On March 9, 2011 the first flyer soared on the newest Skycoaster® at Wet’n’Wild Water World in Oxenford, Australia. That day fifteen year-old Stacey Licciardi of Cockatoo, Victoria was taken nearly 180 feet in the air before she pulled the ripcord, flew through the ride’s iconic arch and ushered in Skycoaster’s® Australian presence.
As the most-visited amusement park in Australia, this water park, located along the country’s famed Gold Coast was a natural spot for the first Skycoaster® on the continent. “This has been a great project for us,” said Mike Gutknecht, Director of Skycoaster®. “It was very challenging because we had to engineer a ride that met the region’s wind loads, which allow structures to withstand typhoon-force winds. However, our engineering team designed a guy wire system that met their wind requirements and it worked perfectly.”
The Wet’n’Wild Skycoaster® sits near the park’s wave pool and offers guests an adrenaline rush as they fly out over the property. “The placement of a Skycoaster® is critical and this park really has one of the most visually-engaging locations I have seen,” noted Gutknecht.
Bob White, the General Manager of Village Roadshow Theme Parks said, “The Skycoaster® has been a fantastic addition to Wet’n’Wild Water World. We chose this attraction as it not only offered a unique experience for our guests, but it suited the ‘fun and thrill’ theming of our water park environment perfectly. We have experienced very positive guest feedback from the Skycoaster®.”
Like all Skycoasters®, the Australia installation will follow Skycoaster’s® detailed safety program, which has made the attraction one of the safest in the amusement industry. Operational protocol includes an annual safety seminar and on-site certification, all of which is run by Skycoaster®.
“Our attraction is unique and therefore the way we go about training has always been different from other amusement rides,” said Jason Anderson, Skycoaster’s® Manager of Safety and Certification. “This isn’t a ride where the operator pushes a button; our operators are involved in harnessing a flyer so they can be pulled nearly 200 feet in the sky. It requires a different type of training and we believe our safety record proves that we have one of the best programs in the industry.”
The Skycoaster® offers a rush unmatched in Australia and can be seen from up and down the M1 Motorway. “With the great guest response we feel that this is just the first of many Skycoasters® in Australia. We look forward to the next one,” commented Gutknecht.
About Skycoaster®: Skycoaster® oversees the safety training of over 75 Skycoaster® attractions on six continents and the company is part of the Ride Entertainment Group (www.rideentertainment.com). The Ride Entertainment family of companies provides sales, service, and financial solutions to parks across the globe.