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Park Hoppin’ with Paul Ruben


IA Swimming with fishes Out of control


going to go to Pennsylvania’s PoconoMountains, which is best known for its skiing and other outdoor activities. I don’t ski, and I’m not going to stand outside in freezing January temperatures. I had a better idea. I was going to Kalahari Resorts Poconos where they have a giant indoor waterpark to splash around in during the day and adult beverages waiting for me in the evening. I was headed to Kalahari to experience their new underwater virtual reality


snorkeling experience, DIVR by Ballast Technologies. Read about it on pages 46 & 46. Inside the waterpark the temperature was a toasty 84º F (29º C), the perfect alternative for a winter day. While amusement parks may have a variety of low capacity attractions that can be offered for an upcharge, before now waterparks have not. DIVR changes that.


was reminded of my first-ever encounter with an alpine slide when I re-visited Ober Gatlinburg in East Tennessee to ride their alpine slide, shown here. I first rode it in 1988. They had been around since the early 1970s. An alpine slide is a long chute on the side of a hill, usually built by ski resorts to supplement summer income. A wheeled cart is used to navigate the slide. The ride is similar to a bobsled ride, except that it rolls over a smooth track, generally concrete, stainless steel, or fibreglass, rather than sliding on ice. The cart accommodates one or two passengers and is controlled by a hand brake located between the rider’s legs. Pulling the hand brake handle causes the cart to stop while pushing or letting go of the handle causes the brakes to release, allowing the cart to accelerate. The ride is unique among amusement park rides in that the rider has complete control over his or her speed and ride experience. The rider must ensure the cart is not going too fast, otherwise the cart may overturn around curves, leading to possible injury.


ll the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey, so what am I going to do on a winter’s day? One thing I wasn’t going do is to start singing California Dreaming by TheMamas and the Papas. No, I was


It transforms any pool into a fantastic adventure where guests can go deep sea diving, flying, or on a spacewalk. It combines the weightlessness of being in water with the immersion of virtual reality, resulting in an unprecedented full-body sensory experience. Ballast’s partner, Sub Sea Systems, is hoping to upgrade some of these systems to the DIVR+ version with thruster and sensory bubble effects. Arriving at the DIVRsite within the


Kalahari waterpark, I was fitted with a waterproof virtual reality mask, which consisted of two eyepieces, a large screen smart phone, speakers, and an attached snorkel to breathe through while in the water. A very helpful attendant, Nate Olsen, gave me a single-use mouthpiece that I placed on the end of the snorkel, and fitted me with a floatation belt around my waist. Tethered to an anchor at the bottom of the pool, the belt helped me keep comfortably afloat. Kalahari offered three different video experiences, with more planned in the


Having enjoyed amusement parks for years, I had come to understand that amusement rides are safe, not like the early days when riders rode at their own risk. No, today they are safe. I like to go fast, so I couldn’t imagine that even if I didn’t brake an alpine slide it would still remain safe. The cart would not overturn around curves. That would be unsafe. So there I was at Ober Gatlinburg, about to ride my first alpine slide. It was a warm summer day, and I was dressed in a cotton shirt and a pair of powder blue polyester shorts. I climbed aboard, determined to see how fast I could roll downhill. As I descended the hill I was picking up speed, going faster and faster. This was fun. Then, going around a sweeping turn, the cart went off the track, but I remained on the track, slowing to a stop after about 50 feet (15m). A funny thing happens when you slide on polyester. It melts from the friction. Covering my butt was a solid piece of blue polyester that merged into fabric. Did I mention? I also had brush burns under the polyester, and on my elbows. It was a shame, really, because I liked those shorts.


That was the day I learned that alpine slides, unlike roller coasters, don’t have up-stop wheels or guide wheels on the sides. They can come off the track, and with no restraints riders can come off the carts. Josef Wiegand developed the first mountain coaster in 1997, which he called an Alpine Coaster. These coasters, subsequently resolved the alpine slide problems by locking the cart to the rails and the rider to the cart. As a result they can safely be operated brake-free. Oh, well. Live and learn. Too bad he didn’t develop it sooner. I’d still have my powder blue shorts.


future. In the first I was swimming with ocean fish. I believe this is computer generated imagery, and as I turned my head left and right the scene changed appropriately. Then I thought I would test it to see if my hands and arms would appear if I waved them in front of my face; this is virtual rather than real reality, so they did not. At the end of the video I stood up and Olsen transferred a second, and later a


third video. These were fascinating, too. In one I was floating in outer space at an abandoned space station, watching the planets float by, and in the second interacted with a whale and an octopus back in the ocean. All the time there were four or five other guests in the pool, all tethered in place, enjoying their own adventures. So, what did I learn from this? For one thing, being weightless while


experiencing virtual reality enhances the experience. Second, DIVR is a sure-fire addition to any waterpark, indoors or outdoors. Third, while breathing through a snorkel tube, one should always keep the tube’s upper end above water.


SPRING PART 2 2021 MARCH 2020


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