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Rapid Tires: Continental Using Industrial Pneumatic Tires to Drive the World’s First Rotating Water Slide at a Chinese Water Park

• SlideWheel combines a water slide and Ferris wheel into one
• The attraction at the Chimelong Water Park in China is driven by ContiRV20 tires
• This tire offers traction and a long service life, especially in a moist environment

The tube in the starting area of the world's first rotating water slide is reminiscent of a greedy mouth waiting to be fed with the next group of aquatic adventurers. Four pairs of legs climb excitedly into the gigantic inflatable raft while the Ferris wheel continues turning relentlessly behind the starting area. Laughter and shouting from the mouth of the tube make their way upwards and get mixed with the babble of those waiting, creating a unique background noise.

SlideWheel is the name of what is so far the only such slide adventure worldwide at the Chimelong Water Park in Guangzhou, China. Up to 5,000 visitors daily climb into the 140-meter long slide from a height of 12 meters. Thanks to a pendulum movement, rotation and back-and-forth motions, the slide experience stretches as far as more than 250 meters.

The 160-metric-ton colossus is driven by industrial pneumatic tires produced by Continental. A diameter of 74 cm and a weight of almost 37 kilograms is required to drive the combined slide and Ferris wheel. “One thing in particular was important to us for the SlideWheel: finding a drive that also runs reliably in the wet conditions of the water park,” said Stephan Spiller, development engineer and CTO at Wiegand Maelzer. The company from Starnberg in Bavaria specializes in water slides and managed the development and construction of the SlideWheel in cooperation with roller coaster manufacturer Gerstlauer Amusement Rides. “We opted for the ContiRV20 due to its good performance in wet conditions. In the first season, the tires have already won over not only us and the operators at Chimelong, but also half a million enthusiastic guests.”

The ContiRV20 is a robust radial tire for use in difficult and demanding operating conditions. A very resistant tread compound and closed shoulders lay the foundation for an exceptional service life. The ContiRV20 guarantees maximum efficiency in power transmission and offers outstanding grip and traction properties, even on wet surfaces.