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Has a waterslide ever scared you?


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I've been to water parks twice in my lifetime and neither has been a good experience.

 

I don't like those rides because it's not as controlled as standard rides. IMO there are too many variables to know what can happen. The first time I went, it was at Wet n wild and I saw a few different kids who were hurt going on those slides, and I went on one, water was so far up my nose I couldn't even breath well for a few mins, just kept coughing.

 

So, no, I don't like water parks that much, except to go to lazy river and check out the girls in bikinis

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Ah yes, I remember going to Action Park when I was younger with my family. I forgot the name of the Looping Slide, but it was redonkulous to watch and a sight to behold. I heard it was painful, maybe Vekoma made it back in the day... Anyways, I remember how unsafe the park was, and how it had cool names for the slides, such as the Kamakazie!!! My aunt suffered scarring to her back from one of their slides, and so did my uncle, as with anyone else who went to Low-Budget-Unsafe-Action Park. It closed down due to lawsuits if my memory serves me correct, and they became Mountain Creek, and totally revamped the place, removing the classic looper.

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All of my life, I always wondered if looping slides existed. Well, now I know. I definitely would NOT go on that. It would be just my luck that I'd get stuck about 3/4 of the way down and valley between the drop and the loop. Then, I would be up s**t creek (well, now Mountain Creek) without a paddle.

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No way!!! That picture of the looping slide is fake. I mean, if its real, then there's got to be more then just one picture of it. And if you look at it you can tell its fake...1) There's no slide piece joints on the loop part, and there would have to be some, as you couldn't make that one piece, 2) Theres no way that water would flow all the way around the loop, as there would have to some kind of jet going up toward the top of the loop. 3) Look at the top of the slide tower, the straight piece is just there going straight up, and doesn't connect to a starting point of any kind...

 

So as far, as I'm concerned this is fake.

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The looping waterslide was real, I've seen other pix and first hand accounts of it as well.

 

Basically it hurt people, most people never even made it around the loop! Eventually they just gave up and took it out, especially since the park was tied to the mob!

 

Elissa "I would try it once!" Alvey

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Wow! You kids are bringing back old memories of Action Park....aka Traction Park!

 

Well, the looping waterslide is VERY REAL! The reason I know this is because I rode it several times! I used to live right down the street on Rt. 565 in Vernon. I worked there for years. The last couple of Summers were spent working on the Bungee Tower and the original Sling Shots (using huge Bungee cords!) I believe that in the Summer of 92 or 93, the looping slide opened for maybe about 7 days. (Not in a row, just a day here and there) At Action Park, I seemed to be the Guinea Pig....I would sign up to do anything. So as soon as I found out that they were going to open the looping slide, I took an extra long break and ran down the boardwalk and over to the slide.

 

The following is the story of the looping waterslide and me! So you walk across the grass, since there was no walkway over to the slide, and completely strip down. The rules were basically you must wear the most basic pair of shorts....and nothing else.....no shorts with metal rivets, no zippers, no bikini's, no sweatpant shorts (yes, it was the early 90's), no cut offs....just plain ole bathing suits! No jewelry of any kind! After you completely stripped down, you stepped on the scale (no digital, just a scale you found at the nurses office in elementary school). I believe you had to weigh over 125 and less then 180 or 200. But dont quote me on the weight limits.

 

After you got the ok, you walked up the stairs, where you could feel your heart pounding. Im getting anxious just writing this. My old supervisor Brian was at the top waiting to wet you down with the freezing cold spring water from the hose. Once you were completely frozen and terrified, it got worse......you looked down the pitch black hole! There was a tiny little area where you could sit before launching into the deep abyss. It all seemed to go silent as you looked down the tube where you could see is the water spraying from the top of the tube and running down into nothing.

 

Here is where you take a breath, stiffen up, and go for it! You are not sure if you give yourself a boost and pull yourself down the beginning or just sit back and just crawl over the ledge. So just to be safe, I pulled myself down, crossed my ankles, supported my head (trying to keep my head off the semi-soft foam that lined the tube) I got super nervous as I darted off into the darkness. The speed was terrifying and I had no idea as to when I was going to hit the bottom. Well my speed kept on increasing then......WHAM! I HIT BOTTOM! Yup, you definately know when you are about to go thru the loop, because your head becomes the tail end of a whip and smashes into bottom of the loop. Your speed is soo great that you have no problem making it up the front side of the loop. Here is where things get weird, as if they havent seemed screwed up already. Your body is completely upside down, pressed against the wall, then Uh-oh, your speed starts to slow down, but it is still enough to keep your body barely riding along the top of the loop. The tension starts to fade, as you know that you made it to the top. As the water is just enough to keep the walls slick, you start to pick up speed once again as you make it down the backside of the loop.

 

LIGHT!!! As you start to pull out, your eyes closed, the sun starts to peek thru you eyelids.....You made it.....Your body is then flung into a pool of water maybe about 3 feet deep. You lay there for a minute saying to yourself....Holy Crap.....I have the worst headache in the world, but Holy Crap, I just went thru a loop on a waterslide!!! Hell yeah!! As you pull yourself out of the pool, which had no ladder or steps, you look up the hill as everyone is watching in disbelief that someone would actually do the most terrifying waterslide in the world. But as I made my way up the grass covered ski slope, I found myself walking back over to the steps to do it all over again!!!

 

Not all people would make it thru as easy as I did though.....If you were standing at the top of the slide, you would here people start screaming that they cant do it as they were already sliding down the tunnel. They would start out OK, but when the speed starts to pick up, the person would stick their hands out to slow themselves down...BAD MOVE!! You need as much speed as possible. Once you stick your hands out, the person would make it up most of the loop, then bang onto the top (or bottom, depending on how you look at it) of the loop. Then, depending on how much speed the person had, you would either make it all the way around (banging onto the outer part of the slide as you made it to the bottom outside wall) or you would fall back head first towards the bottom of the hill...aka...valley in the tube.... If that happened, there was a latch at the bottom of the loop for the unfortunate.

 

It was very funny to hear the people not make it all the way around from the top. When the person started out, you would hear the normal wooshing noise, then BAM...Owwww....then silence..........then a bang..as their body would hit the top part of the loop...a groan....then another bang, if they were making it around.....Oh the good ole days! Super Fun.

 

As for the name...there wasnt any....except the generic title "Looping Cannonball"

 

I was just glad I was one of the few that ever got to ride this slide! I dont believe there will be anything of this caliber ever again. And if you knew Action Park, you know the owners were pretty tapped.

 

Action Park was home to many other great rides such as the Alpine Slide (some of the best), the tallest speed slides, a flying machine (aerodium), the Colorado River (in its original year, the slide was concrete....ummm...not so smart)After a couple of broken bones, they tamed it down and added foam thru out the entire ride. Other rides: Bungee jump (which was my home base) the sling shot, lola cars (in motor world) the tarzan swing...the list could go on forever....wow...thanks for bringing back such great memories. I truly loved Action Park! and completely miss it!

 

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

If any one has any crazy stories about Action Park, I would love to discuss.

 

Take care

matty baclueless

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baclueless

 

Thanks for the sharing, felt like I was there and needed to take some asprine....

 

I had seen the pictures before.. and yes, I would ride it... but maybe it's a good thing it isn't there anymore and we will not see them return either....

 

But in case it would, and if they need a test peron.... call me

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Wow, that was the first actual account of the looping waterslide I've ever read. I've seen pictures of that torture device, but never had heard of anyone that actually got on it, until now. I think I need to visit the doctor just from reading that account, though, as that sounded like it was beyond uncomfortable...

 

dt

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There's something about waterslides that my body doesn't seem to agree with. I've not enjoyed many slides properly, as I always seem to get water in uncomfortable places at some point (eyes, nose etc), and it tarnishes my experience.

 

I managed to flip over off the end of a particularly fast one in Tenerife a few years back, and really winded myself when I hit the water. Thought i'd cracked a rib or something!

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They never really scared me, but last year when i visted Geagua Lake and took a slide down the (almost vertical slide) in hurricane harbor, i guess you can say it scared the sh*t out of me, not because it was vertical and stomach churning but, because I kept leaning forward to see how far down I was going to the point that i leaned a little to far forward and my whole body them wasen't even touching the slide for a few seconds that took the wits out of me, because like the park employee said as he greeted me when i came to a stop "if you would have leaned anymore, you would have flew over the side of the slide".

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wow, now i really want to go on the looping waterslide. I saw a picture of it in a book a awhile ago. I love being truly afraid. It's hard for that to happen to me now. The first year Millennium Force opened, i was actually scared, but i was like 12, and that was the greatest single ride ever.

 

I'll admit, When I was standing at the top of summit plummit. I was a little . But it was the best waterslide on earth and I wish I could ride it everyday.

 

Yeah, the "almost vertical" slide at Geauga lake was one of the Stingray Wetslides. Sadly, they are no more; but those slides hurt like . Hurricane Mountain aka Thunder Falls at the new WWK has some crazy twisted speed slides and some decent tube slides.

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For myself, there's a fine line between thrillseeking and just asking to get hurt. That looping slide looks absolutely retarded. I'm surprised it didn't drop someone on their head and snap their neck. Doesn't surprise me though, I've heard horrible war stories about Action Park. I think the safest ride they had there was the S&S Space Shot (which now resides in Orlando).

 

 

-kip-

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Hey Kip....

 

When did Action Park ever own a S&S Tower??? I was working there till summer of 94 and they never had such a thing. The closest thing was the Sling Shot that used to operate by the bungee tower.

 

And c'mon...no bad words about Action Park! That was my home. I loved that place. Most of problems came when them damn city folk came into our little suburban heaven and wreaked havoc.

 

The best part about Action Park was the idiots who fell off the Alpine Slide. Most people thought that they could handle the speeds on the expert track and WAM! Just bail and slide for a good 100 feet on the cement track. For the rest of the day their bodies would be covered in red iodine that the first aid had to apply.

 

But most people that did visit Action Park, have a scar to prove it!

 

matt

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Hey Matt! I'm not sure when Action Park had their Space Shot. It was on S&S's reference list years ago. I wanna say they had it mid-late nineties? I actually saw a picture of it years ago, too. It's was a first generation Space Shot (Mark 1). It's now in Orlando, I saw it last month too. I forget the place's name, but it's near IOA. There's also a huge Slingshot now at the same place. I actually heard that the place is closing or already has closed?

 

 

Okay, well, it appears S&S has taken it off their reference list, which makes sense since the tower was relocated. However, I did find out the place in Orlando, it's called Magical Midway.

 

Edit: Oh, lol, one more thing, Matt - my friend said the exact same thing about most people leaving with a scar.

 

-kip-

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My uncle's Action Park scar looks like an A, and my aunt's looks like a P. Both scars on their backs from the cement slides and other insane attractions. I have a scar on my hand from their CEMENT KIDDIE POOL! (I was 4 when I last went) Maybe it was a cheaper way of advertising, brand people with an AP on their backs to get more visitors?

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For me, I was a little nerveous at the top when going on the wedgie slides at Adventure Island (next to BGT). It was the first ride I went on when I went to the park, but I haven't been on the slide ever since that visit. It must be how BGT came up with the idea for a water splash on Sheikra

 

Also, that Bubba Tub slide at Wet&Wild Orlando looks tame, but once we got on, it was scary

 

 

/me isn't going on the Looping Slide - It isn't safe

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I know there are probably tons of these out there, but it sure freaked me out a bit.

 

Cliffs has two waterslides, one Green(not as popular), and its fun but the Black Slide(line is usually three times longer than the green), is certainly more thrilling, as you cannot see anything, you are complete darkness the whole slide.

 

I went on the Green one, then had to stand in line to see what the fuss was about. Its a bit freaky when you fly through a turn, and never saw it coming

aaaawaterslides.JPG.c8385be00822bd0de353c01876860b0c.JPG

Best pic I have, sorry, but you can see the green slide, and a bit of the black one, and the raft return in the middle

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I can't swim. Ridiculous, I know.

 

As a result, I don't really know what I can or can't do at a waterpark, so I haven't been to one yet.

 

Besides, I look pretty godawful with my shirt off anyways.

 

I'm working on the latter issue, then I guess I'll have to think about the former.

 

But for now, they all scare the piss outta me.

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