Brass Ring Award 2025 for WhiteWater’s Wall Runner Lateral Drifting Slide 

Vancouver, Canada – WhiteWater is pleased to accept an IAAPA Brass Ring Award 2025 for Best New Product for Wall Runner, an eye-catching attraction that introduced the first-ever lateral drifting experience in a water slide.  

First installed at Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Sevierville, Tennessee, this past summer as a six-person raft ride called “Rafter’s Rage,” Wall Runner has already garnered ample social media attention and rave reviews from guests. Its artfully crafted arcs capture visitors’ attention the minute they spot it in a water park’s skyline. This billboard attraction combines everything guests love: speed, drops, high-banking turns—and a brand-new ride sensation.  

Keeping a high speed throughout the ride—at up to 20 mph (33km/h), the raft climbs up each arc and swings to the next, accelerating over sideways. Wall Runner maximizes the oscillations while having the momentum of moving forward.  

Imposing Yet Versatile 

As impressive as Wall Runner looks, it is a curved element that can be incorporated into many different slide paths; one just needs a curved drop in the opposite direction before and a curved drop in the opposite direction after. It is a very versatile feature that can be added to a fusion slide.  

Thanks to the way the parts are split, Wall Runner also allows for fun and colourful designs, enabling each water park to customize the arcs with different gradients, patterns, or themes befitting of its brand or storyline. Optional fiberglass effects can be added to heighten the ride experience and excitement. 

Wall Runner’s versatility is also demonstrated through its ability to adapt the ride experience to different demographics. It is an all-round attraction that can feel daring and at the same time, family friendly. For example, a group of six young adults’ combined weight would result in the raft travelling faster than a raft with two adults and two children.  

Engineered for Efficiency 

For a ride that makes such a huge visual impact, the impact on water and energy usage is surprisingly the opposite. 

To maximize the wall climb and minimize energy loss between a Wall Runner pair, water is removed prior to the feature and reinjected again afterwards. This repeats for every Wall Runner pair; gravity-fed water management makes this happen. Instead of multiple big water pumps, Wall Runner only needs a big pump to start and a small one for sprayers. This design results in more efficiency and lower power draw. 

“Wall Runner is an innovation that demonstrates WhiteWater’s approach to designing exciting rides,” said Onno Meeter, President, Water Parks. “It not only offers unique ride sensations for guests, it is also eye-catching for a park’s marketing and operationally efficient for a park’s bottom line. Huge thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this ride such a hit—and award-worthy.”