Waterpark Profile
This is a story of how a popular British seaside resort introduced a brand new indoor/outdoor waterpark almost a decade after losing one of the country's few outdoor waterparks, and
then reunited some of the old team under the eye of a new operator from Germany. Owen Ralph reports
“ We never
looked back at Atlantis when developing this park. That was a different concept, an outdoor
summer park. Our goal in Scarborough was always to be a 12-
months a year operation; to strengthen the entire tourism offer here
Anton Höfter, Alpamare
Alpamare UK S
tiill fondly remembered by some, Atlantis opened for its final summer season in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, in 2006, before the lost city was lost was
for good. The new Alpamare waterpark, also located in North Bay (though not on the same site), is an altogether different beast; more compact but better suited to this east coast resort, where year-round opening is not really an option unless a significant chunk is undercover. Marketed as “a waterpark like no other”, it's certainly
different to most other facilities in the UK so far, which saw a proliferation of indoor waterparks, often council-run facilities, throughout the 1980s. Many have been demolished in recent years. Whilst it's relatively simple-looking inside (but easy to operate as a result), what's most striking about Alpamare Scarborough is how colourful the waterpark appears when one approaches it from the car park: a big building with a yellow wedge-shaped slide tower that witty locals have already likened to a lump of cheese. Finished in their own bright hues, the park's four slides escape outside the building but are fully-enclosed so riders are never exposed to the elements. In fact, fans of high octane waterpark fun need never leave the main building as is is here that all slides start and finish and a 450 square- metre wave pool is located along with a water playground. Yet those that chose to step outside can enjoy both a heated family pool and an infinity pool overlooking the North Sea. The water temperature across the park is kept at constant
Bringing the Alps to the sea
35°C. Set to open soon will be spa deck overlooking the outdoor area. “We thought it would confuse things if we opened the spa
at the same time as the waterpark,” explains Anton Höfter, CEO of both the Scarborough park and also Jodquellen AG, the German family firm that operates Switzerland's Splash & Spa waterpark and also licences the Alpamare name elsewhere in the country. “We never looked back at Atlantis when developing this park,” he adds. “That was a different concept, an outdoor summer park. Our goal in Scarborough was always to be a 12-months a year operation; to strengthen the entire tourism offer here.”
Summer holiday start The main park opened in late July, and while a spa probably wouldn't have been top of many school kids' summer holiday wish lists, it's nevertheless an area where the Höfters have some expertise. For this latest park, the family turned once again to ProSlide, which got some of its first exposure to the European market two decades ago when it supplied the original Alpamare in Bad Tölz, Bavaria. “ProSlide is very proud to celebrate an almost 20 year
relationship with the Alpamare team and to have collaborated on its exciting new Scarborough waterpark,” says the Canadian firm's vice-president of business development, Philip Hayles. “This particular combination of attractions in is a first for the UK and represents a really dynamic slide complex.” Guests at Alpamare Scarborough can take their pick from
the signature Snow Storm, a 105m-long blue striped and checked hybrid Cloverleaf tubing ride with BehemothBowl 40 and Tornado 24 features, along with the 105m green striped Olympic Run (2 person Pipeline tubing ride) and two Twister slides, the 84m Black Run body slide and 88m Cresta Run, an 88m-long head-first mat ride. The wave pool, which is located to the side of the slide
exits, was supplied by the UK's own Murphy's Waves and features a maximum depth of 1.35m. Adjacent to this pool, in shallow water, is an AquaPlay interactive water structure from WhiteWater. The two outdoor pools are each around 20m in length and provide a nice place for families, friends or couples to relax, either in the sun or after dark, when the terrace is subtly lit. A wristband-based cashless payment system by Gantner is in use across the facility, including the
40 OCTOBER 2016
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