B.C.-based manufacturer and designer of water attractions, WhiteWater, was recently honoured with IAAPA Brass Rings awards in Orlando, Fla., for its innovative, customer and operator-focused offerings recognized as “achievements of excellence throughout the global attractions industry.”
Over the years, the company has won Brass Rings awards 40 times in the past.
This year the company’s racing slide Blasterango Battle won “Best New Product for Water Park Ride/Attraction”, while its service virtual pass processing by its attractions management software, Vantage, won “Best Product or Service Used by Consumers”. Vantage also received the coveted “IMPACT Award”, chosen from all winners of the best new product or service categories.
Blasterango Battle has already drawn a viral amount of social media attention as “The Edge” in its first season at Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Tennessee. This water coaster has riders racing through a multitude of sensations—from mega drops to uphill blasts, from extreme Gs to zero G, from separated dark flumes with bursts of AquaLucent colours to sound and light effects that intensify the competition. Its side-by-side Boomerango walls immerse visitors in themed backdrops, serving as online and offline picture backgrounds.
The ride is also engineered with the operators in mind, built with features such as the Smart Blast technology to save water and energy, removable floor panels for easy access to maintenance, and RTM fiberglass parts for a longer lifespan.
Vantage, WhiteWater’s software arm, introduced an automated season pass processing system that simplifies the procedure for both guests and operators, eliminating the long lines at the beginning of a park’s season as well as friction throughout. First implemented at Island H2O Water Park in Florida this year, the feedback for this new feature has been enthusiastically positive.
The process replaced the previous manual method of queuing at the ticket office to redeem the voucher purchased online, followed by pen and paper forms, taking a photo, and issuing a physical card. This process, as in the words of IAAPA Brass Ring Awards judges, “will have the most impact on the attractions industry.”
“These award-winning products have one thing in common: whether physical or digital, they offer a great experience for guests,” said WhiteWater president, Paul Chutter. “At the same time, they consider operator demands, such as saving operating costs as well as time and staffing needs. From product management to project management and installation, we are all very honoured to have our expertise and hard work recognized by the industry.”
