Starting at the end of this month, consumers will be able to “hang 10” riding a compact and self-contained surf simulator at the Aquaport water park in Maryland Heights, Missouri, when it opens for the summer on May 29.
It’s just one of the many improvements made by Contegra Construction Co. to add amenities, save on operational costs and improve water quality for the St. Louis suburban water park that debuted in 1998. Joining Contegra on the $5.7 million project were Hastings + Chivetta, architects, Capri Pools & Aquatics, pool renovations, and Counsilman-Hunsaker, design and engineering of the pool renovations.
The Aquatic Development Group (ADG) Flowrider is a double rider, allowing two surfers to ride the wave at the same time. The Flowrider is supported by a steel frame and a cast-in-place tank for water, an equipment room, chemical storage and electric room. See the video of the Flowrider in use.
Other improvements made by Contegra include:
- Completely renovating family restrooms, changing areas, food preparation and concessions, offices, equipment rental, and first aid rooms.
- Constructing all new cast-in-place admissions kiosks with a covered patio area.
- Adding St. Louis Cardinal-themed baseball hat and bat to the children’s pool and creating a more universal ADA access;
- Improving water quality throughout the park with separate water filtration and chemical systems for the leisure pool, lazy river, children’s area, and Flowrider. The lazy river also features a weir wall system that functions as a giant skimmer to clean the water surface and improve flow to the filter system for a faster turnover rate; and
- Repainting all pools with a Tnemec epoxy paint to better protect foundations from moisture, chemicals and seasonal temperatures.
The project was the first major renovation of Aquaport since the addition of the Extreme Bowl slide in 2006. Other attractions include the Family Fun Pool, Lazy River, Flume Slide, Racer Slide, Rapids Slide and the Tube Slide.
Located at 2344 McKelvey Road, Aquaport is operated by the City of Maryland Heights Parks & Recreation Department.
