montezooma

We are restructuring our development team. Unfortunately, that’s all I can say at this time. This is exactly what I told the Vegas Inc. reporter. He took it upon himself to fill in the blanks to get a tawdry headline story. This is a good thing for the project and construction will be resuming shortly and Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas will be opening Spring 2014.

I have faith that some Vegas projects put on hold will see the light of day…It’s Vegas baby, anything can happen!

Please keep the updates coming!

Thanks to TPR, I have been on them all.

I guarantee you…I will NOT do anything ordinary!!!

Yes, both the family slides are RTM. What does RTM mean? Is it a manufacturer, or is it a production method? RTM is a fiberglass production method that uses injection into a two sided mold rather than spraying the fiberglass onto the mold. RTM allows for both the inside of the slide and the outside to be smooth and have the shiny finish. The older method is shiny and smooth on the inside but the outer side of the slide has a dull-surface that you can see the fiberglass fibers…does that make sense?

Yes, both the family slides are RTM.

Wet ’N’ Wild sure had a bumpy opening weekend, but lots of people in Las Vegas sure do want a water park…or two. Well we are still moving along on Cowabunga Bay, as a matter of fact most of our slides have now arrived on site. Translucent slide for the ZumaZOOMa drop slide Sections of the giant wave for the “Wild Surf” family raft slide

Ouch! That was a difficult and disappointing decision to make. I appreciate the comments and understanding. (not everyone is so nice…cough*facebook*cough) Our team, constructions crews and everyone involved with this project has worked so hard to try and meet our opening deadline and I truly appreciate everyone for trying. Unfortunately, some things are out of our control and it became apparent that to have opened the park this season would have meant opening at a level I was not comfortable presenting to our guests. I am very proud of the park and experience we created in Utah and this park was to be an extension of that. First impressions and guest experience are important to me which is why we decided to postpone the park until Spring of 2014. With this new timeline we will be able to complete our park with all attractions, a well-trained and friendly staff and most impotently a park I will be proud to bare the “Cowabunga Bay” name! I will continue to post updates and construction pictures as the park progress. Shane http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/22091165/cowabunga-bay-water-park-delayed-until-2014

What a great trip report. I love Polin and excited to be bringing several of their creative rides to Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas this summer!

Here's what has been going on at the construction site over the past week. With the majority of the underground work being completed the project has started to go vertical. Not yet on slides, as they majority of the containers holding the slides are just arriving at the Los Angeles port of authority, but on the administration, food and restroom buildings. The parking lot is also starting to take shape as well as the wave pool and lazy river. Only two months to go....lot's to be done and in a short amount of time. Here's the photo update: Hooray for my new office! Raise the roof! or at least the walls. The ticket windows can be seen in the forefront before being raised into place. More lazy river goodness parking lot is starting to take shape. Over 800 cars. Work is moving along nicely on "Bullwinkle's Boardwalk Grille"...have you tried the Rocky Mtn Turkey Club?!?!? 32,000 sq. ft. wave pool. ...and then there was light. Look at all those toilets. The main restroom/changing rooms, lockers and retail building walls will begin vertical construction this week. ready for some slides?

Yes, this place is huge. I have been used to my little 3 acre park in Utah...this location is 23 acres. I break a sweat just walking around the job site. But, it is really exciting to watch it come together. It will get really exciting when fiberglass begins to show up. Here are a few more construction shots. No we are not building an Intamin Rapids Ride but it looks as if it could be. The river will be 20 feet wide and around 1,500 feet long. Framing the roof (or floor) of the wave pool caissons. Plumbing begins on the splash down pool of the tube slide complex. I love these great surf cars that will be used as themeing around the park. Where do Cedar Fair trash cans go when they die? Cowabunga Bay of course. When Soak City SD sold to Sea World we got a great deal on all the trash cans. A little elbow grease and some fancy graphics and they look good (or even better) as new. 24" pipe that returns water from the shallow end of the wave pool back to the wave chambers. That's some MAJOR pipe laid.

Update picture from March 1. Still a ways to go but with crews working round the clock there are major changes every day.

1991 Condor lands

I had a dream about this great park last night. I sure miss hot summers at AstroWorld.

The Sunset Station is just across the freeway from the park but the Fiesta (more budget minded) and the Green Valley Ranch (top of the line) are also near by. PM me and I will give you a special Cowabunga Bay promo code for a great deal on rooms! I pretty much live at the Sunset, great place with nice rooms, Starbucks, Mexican and Italian restaurants and Margaritas to die for.

Here is an update and some construction pics. Hard to believe when you look at these pictures that we will be open this Summer. There is a ton of stuff going on underground. The parking lot has been completely graded as well as the wave pool, lazy river, slide splash pools and pump houses. They have also begun to carve out the area where the mat racer slide will descend below group before it makes its uphill finale. All of the plumbing, electrical and foundation work is now being done on the main administration building as well as the adjoining bathhouse. The buildings should begin to go vertical soon. Concrete is now being poured in the wave pool and it is rapidly beginning to take shape. Polin has manufactured 75% of the slides and there are a couple shipments in transit now. Fiberglass should begin to show up at the site mid-March. The excitement in the area is unbelievable. People drive by the site constantly honking their horns and driving by with "thumbs up." We have a deal with the local Station Casinos and one of the coolest things they are doing is coming up with a custom Cowabunga Bay slot machine!!! How cool is that? Here are some pics: My new offices for the next couple of months...trailer trash! digging a major hole for the downhill-uphill portion of the mat racer. plumbing, electrical and foundations begin for the main food service which will be called "Bullwinkle's Boardwalk Eats" Rebar being placed for the caissons of the wave pool. Here's a POV from the deep end of the wave pool. This will soon be buried in concrete. Yep, here comes the concrete. That's it for this update. More later. There is also some cool theme stuff we are working on. Here is before... And here is after.

From this ariel view of the park you can see construction is progressing quickly on our new site. The Lazy River, Wave Pool and several splash pools are beginning to take shape as well as building pads and parking lot.

As to be expected with all prototypes the Pipe Rider had its fair share of "breaking in." As a matter of fact we invested quite a bit just to work out the many kinks and keep it running. With that said, I must also say that it was hugely popular with the guests! We have been working with the manufacturer on fixing the problems and the improved version will be up and running at the beginning of the season.

Yes, you are correct. I took a little artistic license and flipped it so the logo would fit better. I didn't think anyone would notice. You can't slip anything by TPR.

Hey guys, I am really appreciating all the comments on the park. I will try to get around to answering some of your questions when I have a little more free time. WIth the big announcement o Tuesday I have been working all hours of the day to make sure we pull it off to perfection. However I do have a little time to share another exclusive preview look at more slides. These are the tubes slides. Oh did I mention that tubes will be FREE at Cowabunga Bay!

What the other renderings didn't show is the bridge that spans the slides' recessed area, so you will be able to stand on the bridge and watch them race under you. Coming from a starting point 55' about the ground and dipping an additional 10' below...all calculations seem to add up that you will make the uphill portion with ease.

Here is an exclusive first look at our multi matt racer slide to be named "Surfin' USA"

At this point in time I would venture to guess that you wouldn’t see anything going on at the park other that basic architectural drawing and gathering plans to be submitted to the building department. Most of the work would be taking place at Larson where the ride is being stored. I would assume that the ride would be repainted, trains refurbished and major repairs made on site and then shipped all pretty and new to the park for assembly sometime early next year.

I have to absolutely agree with Robb. Since the time Cowabunga Bay was in the design phase I had incorporated a speed slide drop into a champagne bowl future slide. Why? Because I am a thrill ride enthusiast and I wanted my park to have something high thrill. Year after year I wanted to put in this slide but the customers we attract and the surveys we did all pointed to Mom with her young kids and they wanted something different than what I did. So, this past season we made the decision to shift our expansion budget from the thrill slide to a Kids pool area and more shade. It paid off big time in the way of 20% attendance increase and 45% increase in Season Pass sales. Smart business decisions are made on what the majority of the market wants not the minority, even if that means it isn't a major new thrill ride. -Shane "who hopes to do more major things in Vegas” Huish