Holiday World in Santa Claus has announced the second-largest ride in the park's 64-year history. The $5.5 million Wildebeest is expected to open in Spalshin' Safari next May. Park officials are describing it as The World's Longest Water Coaster, which will cover more than two acres. The project is the second-largest single ride investment ever at the park. President Will Koch anticipates the expansion will lead to an additional 50 seasonal employees next summer.

SANTA CLAUS, IN-----The second-largest ride addition in Holiday World’s history is announced today: The World’s Longest Water Coaster will open in Splashin' Safari next May.

“We’re calling our huge new water coaster Wildebeest,” says park president Will Koch. “And when we say it’s long, we really mean it. Wildebeest is one-third of a mile long and it will thrill riders for two-and-a-half splashing minutes of hills, drops, twists and turns.”

Located north of Bahari wave pool, Wildebeest will begin with a conveyor ride up the water coaster’s lifthill. Following the 38-foot drop at a 45-degree angle, linear induction motors (LIMs) will propel the four-person rafts up seven additional hills, through three tunnels and around a helix. Wildebeest will cover more than two acres, increasing the water park’s size to 27 acres.

“The LIM technology for shooting the rafts up the hills is fascinating,” says Koch, who earned an electrical engineering degree at Notre Dame. “An alternating magnetic field beneath the slide surface propels the rafts, pushing them rapidly and smoothly uphill. LIM technology is a popular feature in some steel roller coasters; it’s cool to see it applied to water coasters, too.”

The conveyor-style lifthill replaces any slide-tower stairs, making the water coaster accessible to riders who might have difficulty walking up stairs.

Today’s announcement marks the second largest single-ride investment in the park’s 64-year history. Koch says the price tag for Wildebeest is $5.5 million. He predicts the need to hire an additional 50 seasonal employees next season, in addition to this year’s total of 2,000 seasonals.

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari are open daily through Sunday and most weekends through October 11. For more information, visit the parks’ website at www.HolidayWorld.com or call 1-877-463-2645.

Source: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=37170