In 1981, a water park named White Water opened in Oklahoma City. Here are a few of my memories about the park, what has changed over the past 40 years, and who owns it now.
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Really cool episode! I listened to it on my night shift.. at my local waterpark :)
I’ve been visiting the park I started working at this year since it first opened (1982 I think), and a lot of what you mentioned with White Water through the years is very much like my park. This park has been renamed 3 times! Aqua Gardens (this name was only in use 1 year as it went bankrupt), Water Country U.S.A., Emerald Pointe, and now Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe. Also owned by an umbrella company now, but unfortunately their other parks are very far away from here.
Also, much like your park, mine looks VERY similar to the way it did in the 1980s. The main, original pools are all still the same. The Lazy River (I recall when it wasn’t even open yet), rapids, etc are all the same. The wave pool is still the same aside from them taming down the wave considerably. Some people complain that it looks dated despite fresh paint every year, but for me it’s pure nostalgia to see all those same structures along with new updates and additions.
I recall the year our “Raging Rapids” was first opened and it was a major hit when it did. The “chains” your describe from back in the day, etc was all present. However, it was quite difficult to linger very long and they way you are describing the rapids at White Water with the various pools and all sound cooler than what we had. Our rapids is still there, but chaining is discouraged by the lifeguard usually spacing out riders too much.
We actually had a set of 3 slides named “Whitewater” for many years. Each slide had its own name: “360”, “Dragons Tail”, and “Easy Rider”. Those have since been torn down and pieces of them were made to create 3 smaller blue tube slides which this year were renovated with lights, sounds, and props to create “Bermuda Triangle”.
Also, while we got “Daredevil Drop” maybe 15+ years ago (70 foot high white body slide), your description of White Lightning reminded me of a similar slide I saw at a campground called Lake Myers in the 80s. It was only wide enough for 1 person, and would only open when the olympic sized pool shut down for “break”. Then you’d see someone come down on of those sleds straight down and then skid a looong way across that pool to a submerged ramp on the other end. At about 5-6 years old, it was absolutely terrifying! lol I’ve never seen anything like that ever again.
And finally, arcades at the waterpark! Hahah genius! I kind of get a little sad every time I walk past the “Old World Pizza” building on my shifts and when I visit as a “guest” because I have a lot of fond memories of that arcade. It was a lot more protected from the elements.. but only from above. Rubber mats everywhere and I still recall being shocked a handful of times touching the coin boxes. That’s where I first played the Goonies game by Nintendo! Not the sequel, but the original. While the “wrecked” pirate ship is still in one of our main pools to leap off of and I own the Famicom cart to Goonies, there was something magical about the 2 being right there together.
That was a good podcast, Flack. I remember at least when I was in elementary school and mifdle school, I would go to my local water park called Splash Town. Splash Town was a small amusement water park located along I35 near Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
I remember going to Splash Town at times, because I would attend a summer string orchestra camp at least during middle school.
Yet, I would also spend time with my father. I enjoyed going on the water slides and I would spend hours in the wave pool.
If anything, Splash Town is beast known in San Antonio because a scene from the original movie Selena with Jennifer Lopez bungee jumped there.
Sadly, Splash Tiwn closed down about 3 years ago due to low attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic.