Six Flags Great America's Riptide Bay Update

Six Flags Great America is promising one of its splashiest seasons ever when it opens Riptide Bay, a 4 acre expansion to the park's already-massive Hurricane Harbor water park.  In total, Riptide Bay will add an impressive 10 new attractions to to the park.

Not only does the new section have slides, it also features several other interactive attractions.  The Surf Rider is a double-sided surfing simulator featuring 50,000 gallons of water flowing per minute.  Guests can take on 5 foot waves traveling at a speed of up to 30 miles per hour.

Seen above is a drawing of the Wipeout - a double funnel family raft slide.  Guests in rafts of up to four guests head down 400 feet of slide which features not one but two funnels along the way.

If you're looking for slightly calmer waters, Monsoon Lagoon may be your style.  The 14,000 square foot pool has beautiful rock waterfalls and seven spray columns to keep the little ones busy.  Sounds like a great place to lounge!

Attached to the tower that features Wipeout are four other slides, paired as the Dive Bomber and Mega Wedgie.  The Dive Bombers are the "first Super-Loop slides with a Skybox launching capsule in North America," according to Six Flags Great America.  The Mega Wedgie slides drop riders down a 80 degree incline at 40 mph.

The slide tower complex is well under way.  You can see the green and teal Dive Bomber SuperLoop slides partially completed in this photo.

While not totally complete, the Wipeout's two funnels are up.  This slide has quite an eye catching color scheme!

Six Flags Great America has launched an all new website covering Riptide Bay, and has a webcam available there.  The area will also feature food and retail locations, such as 5 o'clock Phil's, a tiki snack bar and the High Tide retail store.

Riptide Bay is scheduled for a Memorial Day Weekend opening at Six Flags Great America.