Banzai Water Slide Park
Calgary is perhaps not the best place for an outdoor water park, what with all the strange and unpredictable weather and rather brief summer season. None the less, one such business operated in the southern half of the city for a time. Presenting: the the Banzai (or Bonzai) Water Park, or rather what little is left if it. In operation for only a few short years in the 1980s and 1990s, the land where it once stood, as soon as the economy recovers of course, due to be the site of a new condo tower or two.
In the meantime the land is pretty much empty, Only a few chunks of concrete, some broken pathways, scattered trees, along with the remains of metal poles used to support the runs, remind us there was anything here. The place is but a footnote in Calgary history.
The few people that we could track down associated with the venue paint a picture of gross mismanagement and poorly conceived plans. Former patrons, we spoke with about a dozen, almost collectively, described it as “lame” – big complaint: the runs were too short and not terribly exciting. Everyone recalled either having been or knowing of someone who was injured while there, becoming ill after using it (yucky water is mentioned), being bullied by other customers, belligerent employees and numerous other unpleasantries. I guess it was not just the short seasons that killed it off. Note: our study case was small, so the results might be a bit skewed towards “thumbs down”.
A mini-golf course used to be located next to the slide runs. There was one other water park in the Calgary area, back when, just east of town, and it didn’t last long in business either.
Banzai (or Banzai!): Japanese origin, often used as a war-cry. Not to be confused with Bonsai, a small sculpted tree. Many people we’ve heard from say the place was called Bonzai Water Park and in fact an old commercial showing it has surfaced on Youtube confirming just that. Still, it seems the “incorrect” name was used more often, the company itself at times even doing it. We found an old flyer from them and it says Banzai. Banzai? Bonzai? Does it matter?
A closed go-cart track in Calgary, now gone…
Kart Garden or Kart World?
Short Subjects: reports that for any number of reasons are brief in nature. They might be updates to older articles, previews of posts planned or not yet published, brief snippets of things that don’t fit in anywhere else or subjects that are so obscure that information on them can’t be found.
If you need any more information on what we talked about here, by all means contact us!
Date of adventure: March, 2016.
Location: Calgary, AB.
BIGDoer.com was on site with permission.
All that remains of the Banzai Water Park Calgary.
It was in operation for only a few short years.
All that’s left: some trees, chunks of concrete…
…And these metal posts that once supported the runs.
It was called Bonzai!
It seems the firm has a bit of an identity crises. At times, like in the commercial that was posted in Youtube, it’s Bonzai. Yet in old papers and advertisements, we’ve seen Banzai as much as the other spelling. Odd, eh?
I was the DJ at Flipside and Boomerang teen nightclub which operated beside Bonsai for a few years.
Oh, that is so cool! Thanks for commenting!
I worked there for a summer back in the early 90s in the concession stand. The owners were older, but they and the other staff were very friendly and it was a great summer job for a teenager. I didn’t pay attention to much else about the place. Everyone always seemed to be having a good time, though. And weather was definitely an issue as I remember it raining quite a bit that summer so it wasn’t open as much as I would have liked.
What wonderful memories! Unpredictable weather was no doubt a constant problem for outdoor venues like this and is probably a big reason few lasted more than a handful of seasons in business.
I remember it – and mini golf there too I think.
Yes, there was, right beside it.
(via Facebook)
Saw my first pair of boobs there. Thanks random guy arguing with his lady and pulling her top off!
Now that’s a memory!
One or the other of them. One of the slides had uneven sections and the overlap stuck up against the direction of slide and just about ripped the skin off my back sliding down it. Still, a fun day with friends.
Yeeeeeooooooooouch!!!
(via Facebook)
The last couple years it was open I remember it was overrun with grasshoppers. I had a big grasshopper leap into my mouth as I was sliding down, and was gagging on it the entire way down the slide.
Yum yum!
Cool, I must have a bad memory, I was a kid/teen in the 80’s/90’s and do not remember this place!
Have you ever taken photos of the abandoned waterslides by Chestermere? I always wanted too!
I’ve tried to get into the Chestermere waterslide, but with no luck. Will keep trying though. Thanks for commenting!
I don’t remember it being THAT bad. Granted, it’s been a few years. I remember the main building was kinda dingy … the slides were fun, although too short compared to other similar facilities in BC and such.
Have since heard from others who thought it rocked. Still, things are leaning more towards the it wasn’t that great camp. The slides did seem sorta short.
Twenty-some years on, and I still miss that Par 57 mini-golf course next door. Too bad I can only remember 12 of the holes clearly.
Haha. I think it was called Par 52. But of course I could be wrong.
Where exactly was this water park?
MacLeod at Heritage. Friendly reminder, the land is fenced off and is private property.