Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash set to host soft opening

While many people all over Alberta were saddened by the closure of Wild Rapids Waterslide Park, the manager of the park, Charlie Everest, was busy at work setting up a new attraction inSylvan Lake to help fill the gap for years to come.

Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash, which was being set up the weekend of July 22-24 on the lake beside the new Rotary Lighthouse Park, is a new floating obstacle course on the lake that is the first of its kind in Alberta and third of its kind in Canada.

“There is one in Pentiction and one in Kelowna,” Everest said. “I have been researching them for about four years.”

According to Everest, the object of Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash – which comes from a German company called WiBit – is to constantly stay on the floating course, which is much like a mini version of the television show “Wipeout!”

“When I went to the one in Pentiction with my sons – I was a beached whale in about 45 minutes,” Everest said, referring to the athletic ability it takes for this fun course.

The idea to have this course in Sylvan came much before Everest had any idea that Wild Rapids would be turning the water off.

“I have been the manager of the Water park for 13 years and we always looked out onto the lake and thought ‘What else can we do?’,” he said. “I wanted to do something for kids. So I researched and this is what it led to.”

The course will cost $20 for one hour for an adult and $15 for one hour for a youth. For two hours, an adult will cost $35 and a youth will cost $25. The doors will open to Sylvan LakeAqua Splash for its soft launch right away, with organizers asking participants to be patient as operations are being tested and issues and complications could occur. The park will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

The hard launch will take place next year, where the park will open in June or perhaps even the May long weekend according to Everest.

If you would like more information, you can dial (587) 377-4386 of email info@sylvanlakeaquasplash.ca.

Everest added that he always wants to “give back to the community” and that Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash will celebrate a “local day” that will either happen near the beginning or end of the soft launch.

reporter@sylvanlakenews.com