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Any waterpark specialists around?


NegativeGLover

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Calling any waterpark specialists or historians, or anyone that can help me out. I'm trying to find a defunct waterpark that was located in the Windy Hill section of Myrtle Beach,SC. The park's name was Mount Olympus, and it was a relatively small park (in the neighborhood of 6 slides or so).

 

Myrtle Beach has long been a favorite place for my family to vacation, being as we are from WV it seems like the thing to do. We always used to try and visit at least one waterpark during the week to have some fun. Myrtle Waves was always nice, and the Windy Hill Waterboggan was ok too (especially the Pipeline coaster!), but of all the places, Mount Olympus reigns supreme to me. The slides they had simply were the wildest most of out control slides I've ever encountered. At least, I think they were, me being very young at the time might not have helped. The park I believe stood somewhere near where the Chuck-E-Cheese/Kroger's area is now (not sure of this), and the park was torn down close to 15 years ago from my memory.

 

I tried looking the internet over and over for pics/brochures etc. I would love to have any info on this place, as its a great childhood memory. My family only has one or two pics of the place, and they suck as far as quality go. I was also too young to be in my brochure collecting phase. I tried looking on several Myrtle Beach forums, and had no luck, and the person I talked to at the Chamber of Commerce wasn't too helpful either. Any help anyone can give me as far as getting info on the place would be greatly appreciated. Thanks !

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I would consider myself sort of a water park specialist, but not in parks that are no longer operating. I do know a lot about how parks function and a lot about slides and the such.

 

But sorry I do not know anything about that particular park. Hopefully you will be able to find some more information out.

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I remember Mt. Olympus very much.

 

I grew up in Myrtle Beach and often frequented Olympus. You remember correctly that it was located about 3 blocks off of the bypass in North Myrtle Beach. At the time there was a small amusement park on the corner which held a small woodie called "These United States". I never rode it as a youngster, but always stared at it as we drove past it to Mount Olympus.

 

Check it : http://www.rcdb.com/ig2532.htm?picture=1

 

Anyway, on to M.O. As I recall it, there were only 3 slides from the top of the mountain. They varied from beginner, to intermediate to advanced. I do remember that a lesser slide broke into the advanced slide halfway down the mountain. I never really picked up on how they kept people from colliding with sliders from above, but I never remember a problem occuring. All the slides came together into one pool at the bottom. There may have been a tiny slide for the kiddies, but I don't recall.

 

My aunt and uncle have a huge house a few blocks from that and my dad's side of the family gather for Christmas there. We drive right down that road every year and I look at the lot which is razed completely to the ground and is flat as a pancake. Ahh, memories... like the corners of my mind.

 

Hope that helped. 8)

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I remember seeing three water slides at one place a long time ago in Myrtle Beach. I remembered thinking what a small park, maybe im thinking of a different place. Anyone remember the Waterboggan place? With the rollercoaster and coconuts that fell on peoples heads?? I dont think it closed down too long ago. I think there were two, one at each end of the beach.

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Home G - That helped a LOT ! Now, do you know where I could track down and pics of this place ??? I was trying to remember how many slides there were, but 3 sounds like it could be right. I especially remember the 3 levels of intensity, and for some reason I was thinking there were two "advanced" slides, and one was named Wild Thing. I know it was a small park, but the memories of flying down those slides on the old foam mats remains a huge memory to me...

 

And as for the Waterboggan ? I fondly remember it, and have some pics and stuff of it somewhere back home. There were three body tube slides, one was a small straight drop that I would run around to time after time. None of their other slides really did it for me that much, so I would stick to that slide and the Pipeline coaster. Man those places sure brought some good memories... (I talk about this like I'm an old man when I'm only 23, I cant imagine what I'll be like at 30)

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I can fondly remember the Water Boggan park. It had three dark blue body slides that replaced the Rampage sleds when they took them out. There were also about 4-5 regular slides which required a mat to go down. I know there was a small putt-putt place beside the Water Boggan, as well as a small arcade in the lobby of the place. I can also recall a batting cage somewhere close by, and if I remember right there was a driving range somewhere close by. Not sure if this is the place you were thinking of or not...

 

Mount Olympus definately only had 4 slides or so, and was very very small. I can definately remember that it was a man made and near the small amusement park that Homey G had stated. I cant remember many of the details about it though

 

There was also a Water Boggan down in the south end of Myrtle Beach, but I never went there, only drove by it, so I'm not sure what all kinds of slides they have... I have some pictures and brochures somewhere back home of the water boggan places burried in my collection, I might have to dig them out and take a look.

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  • 2 years later...

Oh how I remember these things.....

 

There were several great slides all up and down the Grand Strand....If my memory serves correctly...

 

Water Boggan - South End across the street from the Grand Prix. Three slides, with one charging under a wooden bridge which lead to the top of the slides. Blue concrete with yellow trim. And those rubbery mats...good stuff. Later they added a Rampage slide near highway 17....I dont think that admission to the Rampage Slide was included with the price of admission

 

Water Boggan - Windy Hill across from one of the greatest mini golf courses on the strand....Jungle Golf. This park had three slides as well, with much better layout than the south end WB. Later they added two rampage slides, which were replaced by three blue enclosed tubular slides. Then, a few years before closing, they added the pipeline coaster. Nice addition to a small waterpark.

 

Wild Rapids - Downtown Myrtle Beach. Directly across from what is now the Magic kingdom and Swamp Fox coasters. This was one of the first fiberglass slides on the Strand, and if im correct, one if not the only slide located directly on the beach. Originally used rubber mats, but then switched to inflatable inner tubes. Also one of the first parks on the beach to have camelback hump slides and tower slides. I think this is now owned by Sea mist Resort...I may be mistaken though.

 

Magic Mountain - Garden City/Surfside - Next to Magic Harbor. I think this park fell through the cracks along with Magic Harbor. Great park with BRIGHT YELLOW fiberglass slides (3) with rubber mats. They also added a rampage slide towards the end of the parks existence to keep up with the waterslide "jonses" along the beach. I think Rampage was included with admission. Used heavily by the Ocean Lakes/Pirateland crowds.

 

Its very sad to see most of these parks go. Gone are the days of sliding double, head first on a rubber mat towards a 3 foot pool of warm chlorine bleached water. I can honestly say that if these parks were still in existence, I would most likely have more fun there than the large, commercial parks (Myrtle Waves, Wild Water and Wheels). But with time, so comes progression. Thanks so much for this thread. It brought back a lot of memories. I have some old brochures from back in the late seventies and early eighties. I think I have a few from these parks. If I find them, I will try and scan them in and upload them.

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  • 2 months later...

The Water Boggan got it's original start at Lake Myers Family Campground in Mocksville, NC . My Uncle, Dwight Myers, built it in the mid 70's. It was a basic hill with a concrete flume through it. It was such a success, he knew that he had something on his hands.

I want to believe that he built the one in South Myrtle beach first. My Parents were asked to manage the park in 1980. I have a picture of me and my sister standing by the sign on Hwy 17 (That never changed in 25 years) and there are actually trees. A sight not seen anymore in M.B.

We moved there and lived in a mobile home behind the slide. You could see it from the top of the hill.

Dwight went on and built the North Myrtle location later. It was a bit bigger and better. The South Myrtle location had 3 flumes made of concrete. The center lane was the center piece of the attraction. It's start was under the 8' waterfall at the top of the hill. And yes, one lane did go under a bridge. Tickets were for on hour to the slide. Rarely did people slide 1 hour. Who wants to walk up that hill for an hour?

 

The Rampage was built a few years later-perhaps 1984? You could buy a combo pass that allowed you entrance to both. The Rampage wasn't for the faint of heart! 50' tower with a 45 degree slide into a landing pool. I remember we use to go down with out a sled. It was brutal on your butt! But when you're a kid, who cares?

 

We moved in the late 80's. The park had a string of bad management afterwards. To best of my memory, Dwight got into an argument with the city of M.B. To piss them off further, he closed the park and let it sit in disrepair for a few years. The land that it sat on was a 30 year lease by the city of M.B. They tore it down when the lease was up.

 

I haven't been back in years. I was rather upset to learn that it was torn down. After all, it was my childhood playground. I now live in CT and my folks in NC.

 

The memories that I have from that place are some of the best! It had it's ups and downs (literally) though. My friends thought that it was so cool to live there. I thought it would be cool to live in neighborhood with other kids. But having an empty parking lot in the winter to ride bikes, and go-carts later, was awesome! And I always went fishing in the pond that was behind it.

 

If anyone is making a real documentary about this, I can get more info about the dates, etc. for factual regards.

 

Feel free to ask any questions. I'll try to answer them the best I can.

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I dont think that people only slid for an hour because of the hill.......Probably because their butt and legs were bloody from the concrete cheese grater!

 

Too much fun...

 

The NMB location changed a bit over the years, but the SMB location hardly changed at all, with the exception of the Rampage.

 

I just remember the Windy Hill location getting several facelifts, from two rampage slides, to three tube slides, to the little roller coaster. Just great to hear from someone who knows so much about the the greatest waterslides in the the history of the the Grand Strand....

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  • 1 month later...

We went to Mt Olympus a few times back in the 70's when we used to stay at the old Cabana Terrace.. But I'm positive it was not in Windy Hill but was located on Main Street in the Ocean Drive section. Now every time we drive by the lot where it was located, I always point it out. There is a real estate or insurance office or something like that there now. The "amusement park on the corner" was located up the road just a little ways where the Kroger's is now..I believe it was called the Sun Fun Amusement Park. The sickest I have ever been in my life was on the tilt a whirl there.

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  • 5 years later...

This thread has been inactive for some time but I just stumbled upon it. I have been going to Myrtle Beach frequently for over half a century. I remember the golden era of small waterparks with a few slides (replaced nowadays by the 3 big parks). On one of my trips with a friend I made it a point to count the waterparks on the entire 60-mile Grand Strand. There were over 20 (it seems like it was 22 or 24). I wish I have recorded more details, like name and location, but unfortunately I just counted.

 

Bobby G

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  • 3 weeks later...

I worked at the Water Boggan across from the Air Force Base in the summer of 78 and 79 between my sophomore and junior years at college. Those were great summers with wonderful memories! I remember Dwight Myers well as I cut grass at his house and drove him to the airport when he flew his plane. Quite a character. I went back the summer of 80 and a family member was managing the park and I was not hired that year. I ended up working across the street at "Geronimo Trooper"! That was the original "zip line". Several employees talked the owner into adding a fountain that you would go through when you jumped. Another great summer!

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  • 9 months later...

I am not a water park expert, but I AM an expert on Mt. Olympus in NMB. I helped complete construction on that waterslide, and then supervised the three main slides, as well as the "kiddie cave", for three years subsequently. Oh, there are stories to tell!

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  • 6 months later...
  • 2 years later...

Did the Myrtle Beach people own any other waterparks outside of South Carolina?I had been to 2 waterparks that were very similar-one in Miami(around 1980) and one in Rehoboth in 1983.The Miami one just had a couple of concrete waterslides built into a manmade hill;the Rehoboth one had that and a rampage slide.

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