Daredevil Falls at Dollywood and Bugs’ White Water Rapids at Six Flags Fiesta Texas are the only Hopkins Super Flumes left in the United States. They were both built in 1998 and are joined by 3 other locations in South Korea, Taiwan and Australia. Hopkins was acquired by WhiteWater West in 2012 and the last Super Flume was installed in 2015 before being discontinued. However, the Super Flume is making a comeback as the Super Flume Technology has been selected by Six Flags for Rip Roarin’ Falls at Carowinds. In this case it will be a WhiteWater West Super Flume, but it’s a successor to the Hopkins Super Flume. WhiteWater West differentiates the Super Flume from a traditional log flume because it features boats that hold up to eight passengers, offers the potential of turntables and backwards motion as well as enhanced theming.

During a construction tour of NightFlight Expedition in the spring of Pete Owens serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Dollywood mentioned Daredevil Falls specifically. He mentioned the park’s desire to have “one and only” or unique attractions as a driver for guest visits, a “if you wanna ride it, you’ve gotta come to Dollywood” mindset.. He also mentioned upgrades performed on Daredevil Falls during the off-season with the goal being to give Daredevil Falls another 20 – 25 years of life. The ride evidently faced some up-time issues in 2025, but now has new boats and some new infrastructure.

I’ve ridden Daredevil Falls and I’v also been lucky enough to ride Bugs’ White Water Rapids at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. They are both high quality rides and feel superior to your average log flume. Six Flags for Rip Roarin’ Falls at Carowinds will be a record breaking ride with a 100 foot drop and a backwards drop. What’s somewhat surprising is that its max speed will be the same as Daredevil Falls at 50 mph, maybe there’s a terminal velocity for a water ride drop? Here’s a complete list of the World Records:

• World’s Tallest Drop on a Water Ride or Flume (100 Feet)
• World’s Tallest Reverse Drop on a Water Ride or Flume (42 Feet)
• World’s Tallest Reverse Camelback Drop on a Water Ride or Flume (Two Backward Airtime Moments)

It’s great to see a park keep a rare ride system going as it’s often not easy. However, with the selection of the Super Flume technology by Carowinds it validates there’s something unique and special about it worth preserving. The new “boat” ride in NightFlight at Dollywood may get a lot of attention this fall, but don’t forget to head over to ride the new and improved Daredevil Falls.