Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions, or personal experiences.

Every summer, so many people return to the places in Maine that they've always known and loved as a way to relax and enjoy themselves. Old Orchard Beach and Saco have been hotspots for decades, with many families making at least one trip per year to Funtown Splashtown USA. But before Splashtown joined the party, the water park that sat at that location was known as Cascade Water Park, with a few unique attractions that no longer exist today. Funtown Splashtown USA took a trip down memory lane on Facebook and shared one of those classic rides: a water hose duel known as Hydrofighter.

For many visiting the park in the late '80s and early '90s, Hydrofighter was the first attraction you laid eyes on because, well, it was hard not to. It was a unique design, one of only two custom built in the world. Most people who stood in line to ride Hydrofighter couldn't figure out how to fully enjoy the ride when their turn was up. Here's how Funtown explained the proper operation of the ride:

"2 guests to sit back-to-back, each with control of their own powerful water hose, which had a handled valve which would allow the water flow to be turned on or off. As one guest would turn their hose on, the other guest riding with them would keep their water off. As the “chair” would be pushed in the opposite direction of the water hoses flow, when it reached it maximum height, that guest would turn their water off, and their partner would turn their hose on. This would push the chair in the opposite direction. Repeating the process would push the chair in each direction, higher and higher, until the waters spray could reach the other chairs and guests, or the rides queue line, or even the building located next to the ride"

Confused, aren't you? You wouldn't be alone, and that is one of the major reasons Funtown shut down the ride in 2000 after 13 years in operation. The majority of guests struggled to keep their hoses under control, the ride was limited to very few people at once, and attendants had to supervise closely.

After it was removed, Funtown replaced it with the popular attraction known as Dragon's Descent. The Hydrofighter goes down in history along with the Haunted Mansion as one of Funtown Splashtown's most iconic and memorable attractions that couldn't stand the test of time.


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