World’s tallest water ride set to debut at Italy’s Mirabilandia

Billed as the world’s tallest water ride, the $26-million Divertical at Italy’s Mirabilandia theme park will combine a shoot-the-chutes flume and a roller coaster track with an offshore powerboat racing theme.

PHOTOS: Divertical water coaster at Mirabilandia

Debuting June 16, the Divertical water coaster will feature an innovative elevator lift system that carries the 10-person boats to the top of the 197-foot-tall ride. From there, riders will descend a 45-degree water flume at speeds topping 65 mph.

After a tidal wave-like splash, the train will continue along a coaster track over air-time hills and hairpin turns before dropping into a second splashdown pool. The offshore-style racing boats will depart from a modern-looking station house featuring a series of nested roofs held aloft by guy wires.

At nearly 20 stories, Divertical will also become Italy’s tallest roller coaster, topping Mirabilandia’s 180-foot-tall iSpeed electro-magnetic launch coaster, which will be located next to the new water coaster at the Italian theme park.

Built by Intamin, Divertical will combine the Swiss-based ride manufacturer’s Hyper Splash and Aquatrax attractions into a first-of-its-kind water ride.

The 165-foot-tall Pilgrim’s Plunge at Holiday World in Indiana, another Intamin Hyper Splash with an elevator lift, currently holds the title of world’s tallest water ride.

Atlantis Adventure at Lotte World in South Korea is currently the world’s only Intamin Aquatrax water coaster.

Mirabilandia held an online competition allowing fans to create the graphic design for one of the Divertical boats, which will each have a distinct offshore powerboat racing theme.

Located about an hour east of Bologna on the Adriatic Coast, Mirabilandia will boast the three tallest roller coasters in Italy with the addition of Divertical, besting Italian-rival Gardaland just outside Verona.