Photo: Jessica Knouse. View full-sized image.
The ACE Eastern Pennsylvania region hosted its annual waterpark event called Slide With ACE at The Boardwalk at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, August 2, 2026. This event was the second event hosted on the same weekend, which also included CocoaCon the day before. Mother Nature had threatened rain and cooler than normal temperatures, but it didn’t deter attendees from enjoying themselves!
Brad Kirkham led attendees on a tour of the pump room.
Photo: Mike Matscherz. View full-sized image.
The morning started with a behind-the-scenes tour of the wave pool’s pump room, which was followed by a Q&A session with Brad Kirkham, an engineer at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company. It was then time for one hour of ERT on Breakers Edge Water Coaster and an added surprise slide, Whitecap Racer! Not long afterward was the event’s second-ever water slide race. The challenge was for participants to compete in groups and race one another on the slide. Eight contestants competed, so it was a quick and fast-paced race. In the end, Luko Simlesa won first place.
Breakers Edge Water Coaster and Whitecap Racer were offered for ERT.
Photo: Elizabeth Mulvaney. View full-sized image.
Whitecap Racer.
Photo: Jessica Knouse. View full-sized image.
The Intercoastal Waterway lazy river was popular on this hot day.
Photo: Elizabeth Mulvaney. View full-sized image.
After the contest ended, attendees enjoyed informal takeover times (ITOTs) on Coastline Plunge – Surge and Vortex slides and an hour-long ITOT on Intercoastal Waterway lazy river. A relaxing time, for sure, but watch out for those waterfalls! A few attendees even took their last soaking rides on Tidal Force, which will be closing permanently after Labor Day.
At lunch Regional Rep Mike Matscherz announced that Luko Simlesa was the winner of the water slide race.
Photo: Jessica Knouse. View full-sized image.
The group lunch included pulled pork, chicken bites, hot dogs, lots of sides, soft drinks and ice cream novelties. During this time, ACE Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Representative Mike Matscherz thanked everyone for attending Slide With ACE and introduced his regional rep team along with various volunteers who helped make this event a success.
Attendees were welcome to stay and spend the day relaxing at the waterpark. Much gratitude was expressed to the awesome team at Hersheypark, especially Connor Dea in group sales and Brad Kirkham, for hosting the event.
— Mike Matscherz, ACE Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Representative
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