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Hopkins Rides

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Hopkins Rides
IndustryManufacturing
PredecessorO.D. Hopkins Associates, Inc.
Founded1962
FounderO.D. Hopkins
SuccessorHopkins Rides, Inc.
Headquarters
Palm City, Florida
,
United States[1]
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsAmusement rides, roller coasters
Websitewww.whitewaterwest.com

Hopkins Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in Palm City, Florida.[1] The company has produced amusement rides for over 45 years and currently focuses on water rides.

History

[edit]

In 1962 O.D. Hopkins incorporated Hopkins Engineering and started installing ski lifts for J.A. Roebling & Sons of Trenton, New Jersey.[2] In 1965 Hopkins purchased the ski lift division and all the related assets from Roebling & Sons. Soon afterwards a competitor, Universal Design Ltd., discontinued manufacturing Sky Rides, and their customers turned to Hopkins Engineering for parts.[2] Hopkins' first customer in the amusement business was Charles Wood of Storytown USA.

In 1971, the name of the company was changed to O.D. Hopkins Associates Inc. In 1979, Hopkins was approached by Paul Roads, owner of Wonderland Park (Texas), to build a reasonably-priced log flume for his park. The success of that project started Hopkins in the water ride manufacturing business.[2]

In November, 2001, O.D. Hopkins and Associates Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection. The aerial ropeway/sky ride division was spun off to Skyfair, Inc. on January 1, 1986. The company reorganized and emerged as Hopkins Rides, LLC in May 2002, and was for a brief time in partnership with Reverchon Industries of France.[3]

In August 2012 water slide manufacturer WhiteWater West acquired assets and intellectual property from Hopkins Rides, LLC. Although WhiteWater Attractions has adopted the Hopkins Rides technology, it is not a parent company to Hopkins Rides, LLC and the companies operate independently. WhiteWater sells its products under the Water Rides brand.[4][5]

Manufacturing

[edit]

The company originally manufactured Sky Rides, but in the 1980s, with the increase in popularity of their water-based attractions, those rides became the company's primary product. In addition to the water-based attractions, Hopkins built seven roller coasters from 1985 to 1996. They also occasionally made other amusement ride types such as a SkyGlider, tube slides, and a water jet ride known as an Aqua Drag. Santa's Village still operates its SkyGlider, and Wonderland Park still operates its Aqua Drag and SkyGlider in addition to its other Hopkins rides.

Hopkins also re-fabricated portions of track on two Arrow Dynamics-built coasters: Dahlonega Mine Train at Six Flags Over Georgia received 1,400 feet of new track and supports in 1986 and Canobie Corkscrew at Canobie Lake Park received new track and supports in 1990.[2]

The company currently focuses only on water ride attractions:

List of roller coasters

[edit]

As of 2019, Hopkins Rides has built 7 roller coasters around the world.[6]

Name Model Park Country Opened Status Ref
Texas Tornado Looping Coaster Wonderland Amusement Park United States United States 1985 Operating [7]
Polar Coaster Junior Coaster Story Land United States United States 1987 Operating [8]
Cliff Hanger
Formerly Red Devil		 Looping Coaster Ghost Town Village United States United States 1988 Closed [9]
Dragon Looping Coaster Adventureland United States United States 1990 Removed [10]
Desert Storm Looping Coaster Castles N' Coasters United States United States 1992 Operating [11]
Patriot Junior Coaster Castles N' Coasters United States United States 1992 Operating [12]
New Wild Mouse Coaster Wild Mouse Misaki Park Japan Japan 1996 Closed [13]

List of other attractions

[edit]

Flumes

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Unless otherwise specified, all flumes feature at least one lift and a drop into a splash pool.

Opened Name Park Notes Status
1980 Big Splash Log Flume Wonderland Park Elevated section Operating [14]
1981 Log Flume Hamel's Amusement Park Defunct [14]
1981 Log Flume Camden Park 2 drops Operating [14]
1981 Sawmill River Crystal Beach 2 drops, elevated section Defunct [14]
1982 Big Splash log flume Western Playland Elevated section Defunct [14]
1982 Policy Pond Canobie Lake Park 2 drops Operating [14]
1983 Yule Log Flume Santa's Village Operating [14]
1983 Mystery River Log Flume Frontier City Operating [14]
1984 Log Flume Seabreeze Operating [14]
1984 Log Flume Myrtle Beach Pavilion 2 drops, elevated section Defunct [14]
1984 Frightful Falls Holiday World Operating [14]
1984 Thunder Falls Log Flume Funtown Operating [14]
1985 Rocky Mountain Rapids Cliff's Amusement Park Elevated section Operating [14]
1985 Zoom Phloom Morey's Piers 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
1985 Log Jam Joyland Park Defunct[note 1] [14]
1989 Splash Mountain Disneyland 5 drops, elevated sections Defunct [14]
1989 Log Flume Great Basin Adventure at Rancho San Rafael Closed[note 2] [14]
1989 Log Ride Castle Amusement Park 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
1990 Flume Knoebels Amusement Resort 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
1991 Splashdown Castles N' Coasters 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
August 11, 1992 Log Chute Nickelodeon Universe 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
1992 Canyon Falls Log Flume Wonderland Pier Elevated section Operating [14]
1992 Log Jammer Kiddieland Amusement Park Elevated section Moved[note 3] [14]
1993 Splash Bosque Magico Operating [14]
1993 Bamboo Chutes Story Land Elevated section Operating [14]
1993 Log Flume Playland 2 drops Operating [14]
1994 Timber Wolf Howling Log Ride Timber Falls 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
1995 Jungle Log Jam Enchanted Kingdom 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
1995 Menhir Express Parc Astérix 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
1995 Thunder River Waldameer Park 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
1995 Log Flume Wonderland Family Fun Park (Dubai) Operating [14]
1996 Bali Festival Park 2 drops Closed[note 4] [14]
1998 Flume Ride Qingdao International Beer City 2 drops Defunct [14]
1998 Monkey Falls Ratanga Junction 3 drops, elevated section Defunct [14]
1999 Twin Mercury Space World 3 drops, elevated section Defunct [14]
1999 Log Flume Family Kingdom 2 drops Operating [14]
2000 Ozarka Splash Jazzland/Six Flags New Orleans 2 drops, elevated section Closed[note 5] [14]
2000 Old No. 2 Logging Company Magic Springs 2 drops Operating [14]
2001 Legend of the Labyrinth Lagunasia Park 2 drops Operating [14]
2001 Flume Tokyo Dome 2 drops, elevated section Operating [14]
2001 Race for Your Life Charlie Brown Kings Island Rebuild of 1968 Arrow flume Operating

Shoot the Chute rides

[edit]
Opening Date Name Park Height Status
1986 Splashwater Falls Six Flags Great America 50' Defunct [15]
1986 Splashwater Falls Six Flags Over Georgia 50' Defunct [15]
1987 Aquaman Six Flags Over Texas 50' Defunct [15]
1987 Splashwater Falls Six Flags Great Adventure 50' Defunct [15]
March 1988 Whitewater Falls Carowinds 50' Defunct [15]
1989 Timberwolf Falls Canada's Wonderland 50' Operating [15]
May 1991 Tidal Wave Six Flags St. Louis 50' Defunct [15]
1992 Water Rollercoaster – Splash Duinrell 50' Operating [15]
1992 The Wave Valleyfair 50' Operating [15]
1992 Tidal Wave Misaki Park 50' Operating [15]
1993 Shipwreck Falls Six Flags America 50' Operating [15]
1993 Pittsburg Plunge Kennywood 50' Operating [15]
1993 Splash Mitsui Greenland 50' Operating [15]
1993 Splash Reino Aventura/Six Flags México 50' Operating [15]
1994 Tidal Force Hersheypark 100' Operating [15]
1994 Mile High Falls Kentucky Kingdom 82.5' Operating [15]
1994 Super Splash Dream World 50' Operating [15]
1994 Adventure Falls Michigan's Adventure 50' Operating [15]
1994 Splash Boat Fuji-Q Highland 100' Operating [15]
1994 Shoot the Chute Nagashima Spa Land 100' Operating [15]
1997 Shipwreck Falls Elitch Gardens Theme Park 50' Operating [16]
1997 Skloosh! Knoebels Amusement Resort 50' Operating [16]
1998 Boston Tea Party Canobie Lake Park 50' Operating [16]
May 29, 1999 Flash Flood Noah's Ark Water Park 50' Operating [16]
April 7, 2000 Tidal Wave Thorpe Park 85.8' Operating [16]
2000 Tsunami Western Playland 50' Operating [16]
2000 Shoot the Chute[note 6] Wonderland Park (Texas) 50' Operating [16]
2000 Shipwreck Falls Geauga Lake 50' Relocated to Celebration City [16]
2001 Airship Surfing Guilin Merryland Theme Park 50' Operating [16]
2001 Playland Plunge[note 7] Playland (New York) 50' Operating [16]
2005 Spillway Splashout Jazzland 50' Closed [16]
2007 Niagara

(2017 Eldorado falls)

Mirabilandia (Italy) 100' Operating [16]
2008 Roaring Falls Celebration City 50' Closed [16]
May 24, 2012 Pirate Reef Legoland California 25' Operating [17]
Submarine Splash Gyeongju World/Kyongju World Operating

River Raft rides

[edit]
Opened Name Park Notes Status
1988 Rattlesnake River Raft Ride Wonderland Park 6-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1989 Dr. Geyser's Remarkable Raft Ride Story Land 6-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1990 Grand Canyon Dream World 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1990 Raging Rapids Holiday World 8-passenger rafts Closed [19]
1990 Renegade Rapids Frontier City 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1993 Arung Jeram Dunia Fantasi 6-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1993 Hydro Surge Myrtle Beach Pavilion 6-passenger rafts Defunct [18]
1994 Renegade Rapids Six Flags America 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1995 Disaster Canyon Elitch Gardens 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1995 Río Rápido Bosque Magico 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1996 Rio Grande Rapids Enchanted Kingdom 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1996 Thunder River Lake Compounce 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1997 Airship Surfing Guilin Merryland Resort 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1998 River Rafting Ride Wonderland (Dubai) 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1998 Rapids Raft Ride Happy Valley, Shenzhen 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1998 Qingdao International Beer City 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1999 Blizzard River Six Flags New England 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
1998 Wild River Canyon Lihpao Land 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
Haikou Tropical Ocean World 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]
Grand Canyon Adventure Gyeongju World/Kyongju World 8-passenger rafts Operating [18]

Super Flumes

[edit]
Opened Name Park Notes Status
1998 Log Flume Hamanako Pal Pal, Japan Operating [20]
April 1998 Daredevil Falls Dollywood Operating [21]
1998 Bugs' White Water Rapids Six Flags Fiesta Texas Operating [15]
December 26, 1998 Wild West Falls Adventure Ride Warner Bros. Movie World Operating [22]
1999 Wild-Crazy Flume Lihpao Land, Taiwan Operating [20]
2016 Thunder Falls Everland, South Korea Operating [23]

Notes

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  1. ^ Park closed in 2006, site is currently abandoned.
  2. ^ Park is open to the public but the rides do not operate due to lack of funds.
  3. ^ Flume was purchased by Little Amerricka, currently in storage.
  4. ^ Park closed in 2000, site is currently abandoned.
  5. ^ Park closed in 2005, site is currently abandoned.
  6. ^ Smaller ride with 12-passenger boats and narrower boat channel
  7. ^ Smaller ride with 12-passenger boats and narrower boat channel

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Contact Hopkins Rides". Hopkins Rides. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d Slade, Gary (November 1989), "O.D. Hopkins Enjoys Past, Anticipates Bright Future", Inside Track: 2–3
  3. ^ "O. D. Hopkins Building on the Block". Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  4. ^ "WhiteWater Acquires Hopkins Rides". WhiteWater West. August 23, 2012. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  5. ^ "WhiteWater acquires Hopkins". Park World Magazine: 6. September 2012.
  6. ^ Hopkins Rides - rcdb.com
  7. ^ Marden, Duane. "Texas Tornado  (Wonderland Amusement Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  8. ^ Marden, Duane. "Polar Coaster  (Story Land)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Cliff Hanger  (Ghost Town Village)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  10. ^ Marden, Duane. "Dragon  (Adventureland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  11. ^ Marden, Duane. "Desert Storm  (Castles N' Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  12. ^ Marden, Duane. "Patriot  (Castles N' Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  13. ^ Marden, Duane. "New Wild Mouse Coaster  (Misaki Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an Hopkins Rides, customer ride list-flumes
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u O.D. Hopkins 1994 Ride Catalog
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hopkins Rides, customer ride list-Shoot the Chute
  17. ^ MacDonald, Brady (May 27, 2012). "Review: Pirate Reef ride guaranteed to get you wet at Legoland". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Hopkins Rides, customer ride list-River Raft Rides
  19. ^ @holidayworld (June 14, 2023). "Tweet from Holiday World announcing closure" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ a b Hopkins Rides, customer ride list – Super Flumes
  21. ^ "Interesting Facts About Dollywood's Daredevil Falls" (PDF). Dollywood. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  22. ^ "Wild West Falls (Warner Bros. Movie World)". Parkz. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  23. ^ "Thunder Falls Now Open at Everland Resort". PGAV Destinations. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
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