King Cobra Wins Again With Silver Award

Polin Waterparks' King Cobra waterslide recently added another award to its growing list of accolades. During the Istanbul International Inventions Fair, March 3-6, 2016, Polin was honored with the prestigious event's Silver Award "in recognition of excellent and creative efforts to invent King Cobra."    The fair is an annual exhibition focused on patents, inventions, new products and technical ideas organized under the patronage of the International Federation of Inventors' Association (IFIA). It is recognized globally as being a significant opportunity for inventors and investors to come together in a geographically central location. The fair announced four major awards, including the Silver Award, in 22 technical categories.

Ali Cansun, R&D Director of Polin, said his firm was extremely humbled to win the award. "We recognize the amazing diversity of products that were on display at this event. For Polin to be singled out with this unique recognition - well, it's a great source of pride to us. The talent of other firms' innovative efforts was evident everywhere."
Adding up the achievements Since its debut in 2010, the King Cobra waterslide has been recognized numerous times. Previous awards include:

• "Europe's Best Waterslide," 2012 
• "Europe's Best Waterslide," 2013 
• "Most Innovative Award," 2013 
• "Europe's Best Waterslide," 2014
• "Europe's Best Waterslide," 2015
• "The Best Extreme Attraction of the Year," 2015

Research and development have always been a key focus at Polin, starting with the firm's pioneering advancement and application of closed-molded manufacturing technology for waterslide development. Over the years since, the firm has used that technology to create aquatic attractions that have raised the bar within the industry to new levels of thrills while also delivering numerous enhancements. On the design and engineering side, Polin had made critical inventions.   Those efforts were in full display when the firm initially announced the King Cobra waterslide. The ride showcased an industry breakthrough in waterslide design as the ride was the first to have theming built directly into the attraction - a distinction that earned Polin a worldwide patent.   The slide offers not only an intense and heart-pounding experience for guests but also a stunning design and a one-of-a-kind visual for spectators. The core feature of King Cobra is its unique configuration that enables two double tubes to race through a circular path with twists, turns and surprises before experiencing the drop of their lives as they continue to race through the "valley of the Cobra." This epic plunge, 8 meters down, allows riders to accelerate to speeds of 51 km/h.   Mr. Cansun, described the ride when it first debuted as an unending experience for riders. "The two double tubes head into the mouth of Cobra. Unique fog, a high-pitched hiss, water spray and other visual effects make it more exciting than ever for spectators who might believe riders were 'swallowed' by the snake," he added. "Then powerful G-forces take over your tube, and riders come back down and then oscillate up and down again before the tube finally stops."  Waterparks and theme parks across the globe have taken notice of the extreme attraction. The King Cobra initially debuted in Europe. Later, Polin installed the attraction in Asia, additional European countries, the Middle East and United States.

Today, the attraction has become an essential element of some of the world's most-famous facilities, including:

• Maxx Royal (Antalya, Turkey)
• Six Flags Great Adventure (New Jersey, United States)
• Aqualand Frejus (France)
• Aqualand El Arenal (Spain)
• Watercube (Tianjin, China)
• Cartoon Network Amazone (Thailand)
• Djubga Waterpark (Russia)
• Voyage Belek (Antalya, Turkey)
• Bugis Waterpark (Makassar, Indonesia)
• Vogue Hotel (Bodrum, Turkey)
• Santorini Water Fantasy (Cha-am, Thailand)
• Crystal Water World (Antalya, Turkey)
• Terme Olimia (Podcetrtek, Slovenia)
• Crystal Sun Set (Antalya, Turkey)
• Aqua Dolphin (Istanbul, Turkey)

Enhancing the King Cobra experience While King Cobra is impressive on its own, many facilities enhance guests' experience with the ride by adding the special effects mentioned by Cansun, such as fog, sound and lighting. As mentioned, many facilities have also taken advantage of the ability to match the slide to their unique theme. Some of the most notable versions are the Humungaslide at Cartoon Network Amazone in Thailand and a ship-themed version in Makassar City in Indonesia. Other parks have enhanced the slide further with special touches such as custom-designed towers.

The result of these park's efforts has been increased attendance and loyalty among park patrons.   

Parks looking for opportunities to enhance their current offerings and create a stunning centerpiece can create renewed excitement among their guests with the addition of a King Cobra.