Quassy Waterpark To Open Later This Month

MIDDLEBURY, Conn. – Quassy Amusement & Waterpark’s Splash Away Bay will open for the summer season on Saturday, May 28, along with Quassy Beach, according to a statement. Splash Away Bay features 15 waterslides, a splash pad for children as well as a water play area for all ages.

Rocket Rapids, the new water coaster currently under construction, is expected to open later in the spring. The amusement ride area of the property opened late April.

Rocket Rapids marks the single largest investment in Quassy’s 114-year history and is the sixth major expansion in the waterpark since it was introduced in 2003.

“We’re excited about unveiling this new attraction in June, which incorporates some of the latest technology in waterslides,” Quassy President Eric Anderson said in a statement. “Water jets will actually push the two-person rafts uphill and riders will experience some exhilarating drops and high-banked turns.”

Designed by ProSlide Technology Inc. of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the ride incorporates the company’s patented RocketBLAST water jet propulsion system. The high-pressure jets will thrust rafts up three separate inclines along the fast-paced ride, according to the statement.

In addition, the water coaster features four ProSlide FlyingSAUCER elements for high-speed, accelerating banked turns. The attraction is more than 600 feet in length and have a capacity of 340 persons per hour.

The installation brings to 16 the number of waterslides in Splash Away Bay waterpark, all provided by ProSlide. The new raft ride is located in an area where the park’s Lakeside Pavilion was situated.

The steel pavilion was removed to make way for the project, which also incorporates additional cabana rentals.

Rocket Rapids was the name selected for the raft ride in a contest among local and area elementary and middle schools. Park management made the decision after sorting through the submissions with Mrs. Jessica Papp’s fourth grade homeroom class at Canton Intermediate School, Canton, Conn., declared the winner.

Those students received commemorative T-shirts and park passes during a ceremony at the school in April.