VANCOUVER, Canada – At the World Waterpark Association Show in Las Vegas, USA, WhiteWater received Leading Edge Awards for outstanding work in five projects:

• Meryal Waterpark
• The Rise of Icarus at Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park
• Wilderness at the Smokies
• Aquascope
• Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas

Breaking Records While Blending History with Today: Meryal Waterpark
Spread over 60 acres, Meryal Waterpark in Lusail impresses with 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 Qatar’s oil and gas heritage. Making the biggest headlines here is the Icon Tower. Truly a feat of engineering, it is the world’ tallest water slide tower at 85 meters (278 feet) and launches a record-breaking 12 slides. Other remarkable attractions include three Abyss funnel slides, one of which is suspended 40 meters (131 feet) in the air, the Middle East’s first Walhalla—the fastest six-person raft ride in the world at up to 50 km/h (31 mph)—and the Middle East’s first SlideWheel®.

America’s Tallest Water Slide Tower: 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. A sight that dominates the skyline in Wisconsin Dells, it soars 160 feet (48 meters) 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 “The Fall,” the tallest water slide in America is a High-Speed AquaTube launching from 145 feet (44 meters) above ground, through a length of 780 feet (237 meters), at speeds of up to 30 mph (48 km/h). Four more body slides on the tower provide a mix of smooth yet thrilling ride experiences.

World’s 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 “Ridge Runner,” a three-story Master Blaster featuring the world’s first Reverse AquaLucent effects—colourful spellbinding patterns on translucent flumes. In addition to the exhilaration of uphill blasts and heart-pounding drops at speeds of up to 29 mph (46 km/h), the Reverse AquaLucents have the riders mesmerized while giving the onlookers an opportunity to share the excitement, adding to the energy of the park.

Kids’ Area at Aquascope, Europe’s First Aquatic Cinema
An extraordinary immersive experience, Futurocope in France opened a new water park this year called, “Aquascope,” featuring Europe’s first aquatic cinema. Delighting the little ones with an underwater theme is “La Faille de Kraki,” a kids’ zone with a friendly octopus whose tentacles have transformed into slides. Complete with AquaSplash and AquaSpray Toys, it’s an area that piques the imagination of children.

A Cruise Ship Staple: FlowRider® on Board Icon of the Seas
Since the first FlowRider was sold to Royal Caribbean in 2006, the most recognizable name in stationary surf has been expected by guests ever since, and Icon of the Seas—the biggest cruise ship in the world—was no exception. With 24 FlowRider Doubles on 20 Royal Caribbean ships providing both active fun and spectator appeal, WhiteWater is proud to remain a trusted supplier for future ships.

“It’s an absolute privilege to be able to work with these ambitious clients,” said Onno Meeter, WhiteWater’s President, Water Parks. “Our 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.”

“The Leading Edge Awards showcase the collaboration of suppliers, designers and clients to create these exceptional projects,” added Doug Smith, Global Head of Sales. “They 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. Congratulations to all the teams!”

Previous Leading Edge Awards
In recent years, WhiteWater is proud to have won the following Leading Edge Awards:

• Studio City Water Park, indoor, Macau SAR, China (2023)
• Island Waterpark at Showboat Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey (2023)
• Pirate Cove Aquapark on board MSC Seascape (2023)
• Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China (2022)
• Aqua Nick at Nickelodeon™ Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, Cancun, Mexico (2022)
• Wild Rivers, Irvine, California (2022)
• Baha Bay at Baha Mar, Nassau, The Bahamas (2022)
• Studio City Water Park, outdoor, Macau SAR, China (2021)
• “Tsunami Surge” Master Blaster at Hurricane Harbor Chicago, Gurnee, Illinois (2021)
• Parallel Pursuit at Nocatee Spray Park, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (2021)
• “Turbo Shuttle” Orbiter water slide at Adventure Bay, OCT FABLAND, Xiangyang, China (2020)
• “Perfect Storm” slide complex on board Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas (2020)
• Jungala Aqua Experience at Vidanta Riviera Maya, Mexico (2020)
• Island H2O Water Park, Kissimmee, Florida (2019)

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