The sun’s out and it’s time to make some waves this summer.
Raging Waves Waterpark in Yorkville celebrates 15 years as a Chicagoland summertime destination. Opening day is June 4.
Raging Waves offers guests 32 waterslides, a wave pool, three kiddie pool areas, a lazy river, 43 private cabanas and eating areas. There are thrill rides; like the Wonambi raft ride, the Cyclone, PJ’s Plummet and the multi-rider Boomerang; and moderate rides like the Three Sisters and the Crocodile Mile.
“We’re embarking on our 15th anniversary. We’re excited,” said Randy Witt, co-owner of Raging Waves. “We had a new ride in last year, the Aussie Mat Dash, but there are still a lot of people who haven’t been here yet who haven’t had the opportunity to ride it. It was so well-received last year, it was crazy. We’re so happy with the results.”
The Aussie Mat Dash is a six-lane racing slide that is just one of three in the world, he said. It’s a headfirst mat racer with four rally points where you can see the people you’re racing against.
The 15th anniversary will be noted and celebrated throughout the season, he said.
“It’s truly been a real, real blessing that we’ve made it 15 years,” he said. “The first couple years were tough; I’m not going to lie. But we kept the faith and here we are. We’re going to have some marketing initiatives that reference not only the 15th anniversary but the family ownership of this park.”
As far as he knows, Raging Waves is the largest mom-and-pop-owned water park in the nation, he said.
Although the first few years were a little turbulent, by 2014, the park was able to add a few new attractions. In 2016, it added a “really big attraction” with the popular thrill ride, The Wonambi, he said.
“We’re kind of on pace right now for every other year to bring in a new attraction,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing — the total enhancement of the park as far as theming, landscaping — it’s amazing what 15 years does for trees and shrubbery. We’ve upped our theming game … to try to create that whole experience and encapsulate you in a different land and forget about the worries of the day.”
What hasn’t changed is its commitment to cleanliness, friendliness and safety for its guests, he said.
“If we can get people here, we’ve got them hooked,” he said. “The thing people that come here for the first time say, ‘I can’t believe how big this place is.'”
Year after year, the funnel-shaped Boomerang is the most popular attraction, he said. The Wonambi is a close second. He thinks the Aussie Mat Dash is a sleeper, though.
“Here’s the thing about the Aussie Mat Dash. The younger kids can go on it because you only need to be 42 inches tall,” he said. “It’s unbelievable, the kids who get off that thing and they’re just giddy. So much so that they run back up on the tower and will go down all six different lanes to race their friends.”
He knows very well you can’t go wrong if you add things for kids and Raging Waves has three separate areas: Koala Kove, Quokka-Nut Island and Kangaroo Falls.
“You can go in Kiddiebunga Bay and spend eight hours and never venture into any other areas of the park and many families do,” he said. “Koala Cove is good for the really tiny kids — there’s four slides. In Quokka-Nut Island, it’s where kids take another step up.
“The pool’s just a little bit deeper, the slides just a little bit quicker … and then you go to Kangaroo Falls that has all the bells and whistles and tipping bucket and six different slides in that area alone.”
A fan favorite is Kookaburra Kreek, the quarter-mile long lazy river that flows through the heart of Raging Waves. There have even been floaters fall asleep while drifting along, he said.
“People love that lazy river because they can float on it for as long as they want, for as many laps as they want,” he said. “There’s something for the entire family, from the little tykes all the way up to the grandparents.”
In the end, Witt hopes that people still have as much fun at the park as they did 15 years ago.
“It provides a really great, memorable day for your family,” he said. “We want to make this so family oriented. We wanted to provide a place where families could come and just bond and enjoy each other’s company. We wanted to create a place to bring (families) together. You’re going to come to a safe, clean friendly place … and create great memories with your family.”
Raging Waves Waterpark
Where: 4000 N. Bridge St. (Illinois 47), Yorkville
Hours: Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. June 4-10, Aug. 15-19 and Sept. 3-5; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 11-Aug. 14 and Aug. 20-21 and 27-28
Cost: $29.99-$44.99 adults and children 42 inches and up; seniors 62 and over and children under 42 inches Kids 1 and under free. Standard parking $10; preferred $20.
Information: 630-882-6575; ragingwaves.com
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
