Log flume (attraction)

Log flumes (colloquially known as "log rides") originally referred to a special construct used to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. Today, however, the term is also used to refer to an amusement ride consisting of a water flume and artificial hollow logs (or boats), such as Policy Pond at Canobie Lake Park. Passengers sit in the logs, which are propelled along the flume by the flow of water.

The ride usually culminates with a rapid descent and splashdown into a body of water, and often more than one (normally the largest drop being just before the end). It provides people with a fun way to get wet and cool off on a hot summer day, with certain seating sections usually being splashed with more water for a more exciting and wet ride. Part of the excitement is the randomness of the water splashing onto riders.

Most log flumes require riders to be 36 inches or taller, not a very tall restriction due to the family-oriented nature of the attractions. Taking cameras or other items that can be damaged by moisture onto a flume ride is not recommended.

History

The first log flume amusement ride is said to be the "El Aserradero" ("The Sawmill" in Spanish), built by amusement company Arrow Development (also known as Arrow Dynamics, Arrow/Huss, Arrow, and now part of S&S/Arrow) in 1963 at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. The ride proved to be so popular, a second separate flume was opened in 1968. The designer, Bud Hurlbut, drew his inspiration from stories of lumberjacks riding logs down rivers. Another notable log flume is Splash Mountain at the Disney theme parks, based on characters in "Song of the South". Log flumes are now a staple of many amusement parks.

Log flumes are a variant of the chutes rides that were popular in the United States in the early 20th Century, and that continue to be built today, usually called Shoot-the-Chutes. The chutes ride consists of a boat that slides down a long chute and splashes into a lake. The oldest existing of this type of ride is the Boat Chute, constructed in 1926 and 1927 located at Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park in Chattanooga Tennessee. The Boat Chute still operates today. [cite web| url=http://www.lakewinnie.com/LWwebA/btcht.htm| title=The Boat Chute| author=Lake Winnepesaukah| accessdate=May 17| accessyear=2006| ]

It is also a ride in the Roller Coaster Tycoon PC game series.

Ride design

Log flumes are generally out in the open. Log flumes which are placed indoors instead of out in the open, or at least covered by some sort of shelter, are sometimes referred to as river cavesDubious|date=March 2008 (such as the "Niagara Falls" flume ride in Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, Malaysia) to set them apart from typical log flumes. A notable exception is the "Log Chute" at Nickelodeon Universe.

Partial list of log flume rides

Americas

*Adventure Canyon Log Flume — Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino
*American Plunge — Silver Dollar City
*El Aserradero — Six Flags Over Texas
*Bamboo Shoot/Ozarka Splash — Six Flags AstroWorld (1969-2005)
*Bugs' White Water Rapids — Six Flags Fiesta Texas
*Cahaba Falls — Alabama Adventure Theme Park
*Coal Cracker — Hersheypark
*Daredevil Falls— Dollywood
*Desperado Plunge — The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom
*Double Splash Flume — Dutch Wonderland
*Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls — Universal Orlando Resort
*The Flume — Knoebels; Valleyfair!
*Frightful Falls — Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
*Jet Stream — Six Flags Magic Mountain
*Log Flume — Martin's Fantasy Island; Seabreeze Amusement Park; Silverwood Theme Park; Six Flags St. Louis
*Log Jamboree — Six Flags Over Georgia
*Log Jammer — Kennywood; Six Flags Magic Mountain
*Logger's Revenge — Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
*Logger's Run — California's Great America; Michigan's Adventure; Six Flags Great America
*Old No. 2 Logging Company — Magic Springs and Crystal Falls
*Paul Bunyan's Log Chute/Log Chute — Nickelodeon Universe
*Paul Bunyan's Loggin' Toboggan — Idlewild and Soak Zone
*Policy Pond — Canobie Lake Park
*Red River Rapids/Poland Springs Plunge — Six Flags New England (1979-2005)
*River Rapids Log Flume — Adventureland
*Rocky Rapids — Indiana Beach
*Saw Mill Log Flume — Six Flags Great Adventure
*Saw Mill Plunge — Lake Compounce
*Le Scoot Log Flume — Busch Gardens Europe
*Shenandoah Log Flume — Kings Dominion
*Splash — Frontier City
*Splash Mountain — Disneyland; Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
*Splashdown — Castles N' Coasters
*Stanley Falls — Busch Gardens Africa
*Texas Splashdown — SeaWorld San Antonio
*The Wild Thornberrys River Adventure — Carowinds; Kings Island
*Thunder Creek Mountain — Dorney Park
*Thunder Rapids — Darien Lake
*Thunder River — Waldameer Park
*Timber Mountain Log Ride — Knott's Berry Farm
*Timber Wolf Falls — Canada's Wonderland
*Tiny Timbers — Hersheypark
*Treasure Falls — Legoland California
*Troncos — Mundo Aventura Bogotá, Colombia
*Yankee Clipper — Six Flags Great America
*Viking Voyager — Worlds of Fun
*Water Flume — Astroland

Eurasia

*Alpine Log Flume — Gulliver's World, United Kingdom
*Beaver Creek Log Flume — Blackpool Pleasure Beach, United Kingdom
*Canyon River Log Flume — The Flambards Experience, United Kingdom
*Crazy River — Walibi World, Netherlands
*Donau Jump — Prater, Austria
*Fantasy Flume — Fantasy Island, United Kingdom
*The Flume — Alton Towers, United Kingdom
*Flumeride — Liseberg, Sweden
*Log Flume — Barry Island, United Kingdom; Camelot Theme Park, United Kingdom; Funland, United Kingdom; Gt. Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, United Kingdom; Gulliver's Kingdom, United Kingdom; Pleasureland Southport, United Kingdom; Yokohama Cosmoworld, Japan
*Loggers' Leap — Loudoun Castle, United Kingdom; Thorpe Park, United Kingdom
*Mellow Yellow Log Flume — Pleasurewood Hills, United Kingdom
*Menhir Express — Parc Asterix, France
*Niagara Falls — Sunway Lagoon, Malaysia
*Pirate Falls — Legoland Windsor, United Kingdom
*Raging River Log Flume — Paulton's Park, United Kingdom
*Riviere Canadienne — Nigloland, France
*Rocky River Falls — Wicksteed Park, United Kingdom
*Splash Mountain — Tokyo Disneyland, Japan
*Stonewash Creek — Phantasialand, Germany
*Teufels Fasser — Holiday Park, Germany
*Tidal Wave — Thorpe Park, United Kingdom
*Tirol Log Flume — Europa-Park, Germany
*Water Chute — Harbour Park, United Kingdom
*White Water Log Flume — Codona's, United Kingdom; M&D's, United Kingdom
*Wild River Flume — Clarence Pier, United Kingdom
*Wild River Log Flume — Botton's Pleasure Beach, United Kingdom; Brighton Pier, United Kingdom
*Wild Wasserbahn — Bobbejaanland, Belgium; Heide Park, Germany
*Wildwasserbahn — Skyline Park, Germany
*Wonder Drop — Tokyo Dome City, Japan
*Zambezi Water Splash — West Midland Safari Park, United Kingdom

References