TARGET 160601

The Labyrinth Tower Waterslide

These large pipes carry a very special cargo..... people.



^{Aqualand, Maspalomas}

They are located at a water park in Maspalomas, on the southern tip of an island called Gran Canaria, Spain. You say, you don't know Gran Canaria is? It's in Spain. What part of Spain?


^{That's right - it's part of Spain... look it up.}

The park has 30 water slides, but the one we're focusing on for this Target of the Week is the one called, "Labyrinth Tower". It is the most spectacular of the 30.


^{The entrance to the slide}

The entrance to the waterslide looks somewhat ominous. It is basically a blood red plastic hole with a caution bar at the top (not shown). When the pipe is clear of the previous person to go through, a light notifies you that it is time to let go of the bar and down the tube you go.


^{Along the way.}

As you progress down the tube, sections of colored light rings play havoc with your senses. The curves in the pipe cause you to rock sideways, back and forth as you go down the pipe, further causing you to lose a grip on which way is up.


^{The exit....from the pipe. But wait...there's more.}

As you near the exit of the pipe, the blinding sunlight brings you back to somewhat of a sense of reality. But that is short-lived because of what awaits you outside.


^Uh-oh.

Waiting for you just past the end of the tube is a sharp drop-off that looks like the edge of the world.


^{I think it's time to hang onto the float very, very tightly.}

As you shoot out of the pipe, you quickly realize that you now have a drop of 80 feet (24.4 meters).



^{And down you go.}

And at the bottom, the same water that has been carrying you all along now acts as a brake to stop you.

The following video takes you from the top to the bottom in the 31 seconds it normally takes for the ride... Somehow, I'll bet it seems like a lot longer if you're actually doing it.

NOTE: You may want to move the volume slide down before starting the video.

FEEDBACK MAP



If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, more information,
pictures and videos can be found at the following web sites:

Aqualand's web site (w/2 minute video tour)
Aqualand's 2nd web site
TripAdvisor web site (travel information)
YouTube video of multiple waterslides at the park.
(The above video is an exerpt from this full-length tour)


NOTE: I know that I'm going to catch a lot of flack from those who are afraid of heights and/or severely inclosed spaces. That is why I added the caution to the tasking page that the target may be mildly emotional to some viewers. There is no danger, though, in this target. The structures are carefully designed and the activities carefully controlled by park personnel. So, while this may have been an emotional target for some, it is still a completely safe target. It is also my hope that, by experiencing this on a computer screen, it may help some to rid themselves of those fears.