Today’s amusement parks have a range of vibrant attractions that thrill even the most seasoned riders. With new, record-breaking slides and coasters being installed more and more frequently, it’s difficult to surprise theme park aficionados.

But have you ever seen a water slide that looks like colorful, giant, rotating pretzel?

WhiteWater West’s SlideWheel combines the rotation of a Ferris wheel with the water-fueled propulsion of a water slide—and it’s coming to the Wisconsin Dells. That’s right: In 2021, Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park plans to install the first and only rotating water slide in the Western Hemisphere.

Ramaker will provide aquatic design and engineering services for the project, with construction scheduled to begin in the fall.

What is a SlideWheel?

Designed by WhiteWater West, a SlideWheel is a water slide consisting of twisting tubes that perpetually rotate like a Ferris wheel. Although this ride may look confusing—or impossible—to some passersby, the intricate tubing pattern is created by a single slide. If the slide’s knotted tubing were untangled, the attraction would look less like a carnival ride and more like a single, giant water slide.

A four-person, raft-based slide, the SlideWheel launches riders into its twisting, turning tubes every 30 seconds. Then gravity and momentum propel thrill seekers through the rotating flume. Over the course of this two-minute ride, rafts will reach speeds topping out at 25 miles per hour, making riders wonder which way is up.

With its unique design and exciting features, it’s no surprise that this attraction has already garnered global attention. The attraction won the IAAPA Impact Award, the TEA Thea Award, and the WWA Leading Edge Award.

Water slide projects in the Wisconsin Dells

Over the past three decades, Ramaker’s aquatic engineering team has established the firm as a trusted partner of waterparks in the Wisconsin Dells and across the nation. With award-winning projects at Kalahari Resort, Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park, Noah’s Ark Waterpark, and Wilderness Resort, among others, aquatic facilities and waterparks lean on Ramaker’s experienced engineers to deliver new and exciting experiences for their guests.

Have a new idea for your waterpark? Start a conversation with Ramaker today.