Visitors have poured in to use Cape Splash's new slides

The conclusion of Cape Splash's fifth season represents one of the Cape Girardeau water park's most successful summers.

Although the opening was delayed, the completion of the new speed slides and mat racer was the main driver behind the uptick in visitors this year.

Since the July 9 opening of the slides, lines to enter the park and even longer lines to try out the new attraction can be seen almost any given day when passing the water park on Kings- highway.

Betty Luhr and family members make their way around the lazy river Thursday at Cape Splash. (Glenn Landberg)

Aquatic supervisor Patric Watson said the slides are doing exactly what parks and recreation staff hoped: renewing visitor interest and appealing to older children.

In fact, the interest in Cape Splash and its new attractions have led to record-breaking attendance this year. The bar was set in the park's debut year, 2010, when it averaged a daily attendance of about 1,300 in the weeks after it opened.

"The Saturday after we opened (the slides) was July 11, and that was the biggest day ever, and then we topped that on Saturday the 18th," Watson said.

The park's record for the most visitors in one day is 3,050. Cumulative numbers for season attendance and revenue are calculated once staff have gathered and reviewed receipts at the end of the season. Watson said the process takes about a month.

City officials announced earlier this summer since Cape Splash opened in May 2010, it has hosted more than 431,000 visitors.

Penny Williams, recreation division manager for the parks and recreation department and member of the Cape Splash slides project team, joked at the slides' ribbon cutting it felt as if nearly every single one of those visitors stopped her in the days before the opening to ask when the slides would be finished.

Parks and recreation staff had hoped for a completion date that would coincide with the May 23 season opening, but rainy weather delayed the project until July.

The delay only built up anticipation as people watched the brightly colored slides come together, piece by piece.

Watson said the turnout and satisfaction of visitors "absolutely" met the staff's expectations.

"It's been a pretty good draw," he said of the slides. "It's also been good because the height requirement for the mat racer isn't as high as it is for the other slides, so younger kids can enjoy it."

The height requirement for the three-lane, 319-foot mat racer is at least 42 inches. Those who wish to ride either of the speed slides, which include the 265-foot free-fall slide and the 259-foot triple-drop slide, must be at least 48 inches tall.

Keeping the rides on each component moving smoothly requires quite a bit of coordination. Employees are responsible for several tasks, including making sure riders meet the height requirements, lining them up for the ride, then watching for the employee at the bottom of the slide to hold up the checkered flag indicating all previous riders have exited before sending down the next wave. But everyone has handled the tasks well, Watson said.

"The amount of manpower and teamwork and coordination it's taken, I've been really proud of our team," he said.

For those who have yet to take a trip down the new slides, time is running out. The park switches to limited operating hours starting Aug. 13. It will remain open through Labor Day weekend from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Once the park closes for the season, Watson said work can begin on some of the older attractions in need of attention. The lazy river received some renovations last year, and the splash pad is up next.

"We're looking at replacing the splash pad surface," he said. "It's got a lot of high use and is starting to show its age."

Landscaping work will continue around the new slides. As grass begins to replace the dirt on the hillside between Kingshighway and the edge of the park, Watson said it will relieve erosion concerns.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

1625 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, Mo.