Soak City (Kings Island)
| Soak City | |
|---|---|
| File:Kings Island Soak City logo.png | |
| Location | Kings Island, Mason, Ohio, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°20′20″N 84°16′25″W / 39.339°N 84.2736°W |
| Owner | Cedar Fair Entertainment Company |
| Opened | 1989 |
| Previous names | 1989: WaterWorks 2004: Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay 2007: Boomerang Bay |
| Operating season | May through September |
| Area | 35 acres (140,000 m2)[1] |
| Pools | 5 pools |
| Water slides | 30[1] water slides |
| Children's areas | 5[1] children's areas |
| Website | Official website |
Soak City is a water park at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. The water park is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and is included with the price of admission to Kings Island.
History
Soak City originally opened in 1989 as a 12-acre (4.9 ha) water park under the name WaterWorks featuring 15 water slides and a lazy river ride called Action River.[2] WaterWorks was the first new themed area to be added to Kings Island since 1976 bringing the total to seven. The cost was roughly $4 million USD.[3]
The water park was expanded in 1997 to 30 acres (12 ha).[4] It was renamed in 2004 to Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay and again in 2007 to just Boomerang Bay. On September 2, 2011 Kings Island announced that a $10 million dollar expansion would take place in the 2011-2012 offseason renovating the current Lazy River ride, adding a larger wave pool, modifying the main entrance, adding more amenities, and changing the name to Soak City.[5]
List of attractions
| Ride Rating System | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | Thrill | Description |
| 1 | Low | Calm and gentle ride or shallow water attraction |
| 2 | Mild | Low speeds with gentle transitions in motion and elevation. May involve water depth up to 48". |
| 3 | Moderate | Low to medium speeds with significant changes in motion or elevation. Water depth may vary quickly demanding some swimming skill. |
| 4 | High | Medium to high speeds with moderate to rapid changes in motion. Strong currents and/or deep water require body control and average swimming skill. |
| 5 | Aggressive | High speeds, aggressive force, turbulent currents, and/or rapid directional change. High level of body control and strong swimming skill recommended. |
| Name | Year Opened | Description | Ride Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aruba Tuba | 1997 | Children's inner tube slide and splash pool located in between Kangaroo Lagoon and Wallaby Wharf. Opened as part of Buccaneer Island (1997–2003). Known as Koala Splash (2004-2011) | 2 |
| Breakers Bay | 1997 | 36,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) heated wave pool with waves up to 4 feet (1.2 m). Known as Surfside Bay (1997-2003), Great Barrier Reef (2004-2011). | 3 |
| Castaway Cove | 1997 | Children's water play area with several water slides set on the side of a small hill. Opened as part of Buccaneer Island (1997–2003). Known as Wallaby Wharf (2004-2011) | 1 |
| Coconut Cove | 2004 | Lagoon-style pool complete with cascading waterfalls and in-water lounging areas. Known as Kookaburra Bay (2004-2011) | 1 |
| Lookout Lagoon | 1997 | Kids water play area set on a pirate ship. Has several slides and water cannons. Opened as part of Buccaneer Island (1997–2003). Known as Kangaroo Lagoon (2004-2011) | 1 |
| Mondo Monsoon | 2004 | A four-passenger, ProSlide Tornado that begins enclosed and ends in an open funnel. Known as Tazmanian Typhoon (2004–2011) | 5 |
| Paradise Plunge | 1989 | Four twisting body slides which descend into a splash pool. Known as The Helix (1989-2003), Down Under Thunder (2004-2011). | 4 |
| Pineapple Pipeline | 1989 | Three fully enclosed translucent fiberglass tube speed slides. Known as Bonzai Pipeline (1989-2003), Bondi Pipeline (2004-2011). | 3 |
| Pipeline Paradise | 1997 | Artificial FlowRider wave-surfing environment using high-output waterpumps to produce a stationary 2" sheet flow of water over a fixed, foam-padded surface. Known as Wipe-Out Beach (1997–2003), Pipeline Paradise (2004-2011). | 5 |
| Rendezvous Run | 2004 | The world's first 54-foot (16 m) high racing challenge with four competing slides. A Octopus Racer style ProSlide Riders start the ride on separate slides going different directions, taking a downward spiral in enclosed sections before merging onto a traditional Racer toward the end of the ride. Replaced FasTracks. Known as Coolangatta Racer (2004-2011) | 4 |
| Sand Volleyball | 2012 | 2 full sized Sand Volleyball courts. | - |
| Splash Landing | 2004 | Family-oriented, multi-level water fortress complete with slides, bridges, rope ladders, and a giant dumping bucket. Known as Jackaroo Landing (2004-2011). | 2 |
| Splash River | 1989 | A 0.25-mile (0.40 km) inner tube lazy river ride featuring raindrop mushrooms, geysers, and a waterfall. It is scheduled to receive an update in 2012 featuring new waterfalls, water effects, and spectator areas that allow interaction with riders. Known as Kings Mills Run (1989-2004), Crocodile Run (2004-2011). | 2 |
| Thunder Falls | 1989 | Two single-person inner-tube slides featuring sharp curves and sudden drops 42 feet (13 m) Formerly known as just Sidewinder(1989-2003), Sydney Sidewinder (2004-2011) | 3 |
| Tidal Wave Bay | 2012 | 42,000-square-foot (3,900 m2), 650,000 Gallon Wave pool. | 4 |
| Tropical Twister | 1989 | Two fully enclosed translucent fiberglass tube body slides that twist around each other. Known as Ultra Twister (1989-2003), Awesome Aussie Twister (2004-2011). | 4 |
| Zoom Flume | 1989 | A 700-foot family innertube raft ride. Known as Rushing River (1989-), Known as Snowy River Rampage (1990-2011) | 4 |
Safety
Soak City also features highly trained lifeguards that must complete the Ellis and Associate International Lifeguard Training Program and stay current with a monthly in-service test.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Compare For Yourself". Kings Island. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ Cincinnati Magazine. 22 (8). Emmis Communications: 31. May 1989. ISSN 0746-8210 http://books.google.com/books?id=J-sCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31&dq=%22kings+island%22+%22waterworks%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=thvvTtjgCYnv0gGdvMCmCQ&ved=0CFgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%22kings%20island%22%20%22waterworks%22&f=false. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Kings Island Water Park To Open". Wanderlust. Kokomo Tribune. April 3, 1989. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ "Kings Island History - Timeline". KICentral.com. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ "Kings Island to expand water park in 2012". WHIO-TV. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- ^ "Boomerang Bay FAQ". Kings Island. Retrieved 17 June 2011.