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KC second major waterpark is opening this summer.  This is in the area of their racetrack, minor league ballpark, Nebraska Furniture Mark, Cabela's and the Legends.  There is additional retail following including Scheel's.

http://www.kansascity.com/938/gallery/1147837.html

There was going to be a Hard Rock Cafe Casino Hotel as well, but, due to the economy, it was withdrawn last December.

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansa ... ily40.html

Hard Rock is again bidding to build there, though this time in phases versus the full $700 million at one time:

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1119787.html

The renderings show a lot of tropical foliage, how does KC expect to pull that one off?  Unless they can pull in some fake but real looking palm trees...Very cool project though, the tidal wave river is something I have never seen, only lazy rivers that flow slowly.

We went to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels for opening weekend last year.  Top-notch facility, and the tidal river was one of the highlights for us.  We spent a full day at the water park and tried to only go down the rides one time each and even at that, we were only able to get to 1/2 the park.  I want to go back, but having a smaller scale version in KC will help quench my needs.

The choice of a Casino, possibly Hard Rock is getting closer:

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking ... 47188.html

The new water park is now open.

Greg

Every time I watch the videos for this park I say to myself..."Omaha needs a water park like Schlitterbahn"

Omaha needs to be talking with their corporate headquarters about considering us for future cities to expand to!

Tuna:

Got anything for Most Random |expletive| Thread Revival Ever?

The Verruckt Meg-A-Blaster will shatter previous height, speed records, park reps say.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013 ... y/3648401/

USA TODAY wrote:The Verruckt Meg-A-Blaster is being called the world's tallest and fastest waterslide and the park where it is being built says it will shatter records set by another slide in Brazil, which is 134.5 feet high and moves at 65.2 mph, the Amusement Today website reports. The slide at Kansas City's Schlitterbahn park will debut May 23, when the park opens for the season, according to the Kansas City Star.

It makes no sense that KC can have two awesome waterparks and we can't even have one.  Frustrating.

Inflatable raft? Lame.

Linkin5 wrote:It makes no sense that KC can have two awesome waterparks and we can't even have one.  Frustrating.

The the size and location of Funplex, I say they ditch the rides and go all water-park.  The wouldn't need a lot more to be a decent water-park...

Instead of trying to build a whole park all at once I think it would be awesome to start on one thing and add on.

I'd love to see this build here.... but BIGGER  


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Nice!  What's the story behind that? Is it 100% Man Made or is in built in to an existing creek?

OKC is building a whitewater course pretty soon.

Omaha_Gabe wrote:Instead of trying to build a whole park all at once I think it would be awesome to start on one thing and add on.

I'd love to see this build here.... but BIGGER  


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Did they ever make something like this out in central NE, like Kearney. I remember posting something about that 5 or 6 years ago.

Brad wrote:Nice!  What's the story behind that? Is it 100% Man Made or is in built in to an existing creek?

That's the US National Whitewater Center down in Charlotte.  Really cool place, I've been there while visiting my parents who live down in that area.  Entirely manmade.  Its a loop, with a huge pumping system, and even a raft/kyack escallator to take people back up to the top of the course.  Depending on water flows (entirely computer controlled), it can be anything from beginner all the way through class 4+ rapids.  The Olympic kyack team trains there.  They can setup gates for a slalom course, and move around several of the "rocks" to create different water flow patterns.

In addition to the water circuit, they've got mountain bike trails throughout the woods surrounding the facility, as well as a ropes course.  There are several great walking paths/bridges around the site with viewpoints of the rapids.  They even have a decent restaurant onsite, who's patio overlooks the facilty.

Sounds really good!  Thanks for the info!

That reminds me of the Truckee river in Reno, NV.  Would be awesome if Omaha did something like this.

A view from above on that water slide. Admittedly, I'd prob chicken out.

I thought I had posted a previous video of this before the first ride...

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Coyote wrote:[BBvideo 560,340][/BBvideo]

All rise for the GoPro national anthem.

I though it wasn't working properly?

Brad wrote:I though it wasn't working properly?

It's not open to the public yet, except for photographers

I had some friends go down there this week expecting it to be open. I head the tube was having trouble making it over the hump.

Lol...

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Good lord that is terrifying.

I thought I had posted this... From January in the Amazingly Cool Things thread:

Coyote wrote:Verrückt in Kansas City

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The most terrifying aspect: how the heck you are going to get to the top of the dam thing. I can't imagine many people over age 40 even trying.

The Verrückt Water Slide is now in operation, but it sounds like you have to be lucky to get a ride, it is in very high demand.

Coyote wrote:The Verrückt Water Slide is now in operation, but it sounds like you have to be lucky to get a ride, it is in very high demand.

I actually went to Schlitterbahn last weekend. I heard people saying that you had to reserve your spot in line and even then the line was 4 hours long. I never bothered with it. The park is nice though.

Well, apparently a 12 year old boy died on the Verrückt this weekend.

Garrett wrote:Well, apparently a 12 year old boy died on the Verrückt this weekend.

Apparently he was the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab.

And it turns out he was only 10. From what the reports say minimum age for the ride is 14 and to be 54 inches tall. Very sad story on the heals of the Disney World tragedy.

Greg

You have to wonder if as horrible as deaths like this are they end up selling more tickets to amusement parks and carnivals. Half the fun or mystique of climbing into these rides is that in the back of your head you know there is a chance you could die a heinous death. Here it is the end of the summer and millions of people will be making a last dash to these amusement parks before the season is over and every single one of them will be talking about this water slide death on their drive to the park. Every other kid in Jr high school and high school this fall will be boasting of the bravery they exerted over the summer as they risked their lives riding those roller coasters and thrill rides. People getting hurt and killed on these rides kind of feeds the beast inside of us instead of causing us to pause and maybe realize those rides are not worth it. We humans are crazy animals!

Greg S wrote:And it turns out he was only 10. From what the reports say minimum age for the ride is 14 and to be 54 inches tall. Very sad story on the heals of the Disney World tragedy.

Greg

I have read reports that it started out with a age requirement of 14 but that was dropped for only the height requirement after year 1. Doesn't make it any better though. I wounder how you could police an age requirement anyway on any ride at a water park? Height, sure, all you need is a board with a mark on it but age will be dodged all the way if they are tall enough.