Themed Entertainment Association to award WhiteWater’s Slideboarding initiative

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is to present WhiteWater with its Thea Award of Outstanding Achievement – Technology on a Limited Budget for the ‘Slideboarding’ video game waterslide.

For over 20 years the TEA’s Thea Awards have brought recognition to achievement, talent, and personal excellence within the themed entertainment industry.

A remarkable innovation, Slideboarding places riders into a video game - as they race down the slide path, riders ‘hit’ coloured targets using the corresponding buttons on their rafts. The leaderboard displays riders’ scores and handles, and they can unlock levels, moving up in difficulty-level as they progress through the game. Operators can access valuable ride data to track performance and customer engagement through the dashboard.

WhiteWater’s Director of Creative Design, Rick Briggs, was thrilled with the recognition, “I’m immensely proud of the recognition that Slideboarding has received with the Thea Award for Technology recipient.

“It represents a significant endorsement of the product, by the most creative and forward thinking people from within our industry, who form the TEA members.

“We’ve layered interactivity and technology to create a totally new immersive sliding experience with Slideboarding, and this award recognizes how innovative that is.”

Since launching Slideboarding, WhiteWater has continued to make improvements to the overall ride experience by coming out with Slideboarding 2.0.

Aaron Mendelson, WhiteWater Product Manager, Slideboarding adds “Slideboarding 2.0 takes gaming in a waterslide to the next level.

“We’ve been busy creating an updated gaming system that allows for more repeat rides from each guest by motivating them to continue to play and ride.

“We have made the experience much more intuitive by providing guided help at any point throughout the experience. Tutorial videos are also included that provide pinpointed education on the specific point within the game the rider is in.

“For example, if a rider is just starting the game, tutorial videos will allow for complete understanding of how to play Slideboarding and what to expect on Level 1. If a rider is on level 2, the tutorial videos will provide education specific to Level 2.

“Separate from the game enhancements, we’ve made upgrades under the hood as well. We’ve optimised and made the Slideboards more robust and stable.

“We’ve changed the design of the base inflatable to allow for easier launching and smoother riding. We’ve also created a lighter vehicle that is easier to carry. The targets have also been upgraded and have been tested through extremely harsh conditions. The LEDs that are used meet the strictest performance standards. And lastly, each target is comprised of 960 pixels and controlled from a state-of-the-art controller. Slideboarding 2.0 is bigger and better than ever before.”

The 23rd Annual Thea Awards Gala is being held at Disneyland Hotel, Grand Ballroom, Anaheim, Florida, USA on 22nd April.

Click here to contact WhiteWater West via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

Images: A young girl finishing her turn (top), slideboards leaning against a fence (middle) and a young boy entering the Slideboard game (below).

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