Volume 3, No. 4. February 28, 2003
New
Arrivals
It’s
a water slide!
Aquaparc in Le Bouveret, Switzerland, announces the arrival of Tortuga's
Hurricane, February 14, 2003. Measurements: 16.9-meter-high (55 1/2-foot)
tower, 14.9 meter (49-foot) fall, 6.9-meter-diameter (22 1/2-foot) bowl, 45
to 60 second ride. Delivered by Whitewater West Industries.
The three-year-old indoor waterpark on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva scheduled
the ribbon-cutting ceremony for its latest addition on a Friday and informed
its annual pass holders that the body slide, Aquaparc’s first bowl slide,
a Whitewater West Superbowl, would be available for riding that day. More than
500 showed up, a significant number for a February Friday in Switzerland.
Keeping to a tradition that began with Aquaparc’s November 1999 opening,
the gala debut for Tortuga’s Hurricane featured two model citizens:
Miss Suisse Romande 2002, Emilie Boiron, and Mr. Switzerland 2002, Christophe
Engel. Miss Suisse actually took the first plunge, drumming up enough courage
to race down the enclosed flume from an indoor tower into the open-air bowl
and plopping into the splashdown pool where she recovered her wits quickly enough
to pose for press photographers. Such daring-do is simply part of the job description
of being selected a Miss anything.
Two other distinguished guests at the opening ceremony represented Aquaparc
at a major crossroads in its history: Olivier de Bosredon, chairman and CEO
of Grévin & Cie, which purchased the park January 21, and Blaise
Carroz, Aquaparc’s co-founder. Today is Carroz's last day at the park he
built and operated for three successful years. Tortuga’s Hurricane
is Carroz’s last stamp on his brainchild, and as he turned his developer’s
eye to new projects, he gladly placed his first-born in the hands of Grévin
& Cie, the Parc Asterix-foundation company that, with Aquaparc, now owns
11 attractions in western Europe.
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
©2003, Minton Enterprises
LLC
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