Having seen the various "LOOPING SLIDES" by various flumemakers,one in particular is claiming to be different to the rest namely The Superloop by Proslide as it features a completely HORIZONTAL LOOP that is NOT A LOOP AT ALL but is a complete 360 degree turn!!!Countless slides ALREADY IN EXISTANCE ALREADY HAVE THIS FEATURE so what is all the fuss about?The only thing that makes it different from a "NORMAL" waterslide is the fact it has a STARTING TRAP-BOX! Are Proslide aware they have produced something they claim to be New,but as inreality been around since flumes themselves?
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That's right. The Superloop is intended to simulate the feeling of a looping slide without needing permanent supervision, expensive emergency exits and pointless weight limits as it completely works without uphill sections. It's not a real loop slide, but more a narrow helix which brings up high G-force.
Another fact Proslide might have considered is that they do not have to pay licence fees to Aquarena, the inventor of the loop slide, because their technique (inclined loop) isn't used with this slide.
I like both versions, as the real "kick" at a loop slide is always the start rather than the loop itself. You don't feel the loop at all, you just feel that you become a bit slower and then faster again. So a slide without an uphill way is quite thrilling, as well, assumed that the slide has an appropriate starting height (more than 10 meters is minimum, in my eyes).
I've heard that Van Egdom is planning a completely vertical loop, and they wanted to build it at Tikibad but it didn't fit in the tower so they built the small X-Stream. But I ask myself how high the G-force must be in this slide...
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I would call the "superloop" advertising-gimmick. In my opinion, special about "superloop" is only the trap-box. If you want so, the first looping-slides in Germany were in Arriba in Norderstedt, near Hamburg, and in tabbs Tabarz. Both have a helix with more than 360 degrees.
source: tabbs tabarz - http://www.tabbs.de -
On the subject of the VERTICAL LOOP there are some small homemade slides (on YOUTUBE) that feature a vertical loop that actually work,as they feature an OPEN LOOP that is not enclosed in any way at all! so if you do not make it over the loop you simply slide back down again much like on the sidewinder/Boomerang type of flume! This is what VAN EGDOM are thinking of!