A blizzard is about to hit the Washington, D.C. area in Spring of 2003, and this storm won't be quite like anything the eastern seaboard of America has seen before. The real blizzard of '03 is set to hit Six Flags America of Largo, Maryland when Penguin's Blizzard River blows into the theme park's Gotham City as the Six Flags land's fourth water-driven thrillride, and promises to be the most chilling one yet. Following Six Flags America's Shipwreck Falls splashdown ride, Renegade Rapids whitewater river, and Typhoon SeaCoaster which opened as the first flume ride to rotate riders backwards, Penguin's Blizzard River will take the idea of water ride rotation to a whole new high-water mark in spinning riders continuously during its already twisted course. The ride comes from Whitewater West Industries as that company's newest flume concept, with a 669 foot-long layout featuring a lifthill of over six stories, single helix, double helix, triple-down drop, and final U-shaped splashdown river of 200 feet in length. Getting its theme from one of Batman's long-time adversaries, Penguin, Gothamites onboard will try to escape the freezing powers of the Penguin as their raft navigates the course, water blaster 'spray rays' and the churning Blizzard River below threatening to turn riders into icicles. Six Flags America's new water ride comes as one of two 'spinning rapids' attractions to make their debuts in the Six Flags chain in 2003, joining Diablo Falls at Houston, Texas's Six Flags AstroWorld.

Six Flags America guests venture to the back of the park into Gotham City to take on the wild waters of Penguin's Blizzard River. Riders-to-be can either jump right into line of man one of several Spray Ray blasters to aim at helpless riders coming through PBR's final river section. But once through the queue, H20-seekers, get their own chance to get wet. Boarding one of twelve circular rafts seating up to six passengers, the craft begins to move out of the station building and meets up with the lift. The belt lifts the boat up a slope to level at six stories above Gotham, then sends passengers heading down into Penguin's first roundabout element to the left. A first double helix starts riders curving as the currents below start doing their spinning duty on the raft, all combining to wind the boat around while disorienting passengers. The flume keeps curving leftwards and under the top layer of the element while the craft continues its spinning disorientation. Curving on down one complete spiral plus another half, the 540-degree first helix wraps up and aims rivergoers back in the direction from where they came, then dive into the second helix, still while spinning in clockwise meyhem. Winding in towards the lift, the track banks around to complete 360 degrees. Penguin's Blizzard River exits helix number two and then heads down, dipping and leveling twice in the double-down final drop into a splashdown in Chiller Bay. And if riders aren't wet enough already, the raft is slowly navigated under Spray Ray Crossing where the blasts of water manned by the guests above are sure to do the trick, or Fog Bog, a wall of mist leading into the final U-turn back to the station.

Be sure to pack a towel this summer if you head on over to Six Flags America to ride Penguin's Blizzard River this year!