from my parents to ride this slide with my sister. I was trying to be a big kid, but I turned out to be a big disaster when I almost drowned. I probably would not be here today if there had not been a vigilant lifeguard.
Tre Tips: Keep your legs crossed, squeeze your nose, and expletives optional.
Sidewinder at Raging Waters San Jose
Sidewinder is New for 2015 and one of a kind for central California. Ride solo or race friends in this head first quad racer. My favorite part about this attraction is the theming. The slide itself has massive snakeheads at the end, accompanied by a pump room made to look like a giant crate full of snakes, and even snakes that spray you with water as you walk by on the entry path. These small details really add to the experience. The ride itself is a blast and was a lot faster than I expected, taking you both inside and out of brightly colored tunnels.
Tre Tips: Angle the front of your mat racer upwards to keep speed.
Break Point Plunge at Waterworld California
I still get scared waiting to begin slides like Break Point Plunge. Although there is a countdown, nothing can prepare you for the feeling of a free-fall as the trap door floor drops out from below you. Break Point Plunge is only for the brave and is sure to make you scream (like me) standing 6 stories tall and reaching 270 feet long with a crazy turn making it a bit more fun than the new Aqualoops that are popping up in many parks. Similar offerings can also be found at Raging Waters San Jose and Roseville Golfl and Sunsplash.
Tre Tips: Bring an extra pair of underwear, this slide is scary.
Tornado at Waterworld California
This iconic 75 foot tall family slide is one of a kind in central California, making it a must see. Hop on with 3 friends and prepare yourself for a steep drop as you plunge into a GIGANTIC cone that will send you bouncing back and forth from side to side! Don’t worry though, the Tornado’s bark is worse than its bite. It is fun for the whole family, so don’t be shy.
Tre Tips: Check the weight restrictions and load up with your 3 heaviest friends to gain maximum speed!
Cliffhanger at Raging Waters Sacramento
Cliffhanger is a pair of matching extreme body slides standing six-stories tall. Although speed slides such as this are very common, I love any opportunity to get competitive. Grab a friend and see who can get to the bottom first.
Tre Tips: The left side is better… because I said so. Also keep your legs crossed tightly and squeeze those cheeks (not the ones on your face)!
Dragon’s Den at Raging Waters Sacramento
This slide automatically makes it to the top of the list because it has a dragon. What more could you want? The initial entry is dark, fast and scary, sending you into a spiral bowl slide toward a red dragon surrounded by a watery mist. There is nothing like it in Central California and is a must see. Sure, the dragon is a bit gaudy, but it is rare to see special effects like this inside a waterslide, and kids (or kids at heart) love it! Here are some images which show off the dragon.
Master Blaster Water Coaster at Roseville Golfland Sunsplash
This is the only Master Blaster Water Coaster in California. Originally coined and created by NBGS and Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort of New Braunfels Texas, Master Blaster slides are unique in their ability to send you up hills like a roller coaster.
I was really young when I first experienced this type of slide. The owners of Schlitterbahn let me be one of the test dummies for this slide before opening. I remember exclaiming “it’s the greatest slide ever!” Though there have been many advances in water coaster technology since then, the master blaster at Roseville Golfland Sunsplash is a hoot and takes me back to my first ride. Be sure to bring a friend to enjoy the scenery on this long winding ride.
Riptide at Roseville Golfland Sunsplash
Riptide is brand spanking new hybrid slide for 2015! So new that it wasn’t even open when I took this video! I was lucky enough to test the slide with a few lifeguards during the pre-opening test phase. Hybrid Slides are growing in popularity for Proslide as that they take elements of different rides and string them together in a way that is unique to each installation.
This is arguable the best family slide in central California. It is compact and a ton of fun. The initial start sends you into a twist and a half, causing you to build up some serious momentum before a steep downward drop and then back up a nearly vertical wall. Most slides such as this die off immediately after the wall, however riptide gives you a final dip and a turn before bringing you back to shore. It is a well thought out slide.
Tre Tips: Check the weight regulation signage and plan to be as heavy as the regulations allow. Heavier tubes go higher on the nearly vertical wall.
Well folks, those are some of my Central California faves. What tips and favorites do you have?
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