Waterark Expansion Project Announced

3/2/2012

MIDDLEBURY, Conn. – “Saturation Station,” the popular waterpark at Quassy Amusement Park here, is going to spring a major leak. Four new attractions will be added to the facility for the 2013 season - nearly doubling the size of the waterpark, Quassy officials announced today. Construction is expected to start late this summer. “We’re excited about moving forward with our plans to expand ‘Saturation Station,”’ said Quassy President Eric Anderson. “The waterpark has been extremely popular and we will be able to provide even a more memorable experience for all of our guests with these new elements.” Three huge waterslides will be at the heart of the project: a BulletBOWL™ tube slide and two FreeFALL™ bodyslides, all from ProSlide Technology Inc. of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Quassy will also install what it has named “Splash Away Bay,” a 2,000-square-foot Vortex Splashpad ® by Vortex Aquatic Structures International Inc., Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada. “’Our guests have requested a water play area just for the toddlers, and ‘Splash Away Bay’ will be just that,” noted George Frantzis II, a park owner. All of the new attractions will be located adjacent to the existing “Saturation Station” modular water play area and waterslides. The empty parcel to be developed, overlooking Lake Quassapaug, was occupied by the “Monster” mad mouse roller coaster, which was dismantled at the conclusion of the 2010 season. About The Attractions The BulletBOWL is a two-person tunneled tube ride that will drop more than 30 feet and travel more than 210 feet. When the tube emerges from the tunnel it is sent spinning into a gigantic bowl where speed and centrifical force keep the riders glued to the outside of the bowl. As the tube circles and slows down, it plunges into the center of the bowl and exits into a landing trough. The ride will have a capacity of more than 300 persons per hour with a minimum height requirement of 48 inches to participate. As of February of this year, 14 BulletBOWL installations existed worldwide. The FreeFALL slides, which will share the same loading platform with the bowl tube ride, are also known as “extreme” bodyslides. ProSlide revolutionized speed slide design in 1991 with the advent it its narrow, u-shaped fiberglass flume profiles. Quassy’s two new bodyslides will each be more than 140 feet in length with riders traveling at rates of more than 20 feet per second. The two flumes will accommodate more than 300 riders per hour with a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. Riders will come to a stop in runoff troughs. “These new slides will take Quassy’s waterpark to the next level – adding more value to the guest experience,” Anderson noted. For The Kids “Splash Away Bay” will be located next to the new waterslides and has been designed as a play area strictly for younger children. A multitude of attractions will be incorporated into the area including a rainbow spray tunnel, geysers and themed hands-on water play elements. “We envision this being an extremely popular play area for youngsters – especially toddlers,” Frantzis said. “It will be very parent-friendly so the adults can easily keep an eye on their children. It’s not an attraction for older children, but geared toward those under 8-years-old.” M.E. O’Brien & Sons Inc. of Medfield, Mass., is the regional distributor of the Vortex products to be used at “Splash Away Bay.” Anderson and Frantzis, owners who oversee daily operations at Quassy, said construction of the new attractions will continue throughout the fall and winter with an official opening slated for Memorial Day weekend of next year. The waterpark expansion is part of a multi-year projected $5 million improvement plan initiated by the park in 2009. The first phase was completed in 2010 with the addition of the Free Fall ‘N drop tower from Italian ride manufacturer SFB. Quassy officials did not put an estimated dollar value on the waterpark expansion, but did note that additional seasonal staffing would be added once the attractions are completed. The project is being financed by TD Bank. The park employees more than 300 seasonal workers during its April to October run. About The Waterpark “Saturation Station” opened in the spring of 2003 adjacent to Quassy Beach at the 20-acre amusement park. The modular water play area was the first SCS Interactive WaterColors ™ installation in the world and featured more than two-dozen ways to get drenched. SCS Interactive, of Englewood, Colo., has installations worldwide. Water cannons, cascading fountains and a huge dumping bucket on the center tower made the new waterpark an immediate success. It also incorporated two family waterslides from ProSlide Technology. In 2006, Quassy added two huge Tunnel Twister ™ waterslides from Proslide to further bolster the growing demand for attractions within “Saturation Station.” About Quassy Quassy Amusement Park opens for its 104th season on April 28. The park features more than two-dozen rides and attractions, including the “Wooden Warrior” roller coaster, which made its debut in 2011. The coaster has won numerous awards since its opening, including being named Attraction of the Year by the theme park enthusiasts’ Web site Behind The Thrills. It is also rated among the top 50 roller coasters in the world, according to trade publication Amusement Today. New for 2012 will be the “Crazy Cups” family tea cup ride located in Carousel Court. The ride will feature six family-sized spinning tea cups on a rotating platform. The “Crazy Cups” attraction is being manufactured by Italian ride maker Zamperla. The park also has a restaurant, redemption arcade, games and live entertainment. Birthday parties, catered outings and other events are currently being booked for the summer season through the park office at 203-758-2913. For more information about Quassy Amusement Park visit www.quassy.com.