Wildebeest (ride)
| Wildebeest | |
|---|---|
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| Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | |
| Area | Splashin' Safari |
| Coordinates | 38°07′27″N 86°54′49″W / 38.1243°N 86.9136°WCoordinates: 38°07′27″N 86°54′49″W / 38.1243°N 86.9136°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Cost | US$5,500,000 |
| Opening date | May 7, 2010 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Water coaster |
| Manufacturer | ProSlide Technology |
| Model | HydroMagnetic Rocket |
| Course | Custom |
| Lift system | Conveyor belt lift hill and 8 uphill launches powered by linear induction motors |
| Height | 64 ft (20 m) |
| Drop | 38 ft (12 m) |
| Length | 1,710 ft (520 m) |
| Speed | 24.5 mph (39.4 km/h) |
| Max vertical angle | 45° |
| Capacity | 720 riders per hour |
| Duration | 2:30 |
| Boats | 14 boats. Riders are arranged 1 across in 4 rows for a total of 4 riders per boat. |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
 Single rider line available |
|
 Must transfer from wheelchair |
|
Wildebeest is a water coaster at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. It was designed and built beginning in 2009 by ProSlide Technology; it opened on May 7, 2010. Wildebeest is named after the African mammal, keeping with the water park's safari theme. When it was completed in 2010, Wildebeest held the record for the world's longest water coaster at 1,710 feet (520 m) long. It held that record until May 11, 2012, when Mammoth, Holiday World's second water coaster, took over the title at 1,763 feet (537 m) long. In 2010, Wildebeest was voted the world's "Best New Waterpark Ride" at the Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually by Amusement Today magazine. Wildebeest was also awarded the Golden Ticket Award for "Best Waterpark Ride" in 2010 and 2011.
On August 13, 2009, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari announced Wildebeest, a ProSlide HydroMagnetic Rocket that was to be built to the north of Bahari Wave Pool. Unique to Wildebeest was its use of a conveyor belt to transport riders uphill from ground level. This allowed riders unable to climb stairs to ride, unlike all other water coasters at the time. Another unique feature of Wildebeest was its length. When completed, the water coaster was 1,710 feet (520 m) long, making it the longest coaster in the world at the time (Holiday World's second water coaster, Mammoth, would later claim that title). During the construction of Wildebeest, producers from the National Geographic Channel's "World's Toughest Fixes" visited the park to document the progress.
Wildebeest opened on May 7, 2010. When the HydroMagnetic water coaster opened, it operated with fourteen 4-passenger boats. The riders in each boat are seated toboggan-style, rather than facing each other as on most traditional water slides.
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