WaterPark Rides

Limits are placed on us, on each of us, simply because of where we live. Some of us have access to things that are simple, and others are forced into going onto things that are complex or distressing simply because of what is ‘built’ into the places that are closest to us.

Going to a waterpark is something that historically wasn’t something that we had access to every weekend. We couldn’t afford it and they weren’t close. They were things that we got to go on special holidays. Our families saved up for them and we probably had to travel a great distance to go there e.g. going to Queensland. These days there are more that are somewhat closer to where we live. But. There is an issue. Not all waterparks are equal in what they provide us, each of us as an individual family member, with access to.

When you see things on TV, do you want to go there?

When you see things on social media, do you want to go there?

When you talk with your friends, do you want to go there?

What difference does the recommendation make to you? Is it because they’ve put their bodies through the waterparks, or know people who have? Or because of the shared experience that is possible? It can be shared in a conversation OR it can be shared in the actual fact of going together. These used to be things that we only experienced with our family, or with out immediate family plus our cousins, or with those family friends and their kids. Because it was rare for us all to go as a group of kids together. We didnt use to go to these types of things as a group of school kids. They weren’t everyday experience. Yet now, ‘parks’ are everyday types of experiences. And modern ‘parks’ have things like skate parks in them. We have more opportunities to try and explore different ‘types’ of movements through spinning and twisting and falling. So we are used to experiencing more with our bodies. Well, some of us are. Some are not. Not everyone has the same opportunities. It doesn’t always have to be about skill. It can be about access to equipment. It can be about access to quantity of hours to spend practicing and perfecting the twist or turn that you want to. Those are the ‘shots’ that we post on social media. Yet waterparks are things that a lot of us love to go to. Especially when its hot. Being dunked in the water, experiencing the speed with safety, the effortless flow of each turn is exciting. And its a great shared activity. But it can be expensive. And it can be dangerous. And parents can not want to take us. And it may be something that we want to do over and over and over and over again. It can be something where we seek out the higher risks regardless of what the impact is for our bodies.

How many injuries do you sustain at a waterpark?

How many injuries do you sustain at a skatepark?

Ok. so lets not include broken bones. Lets include ALL of those bumps. ALL of those bruises. All of those torn jeans. those bleeding legs that you can hide under clothing. those shoes that get scraped along the ground which protect us but that you have to get new ones because you destroy them so quickly but they protect your feet from being hurt more.

Now think through the other injuries. the hurt feelings when you didnt succeed at that move despite having done it for the 20th time. the lack of cheers when you fall over yet again. the lack of smiles directed at you when you didnt make that jump and are the only one left in the group who cant do it at ‘your local skate park’. what do you do with ‘those’ injuries? Are they an injury? Do they clear? Or do you cover them up? How do you cover them up?

 

So now. Lets look at this differently? Did you go to school for learning to skate? Was there a set pathway for you to learn or did you just learn in your local street, driveway or skatepark? Or are you still on a scooter because you cant transfer the skill to a skateboard?

I am an OT. We look at grading of skills. How many of these do you see around you? And how old are ‘you’ who is reading this here for the grading words of ‘simple’ to be this level of simple. I am not expecting 5 years olds to be reading this, so I am already using a different level of complexity which they may find scary. 

Learning to use waterslides:

Wet N Wild Gold Coast

why don’t we have medium versions of these? so that you don’t go from these to huge challenging ones

Aquapulse Hoppers Crossing

Professors playground

Simple:

Stainless steel waterslide

Wide steel slide

Steep Zap Waterslide

Rainbow waterslide

Adventure Zone Waterslide at Aqualand Agen

White Water Maze slide

Giant Play Structure

Long Infiniti Water Slide

Simple but you need to be a good swimmer:

Crazy Wild Water Maze Therme Lindau

Medium:

Complex:

Distressing:

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Things you can do in with friends / in a group:

Family Multislide at Waterworld

3 Lane racer waterslide

Burgerblitz – Long Xtube Waterslide at Leukerbad Therme – its fast though

3 Lane race track water slide

Racer Water Slides

 

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Slides that look physically dangerous dependent on how you use them:

Hylliebadet Malmo – Family Slide / Breitrutsche Onride POV