Not only did both water parks in the Vegas Valley recently open new slide attractions, but two out of three of them are firsts in the country, if not the world. Sounds like a no-brainer scenario to us—why should any other city get first rights to new water-slide concepts but one of the hottest and most tourist-driven cities in the country? Actually, here’s a better question to answer: Are they fun?

Cowabunga Bay: The Henderson splash spot has already debuted two attractions this year, both occupying the same 60-foot-tall complex adjacent Galleria Drive—and strengthening the ride roster of the new-ish park.

Geared toward families, Beach Blanket Banzai is the more tepid of the pair. Two to four riders board an inflatable raft and cruise down a 600-foot long chute. I rode Banzai twice recently, once with one other person and again with a full raft. The former ride felt a little slow, the raft barely hugging the bends and curves like similar rides do elsewhere. However, we sped up and oscillated from wall to wall a bit more with two additional people aboard, giving us reason to whoaaa! and aughhh! during our journey. Future riders should load up those rafts (to no more than 770 pounds) if they want to maximize their thrill. Otherwise, younger children and cautious parents will find Banzai to be a suitable graduation from the kiddie slides.

More memorable is Wild Surf, which is somewhat similar to the popular tornado-style slides—Wet ‘N’ Wild in Summerlin opened one last year—but instead of riders dipping into a funnel, they climb the walls of a blue, wave-shaped parabola until they valley into a current that spits them out into a pool. The design update—the only one in the U.S. thus far—is an improvement. While the thrill of anticipating the first fall while traveling down an enclosed tunnel 60 feet up is the same as the ride’s predecessors—as is the weightlessness on the first ascent up the wave wall—that initial drop is much more hair-raising thanks to some surprise airtime that gives forward-facing riders the feeling they’re about to be jettisoned from the raft (and the backward-facing ones an equally terrifying, almost horizontal falling sensation). If that’s not enough, there’s the constant dread of getting (more) soaked from the water pouring down from the top of the ride—the wave starting to break just after cresting, if you will—which is a nice creative touch. Wild Surf was so fun and unpredictable, my friends and I rode it three times. It’s easily my favorite water attraction in the Valley.

Wet ‘N’ Wild: Following last year’s Tornado is Slideboarding, a high-tech complement to the complex’s largely traditional ride offerings—and currently the only slide of its kind anywhere. Imagine a video game like Guitar Hero as a water slide, where you must click colored buttons located on the handles of your sled as you pass lights of corresponding colors. This sounded easy when explained to me by reps from slide-maker WhiteWater West. However, I don’t play video games like Guitar Hero, which meant a 20-second experience turned into a humiliating, hourlong one.

First, the lengthy prep. After obtaining a premium-attraction wristband ($5 for unlimited Slideboarding rides) and an Action Photo bracelet (prices vary) that enables pictures taken of riders to be sent to one’s email, I walked over to the low-thrill, three-slide Zipp Zapp Zoom slide tower, where the new experience now occupies the green-tunneled chute. I had to register a username, as the ride keeps track of everyone’s scores—thus giving riders incentive to re-ride, boost their scores (and ultimately return to the park) and even practice on the Slideboarding mobile app—and pick what type of music I wanted to hear on my trip down. I went with ’80s.

Finally, I carried the not-entirely-light slideboard up the flight of stairs and placed it at the entrance of the green slide. The teenage staffer reminded me that first-level riders only use two out of the four buttons (there’s over 30 levels, each harder than the one before it). Upon hearing the first gurgling notes of Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose,” I pushed off into the tunnel, clicking wildly as I passed green- and red-lit sections of the slide. At ride’s end, I got off my sled and squinted at the video screen in front of me … which had a giant zero on it.

Embarrassed, I grabbed another sled, swiped my access wristband, confirmed my music choice and lowly first-level status, trudged up the countless flight of stairs and re-boarded. New song: “I Want Candy.” New score: Zero. I went up the tower again, only to get the same results after enduring “Walk Like an Egyptian.” The WhiteWater West reps looked stunned, informing me that the 10-year-old girl who rode ahead of me scored 5,000 points. “Are you clicking right as the lights are overhead, Mike?” “Yes!” “Are you clicking only the green and red buttons?” “Yes!” Determined, I grabbed another slide and even changed the music style, which, after huffing it up the stairs, produced some slick, stupid radio song that stumps my mental Shazam. And naturally, I score another zero.

Finally, on my fifth try, my handles vibrate as I pass a light target, signifying a bullseye. In fact, I somehow hit all seven targets as Imagine Dragons’ “It’s Time” plays through the cascading tube. Make what you will of the association, but given the enormity of the victory I felt as I saw the four-digit number on the exit screen, I’m gonna high-five Dan Reynolds next time I see him out. And I’m probably gonna ride Slideboarding again soon. Level two, here I come.