In 1985, partners João Eduardo Gentil and Arialdo Pinho were fueled by a dream. Sitting beside their beachfront kiosk on Brazil’s northern coast, they knew that their idyllic location, combined with 330 days of sunshine each year and an average temperature of 27° C (81° F), was a recipe for success. And they were right.
By 1989, Beach Park boasted a trendy restaurant that also offered surfing and body boarding. Then Gentil had the idea that would change Beach Park forever: he planned to expand the property with South America’s first water park. He started with just three slides and the rest is water park history.
The Dream Engineers take it to the next level
World-class resorts aren’t built, they’re dreamt. Since joining Beach Park in 2004, water park industry veteran Murilo Pascoal and his team of Engenheiros Sonhadores (Dream Engineers) have been working tirelessly to convert Beach Park Resort into one of the premiere destinations in all of Latin America.
The dream took a few more steps forward when, in 2011, the Beach Park team began its collaboration with ProSlide. They’ve added six new attractions since 2013, starting with Arrepius; a 25m-high, five-slide complex that includes:
- Arre Égua, a four-person enclosed hybrid slide (ProSlide TORNADO® 24 / TORNADO® 24) with the back-to-back turns of a serpentine in-run, combined with two separate drops into 7m (24 foot) funnels that feature high-banking swings and zero-gravity thrills.
- Arre Ema, a two-person enclosed tubing ride (ProSlide CannonBOWL™ 40) that hurtles guests down a steep in-run, then shoots into the wide-open bowl, running high on the wall for peak thrills.
- Arre Doidus, Brazil’s first and only water attraction with a drop launch system features two separate, single-rider 360˚ looping enclosed tunnel slides (ProSlide SuperLOOP™), that both begin high above the water park in a transparent pod (ProSlide SkyBOX™). Standing in the capsule, thrill riders feel the adrenaline rush as the floor suddenly drops out and they freefall 25m into the narrow tunnel below.
- Arretado, an open-flume body ride (ProSlide FreeFALL™), featuring a nearly vertical plummet of 25m (82 feet) that produces high velocities and extreme thrills.
A Tornado hits the beach!
Then, in 2015, Beach Park added Vaikuntudo, a 336-foot long, 8-storey high funnel (ProSlide TORNADO® 60) that starts in a dark tunnel, building anticipation with every curve. Then, without warning, the raft drops through a 45-degree tunnel and explodes into the iconic funnel.
“I saw this ride at a water park in São Paolo and knew that we had to get one for Beach Park,” says Pascoal. “The decision turned out to be a good one, as we continue to set attendance records since adding Vaikuntudo. In January of 2016 alone, despite an economic downturn, we still experienced a 6.5% attendance increase.”
“Murilo has really taken Beach Park to another level,” says Rick Hunter, ProSlide President and CEO. “Not only does he share our passion for thrilling rides and constant improvement, but he is also 100% focused on creating a great experience for his guests.”
