King Cobra unleashed on U.S.

By | July 26, 2012

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor becomes home to first King Cobra waterslide in the United States

Jackson, N.J. — The King Cobra may not be native to the United States. But the king-sized snake-themed waterslide from Polin Waterparks and Pool Systems (Istanbul, Turkey) recently slithered into a new home there in New Jersey. On July 24, the extreme racing waterslide unleashed its venomous fury on guests at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, enticing them with stomach-churning speeds and adrenaline-pumping drops.

Finding New Habitats
Polin, a world leader in the aquatics industry-installed the first King Cobra waterslide in Europe before exporting the massive serpent to Turkey and Russia. This year, in addition to the New Jersey installation, the company—which has designed, manufactured and installed waterparks in 80 countries around the globe—will create new habitats for the sinuous slide in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Sohret Pakis, Polin’s Marketing Manager, said: “We knew that waterslide fans were greatly anticipating when King Cobra would be introduced in the United States. The ride had already gotten a lot of attention and interest from fans in other parts of the world. The question was, who would be the first to offer this unique ride in the U.S.?” Polin was pleased to work out an arrangement for Six Flags Hurricane Harbor to be that site. “We are very excited about King Cobra’s first U.S. installation,” Pakis said. “We are so glad and proud that it is Six Flags Great Adventure.”

Together, Six Flags Great Adventure, Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor create America’s largest regional theme park. Hurricane Harbor waterpark, located on 45 acres, features more than 20 high-speed thrill slides, a family water playground, a million-gallon wave pool and a half-mile-long leisure river.

A Menacing Impression
Polin’s supersized cobra version is no less threatening than the real one. Bold red, black and white scales provide an imposing veneer over the exterior and interior of the slide’s massive 50-foot (15.24-meter) height and 260-foot (790-meter) length.

The core feature of King Cobra is its unique configuration that enables two riders to race along a circular path filled with twists, turns and surprises. Water pressure of 3,875 gallons (14,668 liters) per minute catapults riders through open and closed tubes before they brave a heart-pounding plunge nearly 25 feet (8 meters) down a 50-degree slope.

Along the way, riders accelerate to speeds of up to 32 mph (51 km/h).

Six Flags Great Adventure Park President John Fitzgerald said, “We are confident that King Cobra’s intense ride experience and unparalleled design will make it our most popular and entertaining water attraction.”

Alper Cetiner, Polin Project Manager, echoed Fitzgerald’s comments. “With so many special features, we expect the ride to be more successful than even anticipated.”