Hopkins Rides

Hopkins Rides
Industry Manufacturing
Predecessor O.D. Hopkins Associates, Inc.
Successor Hopkins Rides, Inc.
Founded 1962
Founder O.D. Hopkins
Headquarters Palm City, Florida, United States[1]
Area served
 Worldwide
Products Amusement rides, roller coasters
Parent WhiteWater West
Website www.hopkinsrides.com

Hopkins Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in Palm City, Florida.[1] The company has had experience in amusement rides for over 45 years and currently specializes in water rides.

History

In 1962 O.D. Hopkins incorporated Hopkins Engineering and started installing ski lifts for J.A. Roebling & Sons of Trenton, New Jersey.[2] In 1965 Hopkins purchased the ski lift division and all the related assets from Roebling & Sons. Soon afterwards a competitor, Universal Design Ltd., discontinued manufacturing Sky Rides, and their customers turned to Hopkins Engineering for parts.[2] Hopkins' first customer in the amusement business was Charles Wood of Storytown USA.

In 1971, the name of the company was changed to O.D. Hopkins Associates Inc. In 1979, Hopkins was approached by Paul Roads, owner of Wonderland Park (Texas), to build a reasonably-priced log flume for his park. The success of that project started Hopkins in the water ride manufacturing business.[2]

In November, 2001, O.D. Hopkins and Associates Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection. The aerial ropeway/sky ride division was spun off to Skyfair, Inc. on January 1, 1986. The company reorganized and emerged as Hopkins Rides, LLC in May 2002, and was for a brief time in partnership with Reverchon Industries of France.[3]

In August 2012, Hopkins Rides, LLC was acquired by water slide manufacturer WhiteWater West. The company will continue to operate as Hopkins Rides under the WhiteWater Attractions banner.[4][5]

Manufacturing

The company originally manufactured Sky Rides, but in the 1980s, with the increase in popularity of their water-based attractions, those rides became the company's primary product. In addition to the water-based attractions, Hopkins built seven roller coasters from 1985 to 1996. They also dabbled in other amusement ride types such as a SkyGlider, tube slides and water jet ride known as an Aqua Drag. Santa's Village still operates its SkyGlider, and Wonderland Park still operates its Aqua Drag and SkyGlider in addition to its other Hopkins rides.

Hopkins also re-fabricated portions of track on two Arrow Dynamics-built coasters: Dahlonega Mine Train at Six Flags Over Georgia received 1,400 feet of new track and supports in 1986 and Canobie Corkscrew at Canobie Lake Park received new track and supports in 1990.[2]

The company currently focuses only on water ride attractions:

Installations

Flumes

Unless otherwise specified, all flumes feature at least one lift and a drop into a splash pool.

Opened Name Park Notes Status
1980 Big Splash Log Flume Wonderland Park Elevated section Operating [6]
1981 Log Flume Hamel's Amusement Park Defunct [6]
1981 Log Flume Camden Park 2 drops Operating [6]
1981 Sawmill River Crystal Beach 2 drops, elevated section Defunct [6]
1982 Big Splash log flume Western Playland Elevated section Operating [6]
1982 Policy Pond Canobie Lake Park 2 drops Operating [6]
1983 Yule Log Flume Santa's Village Operating [6]
1983 Mystery River Log Flume Frontier City Operating [6]
1984 Log Flume Seabreeze Operating [6]
1984 Log Flume Myrtle Beach Pavilion 2 drops, elevated section Defunct [6]
1984 Frightful Falls Holiday World Operating [6]
1984 Thunder Falls Log Flume Funtown Operating [6]
1985 Rocky Mountain Rapids Cliff's Amusement Park Elevated section Operating [6]
1985 Zoom Phloom Morey's Piers 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1985 Log Jam Joyland Park Standing but not operating (SBNO)[note 1] [6]
1989 Splash Mountain Disneyland 5 drops, elevated sections Operating [6]
1989 Log Flume Great Basin Adventure at Rancho San Rafael SBNO[note 2] [6]
1989 Log Ride Castle Amusement Park 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1990 Flume Knoebels Amusement Resort 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1991 Splashdown Castles N' Coasters 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
August 11, 1992 Log Chute Nickelodeon Universe 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1992 Canyon Falls Log Flume Wonderland Pier Elevated section Operating [6]
1992 Log Jammer Kiddieland Amusement Park Elevated section Moved[note 3] [6]
1993 Splash Bosque Magico Operating [6]
1993 Bamboo Chutes Story Land Elevated section Operating [6]
1993 Log Flume Playland (Rye) 2 drops Operating [6]
1994 Timber Wolf Howling Log Ride Timber Falls 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1995 Jungle Log Jam Enchanted Kingdom 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1995 Menhir Express Parc Astérix 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1995 Thunder River Waldameer Park 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1995 Log Flume Wonderland Family Fun Park (Dubai) Operating [6]
1996 Bali Festival Park 2 drops SBNO[note 4] [6]
1998 Flume Ride Qingdao International Beer City 2 drops Operating [6]
1998 Monkey Falls Ratanga Junction 3 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1999 Twin Mercury Space World 3 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
1999 Log Flume Family Kingdom 2 drops Operating [6]
2000 Ozarka Splash Jazzland/Six Flags New Orleans 2 drops, elevated section SBNO[note 5] [6]
2000 Old No. 2 Logging Company Magic Springs 2 drops Operating [6]
2001 Legend of the Labyrinth Lagunasia Park 2 drops Operating [6]
2001 Flume Tokyo Dome 2 drops, elevated section Operating [6]
2001 Race for Your Life Charlie Brown Kings Island Rebuild of 1968 Arrow flume Operating

Shoot the Chute rides

Opening Date Name Park Height Status
1986 Splashwater Falls Six Flags Great America 50' Defunct [7]
1986 Splashwater Falls Six Flags Over Georgia 50' Operating [7]
1987 Aquaman Splashdown Six Flags Over Texas 50' Operating [7]
1987 Splashwater Falls Six Flags Great Adventure 50' Defunct [7]
March 1988 Whitewater Falls Carowinds 50' Operating [7]
1989 Timberwolf Falls Canada's Wonderland 50' Operating [7]
May 1991 Tidal Wave Six Flags St. Louis 50' Operating [7]
1992 Water Rollercoaster – Splash Duinrell 50' Operating [7]
1992 The Wave Valleyfair 50' Operating [7]
1992 Tidal Wave Misaki Park 50' Operating [7]
1993 Shipwreck Falls Adventure World 50' Operating [7]
1993 Pittsburg Plunge Kennywood 50' Operating [7]
1993 Splash Mitsui Greenland 50' Operating [7]
1993 Splash Reino Aventura/Six Flags México 50' Operating [7]
1994 Tidal Force Hersheypark 100' Operating [7]
1994 Mile High Falls Kentucky Kingdom 82.5' Operating [7]
1994 Super Splash Dream World 50' Operating [7]
1994 Adventure Falls Michigan's Adventure 50' Operating [7]
1994 Splash Boat Fuji-Q Highland 100' Operating [7]
1994 Shoot the Chute Nagashima Spa Land 100' Operating [7]
1997 Shipwreck Falls Elitch Gardens Theme Park 50' Operating [8]
1997 Skloosh! Knoebels Amusement Resort 50' Operating [8]
1998 Boston Tea Party Canobie Lake Park 50' Operating [8]
May 29, 1999 Flash Flood Noah's Ark Water Park 50' Operating [8]
April 7, 2000 Tidal Wave Thorpe Park 85.8' Operating [8]
2000 Shoot the Chute[note 6] Wonderland Park (Texas) 50' Operating [8]
2000 Shipwreck Falls Geauga Lake 50' Relocated to Celebration City [8]
2001 Airship Surfing Guilin Merryland Theme Park 50' Operating [8]
2001 Playland Plunge[note 7] Playland (New York) 50' Operating [8]
2004 Lost River Ride Flamingo Land Resort 50' Operating
2005 Spillway Splashout Jazzland 50' SBNO [8]
2007 Niagara Mirabilandia (Italy) 100' Operating [8]
2008 Roaring Falls Celebration City 50' SBNO [8]
May 24, 2012 Pirate Reef Legoland California 25' Operating [9]

Steel roller coasters

Opened Name Park Notes Status
1985 Texas Tornado Wonderland Park Two vertical loops Operating [10]
1987 Polar Coaster Story Land Family coaster Operating [11]
1988 Cliff Hanger Ghost Town in the Sky One vertical loop SBNO [12]
May 12, 1990 Dragon Adventureland Two vertical Loops Operating [13]
1992 Desert Storm Castles N' Coasters Two vertical loops Operating [14]
1992 Patriot Castles N' Coasters Family coaster Operating [15]
1996 New Wild Mouse Coaster Misaki Park Wild mouse coaster Operating [16]

River Raft rides

Opened Name Park Notes Status
1988 Rattlesnake River Raft Ride Wonderland Park 6-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1989 Dr. Geyser's Remarkable Raft Ride Story Land 6-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1990 Grand Canyon Dream World 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1990 Raging Rapids Holiday World 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1990 Renegade Rapids Frontier City 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1993 Arung Jeram Dunia Fantasi 6-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1993 Hydro Surge Myrtle Beach Pavilion 6-passenger rafts Defunct [17]
1994 Roaring Rapids Six Flags America 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1995 Disaster Canyon Elitch Gardens 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1995 Río Rápido Bosque Magico 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1996 Rio Grande Rapids Enchanted Kingdom 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1996 Thunder River Lake Compounce 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1997 Airship Surfing Guilin Merryland Resort 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1998 River Rafting Ride Wonderland (Dubai) 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1998 Rapids Raft Ride Happy Valley, Shenzhen 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1998 Qingdao International Beer City 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1999 Blizzard River Six Flags New England 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
1998 Wild River Canyon Lihpao Land 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
Haikou Tropical Ocean World 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]
Rapids Raft Ride Gyeongju World/Kyongju World 8-passenger rafts Operating [17]

Super Flumes

Opened Name Park Notes Status
1998 Log Flume Hamanako Pal Pal, Japan Operating [18]
April 1998 Daredevil Falls Dollywood Operating [19]
1998 Bugs' White Water Rapids Six Flags Fiesta Texas Operating [7]
December 26, 1998 Wild West Falls Adventure Ride Warner Bros. Movie World Operating [20]
1999 Wild-Crazy Flume Lihpao Land, Taiwan Operating [18]
2016 Thunder Falls Everland, South Korea Operating [21]

Notes

  1. ↑ Park closed in 2006, site is currently abandoned.
  2. ↑ Park is open to the public but the rides do not operate due to lack of funds.
  3. ↑ Flume was purchased by Little Amerricka, currently in storage.
  4. ↑ Park closed in 2000, site is currently abandoned.
  5. ↑ Park closed in 2005, site is currently abandoned.
  6. ↑ Smaller ride with 12-passenger boats and narrower boat channel
  7. ↑ Smaller ride with 12-passenger boats and narrower boat channel

References

  1. 1 2 "Contact Hopkins Rides". Hopkins Rides. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Slade, Gary (November 1989), "O.D. Hopkins Enjoys Past, Anticipates Bright Future", Inside Track: 2–3
  3. ↑ "O. D. Hopkins Building on the Block". Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  4. ↑ "WhiteWater Acquires Hopkins Rides". WhiteWater West. August 23, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ "WhiteWater acquires Hopkins". Park World Magazine: 6. September 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Hopkins Rides, customer ride list-flumes
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 O.D. Hopkins 1994 Ride Catalog
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Hopkins Rides, customer ride list-Shoot the Chute
  9. ↑ MacDonald, Brady (May 27, 2012). "Review: Pirate Reef ride guaranteed to get you wet at Legoland". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  10. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Texas Tornado  (Wonderland Amusement Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  11. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Polar Coaster  (Story Land)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  12. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Cliff Hanger  (Ghost Town in the Sky)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  13. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Dragon  (Adventureland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  14. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Desert Storm  (Castles n' Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  15. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Patriot  (Castles n' Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  16. ↑ Marden, Duane. "New Wild Mouse Coaster  (Misaki Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Hopkins Rides, customer ride list-River Raft Rides
  18. 1 2 Hopkins Rides, customer ride list – Super Flumes
  19. ↑ "Interesting Facts About Dollywood's Daredevil Falls" (PDF). Dollywood. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Wild West Falls (Warner Bros. Movie World)". Parkz. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Thunder Falls Now Open at Everland Resort". PGAV Destinations. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
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