From surfing to catching near five-foot waves to being blasted at top speeds in a water raft, it was anything but a typical winter day for the many who attended the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park Saturday.
“I like to call it a little Disneyland,” said Danielle Lankin, 13, who lined up an hour before the water park opened with her friend Lexi Jenkins, 14, so they could be the first ones of the opening day to try out the new rides.
“I’m just so overwhelmed because I’ve never been to a water park like this, and I had seen the pictures, but it’s just so much better than the pictures,” said Jenkins excitedly. “It’s just so fun, like I seriously can’t even explain it. It’s indescribable how awesome this place is.”
The water park is part of the $78-million Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre, which broke ground just over a year-and-a-half ago.
The pair agreed FlowRider was one of their favourites, which is a body boarding simulated surf experience that uses high-pressure jet-propelled water to create waves.
“I wiped out a lot, but that was all part of the fun,” said Larkin.
“My absolute favourite is the Python,” said Jenkins, referring to one of the water park’s massive water slides. Up to four riders zip through the twists and turns of the Python on a large water raft. At one point the tube goes outside of the building and then wraps back inside before chucking riders into the catch pool.
“At the end, there’s this big, huge drop and it feels like you’re going to die, but oh my gosh, it’s just so much fun,” said Jenkins.
The highly anticipated 45,000-square-foot water park is an impressive feat for the city, said project manager Don Sadler.
“It says this city is progressive, and we’re not down on our heels,” said Sadler. “Kudos to the mayor and council because they realized they needed to bring something downtown. How many times have we heard there’s nothing to do for kids? Well now there’s all kinds of things to do here.”
Aside from the FlowRider, Sadler said a big hit was the Wave Pool, which has a beach-entry design for easy access to some not-so-calm waters, with some waves reaching up to five feet high.
“It’s not a big wave pool, but I’m six-foot-four and that thing knocks me over, it’s so powerful,” said Coun. Drew Dilkens, who chaired the steering committee for the aquatic complex project.
Dilkens said he’s been to the Kalahari Resort in Ohio several times with his family – which is a popular destination for locals seeking a water park escape – but he said Adventure Bay is arguably better.
“I’d like to say that this is like a mini-Kalahari,” said Dilkens. “We’ve pulled a lot of the best elements from Kalahari and brought them here to Windsor.”
Dilkens said he personally tested out all the rides before Saturday’s opening and is looking forward to visiting with his family. He said Adventure Bay “packed a lot of fun into one space” and is one of the largest municipally-run water parks in all of Canada.
“There’s things at Adventure Bay that a lot of people will never have seen anywhere else,” said Dilkens. “If you’ve been to Kalahari, you’ll have seen a lot of these rides, but if you haven’t had a chance to go to Kalahari, or if you’ve only been to a Great Wolf Lodge, there are things here that you won’t find at any of those places.”
Jenkins and Lankin took time to recharge and enjoyed a leisurely float along the Lazy River. But only moments later, they were grabbing mats and jetting down The Whizzard, which is a three-lane thrill that has riders racing down colourful water-slick slides.
Jenkins said right when she walked through the doors alongside Lankin – before they had even dipped their toes in the water – she knew they were in for a good time.
“It’s just so colourful and bright and you can literally feel just such a great energy in here,” said Jenkins.
With Saturday’s grey skies and light flurries, the chance to throw on a bathing suit and splash in the tropically-themed water park was a welcome adventure, said both Jenkins and Lankin.
“It’s so great because even though it’s snowing outside right now, you can still have fun like it’s the summer,” said Lankin.
Some other highlights of Adventure Bay include: Master Blaster water slide, a rollercoaster-inspired ride that propels riders both uphill and downhill using a jet-propelled stream; Cannon Cove, which is a three-level dry area featuring air-powered cannons that shoot foam balls in the air; and for tiny water enthusiasts, the Tot Loch is an attraction with small slides and mini dumping bucket swings.
The aquatic complex was designed and built by EllisDon Corporation/DeAngelis Construction Inc. Adventure Bay’s debut comes after the competitive side of the facility – featuring a state-of-the-art 71.5-metre – was completed earlier this year and hosted to the 2013 International Children’s Games in August.
Tim Brady brought his two daughters Samantha, 6, and Lauren, 10, to check out the new water park and said they’ll definitely be returning.
“It’s awesome. We’ve taken the kids to Great Wolf Lodge and other competition and this is as good as anything else out there, but it’s not an hour and a half or two-hour drive, so it’s great,” said Brady.
While Samantha ran in circles around a spouting fountain in the Splash Zone, Lauren ranted and raved about how fun the Master Blaster was.
“My sister could not stop screaming,” said Lauren. “It was so much fun.”
Brady described their experience at Adventure Bay as “absolutely stellar” and is considering it as a venue for an upcoming birthday party.
“It’s just a really great time,” said Brady. “And after this we’ll probably go downtown and have some food and enjoy the core, which we don’t often have a chance to do. There wasn’t enough to do for families down here, but now with this there’s more than enough.”
Danielle Lankin, 13, rides a wave on the WaveRider at the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park in downtown Windsor, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
Sophia Butkovich, 10, rides a wave on the WaveRider at the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park in downtown Windsor, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
Kids take a ride on the Python at the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park in downtown Windsor, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
A young boy takes a ride the slide in the Splash Zone at the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park in downtown Windsor, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
A young boy walks up the stairs to take a ride on a water slide at the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park in downtown Windsor, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
Kids take a ride on the Master Blaster at the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park in downtown Windsor, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
Kids take a ride down the Whizzard at the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park in downtown Windsor, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
Gabriella Crow, 4, has fun with a water canon in the Wave Pool at the official opening of the Adventure Bay Family Water Park in downtown Windsor, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
