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Water Country USA’s newest slide isn’t trying to hide from visitors. It isn’t tucked back in the shadows or behind the park’s lush landscaping. It isn’t trying to be mysterious. It’s begging everyone to come see it’s twists, turns, and drops.
Colossal Curl opened May 23, 2014 to guests at the Williamsburg, VA water park, posing in the sunlight at the front of the park for all visitors to see – even from the parking lot. With bright blue and yellow stripes, it’s impossible to miss.
Colossal Curl is a family thrill water slide that is the first of its kind in not only Virginia where Water Country USA is located, but in all of North America. This thrilling water slide features a 24-foot funnel feature that swirls guests around before racing them through the slide’s enclosed tubes and then hurtling them up a 40-foot wave element that offers exhilarating airtime. Along the way, riders experience a number of waterfall features and exciting twists and turns that are sure to soak everyone abroad the raft.
Join me for a full ride on Colossal Curl in the video below.
Video: Colossal Curl full POV ride at Water Country USA
Water Country USA Vice President Jeff Thomas said Colossal Curl’s variety of thrills and features is what makes it special. “It offers a mixed experience for anyone who rides it,” said Thomas at the slide’s grand opening. All of these special features work to the same goal – a thrilling and fun trip down the slide for all riders.
In addition to its one-of-a-kind structure, Colossal Curl’s rafts are also unique within Water Country. Holding up to four guests, the slide’s clover leaf-shaped rafts require riders to pile their feet into the center of the leaf, which calls for more intimacy between riders than any of the park’s other slides.
Thomas said when the park decided it was time for a new slide, they looked to their current inventory to see what was missing.
One thing Colossal Curl has working against it is it’s height requirement. Only guests 48 inches or taller can conquer the Curl, which is the same requirement for Water Country’s Vanish Point – the park’s drop slide – and Busch Gardens’ Loch Ness Monster roller coaster.
The requirement means some families will have to split up if one child is tall enough and the other doesn’t meet the mark. Other family slides in the park, such as Big Daddy Falls and Aquazoid, allow riders shorter than 48 inches ride, as long as they have adult supervision.
Additionally, the unique cloverleaf rafts require two or more guests, which means single riders are not an option on Colossal Curl.
Even with these weaknesses, Colossal Curl lives up to its hype and name for guests who are able to ride. Its thrills are as exciting as they appear when viewed from the base of the slide and because of the variety of its features, it offers a different ride each time.
Like many of Water Country’s group raft slides, Colossal Curl’s fun is enhanced when the raft is filled because there is more opportunity for airtime on the wave wall and the extra weight sends you whirling down the slide at greater speeds.
Water Country USA picked a prime location for Colossal Curl and they are proud of its newest addition. “This ride is a blast, “ said Thomas. “Our guests’ expressions have been phenomenal.”
More photos of Colossal Curl: