USA: Cowabunga Water Parks in Las Vegas Now Under Management of Texas-based Pyek Group

Houston, Texas-based Pyek Group, whose principals also include business owners Keith Dalton, Terry Hlavinka, and Ray DeLaugther, announced in fall 2021 to expand its existing water park portfolio by forming a new business entity to own and operate two existing water parks in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thus, in addition to the two Typhoon Texas water parks in Houston (see EAP 5/2016) and Austin (formerly Hawaiian Falls, taken over in 2017), the previously competing waterparks Wet ‘n‘ Wild Las Vegas (in Summerlin) – now under the new name Cowabunga Canyon – and Cowabunga Bay (in Henderson) now also belong to the group. The water parks united under the Cowabunga umbrella brand opened their gates to visitors for the first time in this new constellation last Memorial Day weekend.

“It makes sense to create synergy under the same Cowabunga brand since both waterparks will be owned an operated by the same company,” said Evan Barnett, President of Pyek Group. Both parks were modernized after the takeover thanks to appropriate investments. Earlier this year, the operator group signed a three-year contract with accesso Technology Group to equip its four waterparks with e-commerce, on-site ticketing and mobile F&B solutions from the technology provider. Now called Cowabunga Canyon, the water park opened in 2013 as part of Village Roadshow Theme Parks (VRTP)’s “Wet ‘n‘ Wild” brand (see EAP 2/2013). Cowabunga Bay (owned by Shane Huish) opened a year later (see EAP 5/2014).

As part of the acquisition, a number of positions within the group were also newly filled. Cade Vereen, previously General Manager of Typhoon Texas waterpark in Austin, as Regional General Manager is now in charge of both waterparks in Las Vegas. (eap)