PW-FEB20-26-27-Cover-Story.qxp_Feature 02/03/2020 11:18 Page 26


Cover Story


Connect a professional ski racer with a fibreglass yacht builder, tool in vision and design all the time and you have the key ingredients for the most thrilling water rides in the world.


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member of Canada’s alpine skiing team from 1969 to 1974, ProSlide CEO Rick Hunter’s goal has always been to create water rides with purposeful


designs that take into account the precision and architecture of ski racing’s smooth turns, steep grades and big drops. When he founded ProSlide in 1986, Rick partnered with Hans Tanzer, one of the largest sailboat manufacturers in Canada. This powerful partnership introduced the highest- quality fibreglass – built-to-last and to withstand harsh marine conditions — to the water park industry. “ProSlide’s origins were in water ride design and


innovation. That’s our legacy and it continues to be our strategy to this day,” says Rick. “From the world’s first family raft ride in 1989, through working with the likes of Disney and Six Flags in the 90s, up to today, we have a commitment to ride excellence that is seen in our client’s best parks. Today we’re happy to have loyal customer’s who recognise our innovation and long-term quality. We also have the best team in the industry that are continuing to drive this legacy forward.”


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A legacy of true innovation Since 1987, ProSlide has been constantly innovating the new technology that transforms the water ride industry. This includes pioneering attractions like the MAMMOTH, “the world’s first family raft ride”, TORNADO, “the world’s first funnel water slide”, and FlyingSAUCER, “the world’s first high- speed open turn”, says Rick. In the early days at ProSlide, the stage was set for


the continuous innovation that would define the next four decades. In 1989, ProSlide developed the “world’s first family raft


ride” with MAMMOTH. “This innovation was ground- breaking and vaulted ProSlide to the front of the pack among 15 water ride companies,” says Rick. Pioneering water parks like Paramount Kings Island, Splish Splash, Wet ‘N Wild Orlando, and Noah’s Ark were early-adopters of MAMMOTH. In 1994, ProSlide designed and supplied every water ride for Blizzard Beach and Teamboat Springs; a ProSlide MAMMOTH was the showcasefamily attraction.


ProSlide also built “the world’s tallest speed slide and the world’s first multi-lane fiberglass mat racer”, the ProRACER.


FEBRUARY 2020


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