America's First Rotating Waterslide Just Opened — and Goes Up to 25 Miles per Hour
Courtesy of Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort
Rotating three times per minute, while you sit on a raft holding up to four people, a new waterpark attraction expects to splash and zip where none have before.
A water park in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin (a.k.a. the water park capital of America) named after Greece's highest peak just unveiled the country's first and only rotating waterslide. The only other two are in China and Poland. Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park's second-generation owners Nick and Eva Laskaris hatched the idea after learning about a rotating waterslide from WhiteWater, a designer of water park attractions, at an industry trade show. Dubbed Medusa's Slidewheel, the ride lasts approximately 96 seconds and opened May 28, 2022.
Soaring 80 feet into the air and spanning 100 feet in width, it's like a cross between a waterslide and a ferris wheel. Entering through an automatic tube conveyor on a raft, riders slide forward and back while experiencing the thrill of speed, g-force, and airtime — at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. In lieu of experiencing the ride, this video produced by the German manufacturer is second-best.
Attached to Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park is a 1,600-room resort. In addition to resort rooms, you can book a stay in tents (just bring a sleeping bag) or free-standing, tiny house-like cabins at the on-site campground, which offers access to showers and bathrooms in a shared bathhouse.
Guests can also experience an indoor water park, fresh off a 22,500-square-foot expansion that includes a new children's splash zone and swim area; the world's first multilevel go-kart track; and the world's first underground roller coaster. Also on-site is a wave pool — at the outdoor water park — where nine-foot waves crest every 90 seconds for a little bit of Malibu in this Midwestern locale.
