Sandcastle to debut new Bombs Away slide in summer 2022

Imagine the floor disappearing beneath you and falling into a tube, traveling at 26 feet per second.

That will be the experience inside Sandcastle water park’s newest water slide.

Bombs Away is scheduled to open in the summer of 2022.

The attraction was originally planned for the 2020 season, but the pandemic halted construction because of a shortened season. In 2021, the decision on whether to move ahead would have had to been made earlier in the year, but at that time there was still a lot of uncertainty regarding the pandemic, said Nick Paradise, Sandcastle spokesman.

Park management announced Monday that Bombs Away is “a 305-foot-long freefalling drop slide. Sliders will step into an enclosed capsule when, without warning, the floor beneath their feet abruptly vanishes and drops them down into a twisting, turning loop through a closed-tube fly-by down six stories at speeds up to 26 feet per second.”

“Guests have been waiting to blast off on Bombs Away and Sandcastle’s newest attraction is perfect for all water park thrill-seekers,” Kennywood and Sandcastle general manager Mark Pauls said in a statement.

Sandcastle, which opened in 1989, has 15 waterslides, a Mon-Tsunami Wave Pool, Mushroom Pool and Lazy River.

“This drop is over the top, and riders will love looping around and around to the splashdown,” Pauls said.

Next summer, there should be plenty of time to ride the slide because Sandcastle, as well as Kennywood and Idlewild & SoakZone, are preparing to expand operating schedules, according to the parks’ management, Palace Entertainment.