Construction on Tony Hawk's Halfpipe is underway. The all-new waterslide emulates the fun of skating a huge halfpipe with the thrill of an amazing waterslide.Check back often to track the progress and be one of the first to experience the thrill when it debuts on May 24, 2008.

May 15, 2008

Now that the stairs are in place, the railings go up next.  The 'edgy' contrast between the black stairs and the silver colored rails is perfect for Tony Hawk's Halfpipe.  Hold on - it's going to be quite ride!

Fiberglass is now being installed.  Nearly 6 of the panels are laid in, caulking will take place (to seal the pieces together), and many nuts and bolts will anchor it all together.  The detail work is what everyone will see - and it is all coming together very nicely.  This eggshell white fiberglass will be accented by a gold/yellow trim to round out the complete color pallet for this incredibly fun new slide.  Only 9 days until it premieres here at Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor.

May 14, 2008

The 4 stories of stairs are now almost completely in place.  Soon you can ascend these stairs with wide-eyed anticipation of your first slide!  These steel stairs were put into place by large cranes and heavy duty bolts - all secured into the tower unit.  The view from above is quite nice - wait until you see it as you lift off and fly at over 23 mph with zero gravity. 

The drop area is almost complete - just needs fiberglass.  "Glass" is being installed over the next few days and this view will completely change.  Once the glass is installed, you will not be able to see the black underbelly supports as you are on this slide.  Check back soon as you see the next big phase of the final build-out.  Remember, Tony Hawk's Halfpipe opens May 24th - be there to experience the first day thrills.  And, on May 31, come out to see live skateboarders in action in Hurricane Harbor to celebrate the Grand Opening of this one of a kind slide. 

May 10, 2008

The steel support structure is really taking place.  Despite two days of torrential rain, the crews kept working to ensure Tony Hawk's Halfpipe is ready for your enjoyment on May 24th.   At this point much of the steel is in place.  Tons of steel is erected to provide the base for the fiberglass slide to rest on - the slide with no sides is going to be one awesome ride!

Cranes pull the steel stairs into an area where very soon the entire steel structure will be completed.  In just two weeks, you will be walking up these stairs to a peak of 4 stories high.  Once at the top, you can ride either a one person or two person raft - enjoying zero gravity as you cascade down this daring slide.  The newest addition to Hurricane Harbor, since the total makeover in 2005, will thrill young and old at Six Flags America all summer long. 

May 9, 2008

At this point in the process all of the construction work occurs above ground. Here we can see the main structure of the ride being built. Large cranes lift the giant pieces of steel into position which are then fastened together. Although construction began two weeks ago, it is just now beginning to take its final shape as we connect the steel structure to the underground support system. We're excited to be on the home stretch - the entire above-ground structure only takes about 10 days to complete!

April 30, 2008

Each of these wooden boxes contain another series of steel rebar connected to the underground reinforcement. In the next few days, we'll connect these pilings to the massive steel frame of the ride itself. You can see here that we needed to bring in some big equipment to clear a space for the underground support structure! At over four stories tall, the steel frame of Tony Hawk's Halfpipe connects to the ground at nine different places.

April 25, 2008

Rebar is the underground "lattice" work that is done within the concrete footers.  Rebar is steel rods, molded together to reinforce the concrete - the strength of the two together provides long-lasting reinforcement for the above ground supports.  The area is now a Hard Hat zone with trucks, backhoes, pile drivers and much more heavy equipment on site.  No Hard Hat, no entry into the work zone as safety is always priority #1 here at Six Flags.  Get ready to enjoy the slide with no sides - less than one month away until the debut of Tony Hawk's Halfpipe.  It is a great time to get your Play Pass - come now for the rides and shows, come back on May 24 to be one of the first on the world's only Tony Hawk's Halfpipe and then play all summer…..

April 23, 2008

Some of the initial work has begun on the "footers" - large, deep concrete underground bases which the slide will eventually be anchored to.  Wet concrete is messy, but in this nice weather it dries nicely and helps us move along in our project work.  As you can see, more will work is yet to be done on this footer and then more concrete will finish this area off.  It is one month and one day away from opening and this project will speed up quickly and much of the work will begin to be above ground.  Check back soon for more exciting details and information on Tony Hawk's Halfpipe!

April 18, 2008

Wow!  The big road warrior has arrived with much of the fiberglass that will be the actual slide.  In cases, the "glass" doesn't look like much more than any other delivery.  But to Six Flags America, it is Christmas in April -what we have been anticipating for several months.  You can see the underside color - red - which will not be visible to Guests while on the ride, but clearly visible up through the supports (see April 15th entry) as you view from the outside.  The White and Yellow pieces are "topside" pieces.  The actual slide is pure white - looks like a crisp new eggshell.  The trim on the slide is bright yellow.  Soon, you and  your family will be able to experience thrills on this new slide.  In the meantime, lots of work has to be done, so check back soon for more updates. 

April 17, 2008

The Engineers are on property scoping out the topography and getting ready for the heavy work.  Working off a site scope, they measure ground level and compare it to sea level (really!) to ensure proper site elevation work is done. This will ensure the concrete is correctly poured into the area where Tony Hawk's Halfpipe will be erected.  With the beautiful weather outside, this presents a great opportunity for the next phases.  Soon, the rest of the slide parts will arrive and concrete will be poured.  The foundation for any ride is the most critical element.  More markings are laid, in multiple colors - each meaning a separate thing. 

April 15, 2008

Parts started arriving today for this new thrill slide!  The steel supports will go in once the ground is properly prepared and be built up to support the entire attraction.  Individually, the parts are not that exciting, but they combine to make an awesome structure - and one that will thrill all summer long.  The "slide with no sides" will go as fast as 23 m.p.h. during its run and families will love this new addition to the already exciting Hurricane Harbor.

These arched supports are actually "U" shaped and will attach to the upright supports.  On these "U" shaped supports, is where the actual fiberglass will lie and on the topside, where you will ride and glide.  You are starting to see the color scheme of this unique slide the color scheme planned. Combining black with other colors (check back to find out the other colors) creates the edginess associated with skateboarding.  With about two months until opening, things are heating up -both outside and with the construction.

April 14, 2008

Ground Markers! Like with any construction, our engineers and construction personnel carefully mark the ground for all "footers" and in ground elements.  This ensures, as construction progresses, that everything is put in its proper place.  To the average eye, it looks like orange paint, but to the trained eye, every spot, every notation means something critically important.

Because Tony Hawk's Halfpipe is largely an "above ground" project, the footers and other underground elements are minimal.  Just wait to see what it looks like as it begins to take shape.