April 20, 2016
By Paul Joseph, Paragon Communications News Director –
Slide Boarding is coming to Western Oklahoma. That’s the newest ride that Clinton’s Walt Schumacher has kept under wraps for so long. It’s being built alongside his Water-Zoo water park on the south side of the interstate in Clinton.
It’s no mere Slip ‘n Slide, like the children used to set up in the hot, summer-time back yard with a garden hose and a strip of plastic. Schumacher’s newest ride, the one that he announced was in the making last July, is costing him about $400-thousand dollars.
After initially wanting to open it before spring break, last February he announced that it was going to be delayed until May, but it may even be earlier.
Schumacher says it’ll by far be the most exciting ride at the water park. He says it’s designed to appeal to young adults who grew up playing video games. And, it’s high tech.
He says the ride is called slide boarding, but Schumacher says he’s going to name it something different and will get the community involved in the decision.
Schumacher says the ride is much like riding in a bob sled and it tests a person’s dexterity as it drops participants from five stories high in about 16 seconds.
The new ride, he says, is designed to bring in new people and to keep bringing former visitors back.
The slide boarding ride uses cutting edge technology and will appeal to all ages, but especially to college students.
He admits he hasn’t riding the ride even when he saw it demonstrated at a convention show where he first saw the ride demonstrated. And, from talking to him, it doesn’t sound like he’s too interested in riding it himself, but when challenged to ride it, he issued another challenge back.
Schumacher says he anticipates opening the ride on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, maybe sooner.
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