| Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord | |
| Location: | Concord, California, U.S. |
| Homepage: | Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord |
| Owner: | EPR Properties |
| Operator: | Six Flags Entertainment Corporation |
| Previous Names: | Waterworld USA Concord (1995–2003) Six Flags Waterworld (2004–2006) Waterworld California (2007–2017) |
| Season: | May through September |
| Rides: | 19 Waterslides, 6 Complexes |
| Water Rides: | 19 |
| Status: | Operating |
| Slogan: | Bay Area's Largest Water Park |
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord is a seasonal water park located in Concord, California. It was initially developed, owned, and operated by Premier Parks. It is currently owned by EPR Properties and operated by Six Flags.
Waterworld California, originally Waterworld USA, opened in 1995.[1] It was developed by what was then Premier Parks, which also leased and operated the original WaterWorld USA (now Raging Waters Sacramento). Premier Parks also owned nearby Marine World Africa USA (now Six Flags Discovery Kingdom). The three parks were operated by the same management, and their close proximity made for deals so that season passes to Marine World also worked at the Waterworld USA parks. Premier Parks acquired Six Flags on April 1, 1998, and eventually changed its name to Six Flags Inc.[2] In 1998 Six Flags began rebranding numerous properties, however, the Waterworld parks were not renamed until 2003, when they became Six Flags Waterworld. At the end of the 2006 season, Six Flags divested itself of multiple properties including the two Waterworld parks. The Concord park was purchased by CNL Lifestyle Properties on January 11, 2007.[3] Multiple CNL properties, including Waterworld, were operated by Premier Parks LLC — although similar in name, it was not the same company that built the park. In November 2016, CNL sold its recreational assets, including Waterworld, to EPR Properties. Premier Parks LLC continued to manage Waterworld.[4] On April 27, 2017, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced it would take over the park's operations from Premier Parks, LLC.[5] On February 22, 2018, Six Flags announced the name of the park would change to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord.[6]
Due to the growing concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, Six Flags announced a suspension of operations across the company on March 13, 2020.[7] In early August, the water park announced on their social media that the 2020 operating season had been canceled and that Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord looks forward to open again in 2021.[8] This would be the first season for the water park to not operate since its inception in 1995.
On June 2, 1997, the Banzai Pipeline collapsed after students piled into the water slide in an attempt to break a school record. A section of the slide gave way under the weight of the students, all of whom had congregated in the section in particular, resulting in the group falling several metres to the ground. The collapse of the water slide resulted in 32 injuries and the death of 18-year-old Quimby Ghilotti.[9] [10] It was stated that the slide experienced weight forces three times greater than what it was designed for. The incident was featured on an episode of Dateline.[11]