Darien Lake announces new water slide

DARIEN CENTER — Darien Lake will open for the season in less than three months, but excitement is ramping up for a new attraction.

Darien Lake officials announced Thursday that the RipCurl Racer water slide will open May 21, two weeks after the amusement park begins the 2016 season.

RipCurl is a six-lane water slide that sends riders along a twisting, 294-foot flume in 24 seconds.

“Bringing in RipCurl Race is really exciting for us,” said Chris Thorpe, general manager at Darien Lake. “The continued growth and expansion at Darien Lake is a testament to our dedication to providing guests with the best entertainment value in the region.”

This will be the third new ride added to the park in the past year. Darien Lake debuted Rolling Thunder and Brain Drain for the 2015 opener.

The $1.5 million project received aid from the Genesee County Economic Development Center to the tune of $189,200 by unanimous approval last week.

“As one of the premier tourism destinations in Western New York, Darien Lake once again is investing in Genesee County”, said Tom Turnbull, president of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. “It’s been proven in the past that adding new ride attractions increases the number of visitors to the park and we’re expecting the new RipCurl Racer will do the same. And that’s good not only for Darien Lake but for Genesee County as a whole.”

Nearly 1 million people visit the amusement park each year.

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by Matt Krueger, The Daily News (2/11/2016)
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