One Tower, Two Worlds: Where Water Ride Meets Water Slide
In Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld’s massive 2025 expansion unveiled a new kind of attraction that is redefining what’s possible inside a water park. “Bahamut’s Rage” is the first water-based amusement ride ever integrated into a water slide tower, and it’s changing how the industry thinks about park design, capacity, and inclusivity.
Bahamut’s Rage is a WhiteWater Shoot the Chute—a global classic beloved by guests across generations. Spanning 230 meters, it takes 20 riders on a suspenseful climb for breathtaking views before plunging 15 meters out of the mouth of the gigantic mythical Bahamut fish.
The result is the most photogenic splash and the loudest collective scream ever created at a water park.
Unprecedented Capacity for a Slide Tower
Normally a standalone ride found in theme parks, this Shoot the Chute is embedded into a water slide tower, surrounded by five intertwining slides. This integration demanded precise planning to accommodate clearance envelopes, ride dynamics, and guest safety within a tower originally built for slide flumes. The WhiteWater team re-engineered parts of the structure to support the movement of this large-scale ride vehicle, incorporated load/unload platforms, and ensured efficient throughput of up to 1,800 per hour, all while maintaining structural integrity.
The outcome is a dynamic yet seamless structure that delivers more capacity, energy, and spectacle per square meter than ever before.
Swimwear or Streetwear, Rider or Spectator—Inclusive Fun for Everyone
Through this attraction, Yas Waterworld introduced a new kind of inclusivity to the park. Because guests can board in streetwear, it allows everyone to enjoy an exciting ride, also those who do not wish to don swimwear or those who are more comfortable with mechanized rides instead of slippery water slides. With the large average household size in the Middle East, Shoot the Chute can entertain all family members at once, each with a different appetite for thrills.
Even non-riders can join the fun. By standing on the bridge overlooking the drop, they will get doused by the splash, laugh with one another, and cool down on a hot desert day.
Overall, Shoot the Chute is a thoughtful addition to the ride mix that reflects cultural awareness and broadens the park’s appeal.
Award-Winning Attraction
At the Park World Excellence Award 2025 in Barcelona, Bahamut Rage was honoured with Best Waterpark Experience. For operators, it’s proof that high capacity is possible within a water park’s space constraints. For designers, it’s a new architectural language, with one tower housing two fundamentally different ride types. And for guests, it’s a memorable experience worth sharing, whether with their entire family during the ride, with spectators receiving the splash on the bridge, or with everyone on their social media.
“This is an emerging trend that we’re seeing as water parks become more themed and include more theme park-like experiences,” says Kelly Sall, General Manager of Water Rides at WhiteWater. “Having a ride that is typically a theme park ride but made for water parks specifically is where we can really have an advantage in this exciting growing field.”
Learn more about WhiteWater’s water rides at www.whitewaterwest.com/water-rides.
