esvadj Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) VIRGINIA BEACH -- Ocean Breeze Waterpark is under new management. The Virginia Beach attraction has been acquired by former Six Flags executives Kieran Burke and Gary Story, officials announced Thursday. "Ocean Breeze is an iconic part of Hampton Roads and we intend to invest our resources and energy in making the popular water park even more exciting,” Kieran Burke said in a press release. Plans are being made for a multi-year redevelopment program; some of the work will begin this year, including a multi-million dollar expansion to improve quality and variety of attractions, officials added. Burke and Story respectively served as Six Flags’ Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer for more than 10 years. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. source: http://www.wvec.com/news/local/New-owners-for-Ocean-Breeze-Waterpark-in-Va-Beach-114271689.html ADMIN EDIT: I went ahead and updated the title and subtitle to use proper capitalization. Please be sure to check for this in the future. Other than that, thanks for sharing this with us! Edited December 1, 2011 by esvadj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astroworldfan1 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Oh my..Expect the water park to shut down and get torn down in a few years if Kieran Burke is at the helm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shavethewhales Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 They've done a pretty good job running Nashville shores, haven't they? Maybe the small water park biz is what Burke and Co. is made for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboard83 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I don't know what to think of this news. Ocean Breeze is a fantastic mid-size waterpark with some unique slides and CHEAP BEER. Great atmosphere as well. I hope none of this gets messed up with the multi-million dollar investment. I would say this is probably good news overall though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 They've done a pretty good job running Nashville shores, haven't they? Maybe the small water park biz is what Burke and Co. is made for. This is exactly what I was thinking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esvadj Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Here is another story from the local news last night. WAVY News story The video has a brief interview with Kieran Burke and some footage of the waterpark in "winter mode." The plan are for a MAJOR announcement in February. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFA Regular Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I'm happy to hear this. I'm a fan of Kieran Burke. He did good in adding popular attractions to Six Flags parks. Him and Gary Story will do very good with this water park. The Virginia Beach area is in need of a decent theme park area. Other than the beach, I normally go to motor world or walk threw some of the haunted houses. A good water park with state of the art attractions, will attract more people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esvadj Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Kieran Burke was in Virginia Beach today for another press conference. VIRGINIA BEACH-- The 'humongous' changes coming to Ocean Breeze Waterpark rival the size of the giant gorilla statue guarding it. There will be a new water slide that combines four different shoots. Three of the four have been named "best in the world" by the amusement park industry. "They're called 'surprise adventure tubing,' which means you never know what's coming. Twists and turns, drops and funnels where you oscillate back and forth and then drop back down into the slide, going in and out of tunnels," said Brian Baker, general manager of Ocean Breeze. The wave pool is getting reconfigured and a new Caribbean theme will highlight the park. "It's just part of the infrastructure changes and the ambiance changes so that when you come out to the park, it not only looks and feels different, there is more to do and more to enjoy," said Kieran Burke, Ocean Breeze's new owner. The kids' area is also getting a facelift with a whole new area known as Hook's Lagoon. "On top, it has a tipping bucket that fills with water and drenches everyone and anything standing below it. We think children and parents alike are going to be very excited about it. I know I look forward to bringing my children to it," said Baker. This multi-million dollar facelift is only the start according to the new owners. The season ticket price will remain at $59.99 and there will still be free parking. The architectural changes and thew new rides will all be ready in time for opening this season on May 27. source : http://www.wvec.com/news/local/Ocean-Breeze-Waterpark-New-Attractions-118932009.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 According to the press release, the new slides are being done by ProSlide- and they do sound quite nifty all over- Here's the link to the PDF press release from Ocean Breeze: http://www.oceanbreezewaterpark.com/venues/0/Ocean%20Breeze%203%2030%2011%20Capital%20Improvements%20Press%20Release_docx(1).pdf I'm curious to see how this plays out- In the 90s when I went to college there, Ocean breeze was a leftover reminant park- it had a lot of potential, but didn't do much over the six years I was in college. I do remember visiting there in mid 2000 when a Spinning Mouse had been assembled on site- I missed riding it by a few weeks, though- Good Luck to Ocean Breeze- I hope this starts a new trend there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfoot12 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I haven't been to this park in about 20 years. I think it was originally called Jungle Falls. They then expanded around 1985 and changed the name to Wild Water Rapids. Around 1987-88 Motor World was added and the whole location changed its name to Ocean Breeze. I wonder if the original slides from when I went in the early 80's still stand. I do remember the big gorilla, Humongous, standing outside the parking lot but they took him down at some point and you could see him rusting/rotting away in a field. Did they bring Humongous back at some point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saldek Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 ^They brought "Hugh Mongous" back after they dismantled him but in 1989 some pyromaniac lit him up and burned him to the ground. So he was gone for a year or so but they rebuilt him. Here's an article about his destruction: http://media.hamptonroads.com/cache/files/images/blogs/69451.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esvadj Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Here is a link to a story with video and pictures: http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/Ocean-Breeze-unveils-improvement-plans Looks like a great addition, and I can say I am looking forward to trying it this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 They've done a pretty good job running Nashville shores, haven't they? Maybe the small water park biz is what Burke and Co. is made for. This is exactly what I was thinking... They have actually done a good job so far with Nashville Shores. I was pretty shocked last year after the MEGA flood which engulfed the park for weeks that they had it back open in no time and with the new wave pool and lazy river open too. This year they're adding Kowabunga Beach featuring an interactive play structure and tipping bucket which with the theming VERY much reminds me of a certain TPR member's water park in Utah...ahem. Guess they know success when they see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esvadj Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 Just announced more expansion plans for 2012: Virginia Beach, Virginia (December 1, 2011) – Just one year after the largest expansion in park history, which included a giant new multi-slide complex and a vastly expanded children’s play area, Ocean Breeze Waterpark is adding a new section anchored by another blockbuster attraction for the 2012 season. The multi-million dollar expansion, which will include an exciting adventure river ride will be ready by opening day 2012. The new development will comprise more than 3 acres and will host a huge 1,000 foot long and 15 foot wide river with waves and numerous interactive features. The previously undeveloped acreage will also contain several amenities to enhance the guest experience, including an expansive bar and grill, a spacious deck area for relaxing and eating, cabanas and new restrooms. “We added two fantastic attractions last year with Neptune’s Revenge 4-slide complex and Hook’s Lagoon to transform Ocean Breeze and provide more fun and excitement for families,” said Brian Baker, general manager of Ocean Breeze. “By adding an interactive attraction like the Adventure River, a visit to Ocean Breeze Waterpark will be even more memorable and fun for guests of all ages.” Here is the link to the press release that has a little bit more info: http://www.oceanbreezewaterpark.com/venues/0/Ocean%20Breeze%20Waterpark%20Adventure%20River.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O-Town77 Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 They've done a pretty good job running Nashville shores, haven't they? Maybe the small water park biz is what Burke and Co. is made for. This is exactly what I was thinking... This year they're adding Kowabunga Beach featuring an interactive play structure and tipping bucket which with the theming VERY much reminds me of a certain TPR member's water park in Utah...ahem. Guess they know success when they see it. Kowabunga Beach..... Hmmmm..... Cowabunga Bay........ Can you say ripoff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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