Improved IT infrastructure helps WhiteWater

Designing the world’s wildest water slides requires more than just creativity. It demands serious computing power. WhiteWater is the market leader in aquatic entertainment, but their aging IT infrastructure threatened to dry up their workflow. They partnered with NetApp to future-proof their approach and support their complex designs and global operations.

Headquartered in Richmond, Canada, WhiteWater crafts unforgettable experiences through innovative water attractions. Since 1980, the company has stood alongside its customers from concept to completion of award-winning attractions. A team of 500 employees has completed over 6,000 projects (and counting), from cruise ships and amusement parks to surf venues and water parks in unique international locations including Saudi Arabia. Whitewater’s commitment to quality and creativity stands out. Their visually stunning and technically advanced designs require robust IT support to manage large-scale projects and ensure seamless operations.

As technology improves, so does opportunity. WhiteWater was getting by with some older NetApp hybrid arrays. “There comes a point where you must look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘OK, it’s time,’” said Chris Palsenbarg, Manager of IT Operations at WhiteWater. "You've got to step up and go with all-flash.” 

Previously, engineers faced bottlenecks when accessing massive, high-resolution 3D design and graphic files such as CAD and SolidWorks. The drives were spinning, but the innovation was stalling. To stay ahead, WhiteWater needed a solution that guaranteed speed, data security, and zero disruptions.

The answer wasn't just a standard upgrade; it was a total transformation. NetApp proposed the AFF C-series all-flash array. 

The promise of elite performance and reliability made the decision clear. While spinning disk was historically cost-effective, pricing on a newer all-flash array system with NVMe “was very attractive,” says Palsenbarg. “That’s why we went ahead with the AFF.” 

The AFF’s ability to handle complex workloads—from 3D flythroughs in Unreal Engine and architectural drawings in CAD to moving things around in SolidWorks—was essential for WhiteWater’s design processes and proved to be a game-changer. 

“I didn’t expect it, but it was remarkable,” says Palsenbarg. "The performance gains were crazy. Our engineers saw a 25% improvement almost immediately."

“We create fun all over the world. NetApp keeps that creativity flowing,” says Palsenbarg. 

With the AFF, WhiteWater didn't just get a new storage system. They unlocked a new level of operational efficiency:

• Blazing Speed: Engineers now handle intricate design files without the lag, due to improved read/write speeds, accelerating project timelines. With enough horsepower to handle various workloads, the new AFF is ready for whatever Palsenbarg and his team throw at it. “We are starting to use different AI tools in our architectural designs,” says Palsenbarg. "There are flythroughs because people want to see what their park is going to look like. We’ve got horsepower on the compute and endpoint side, but NetApp is where the files are stored, protected and all the designing of parks happens.”
• Rock-Solid Reliability: Moving to all-flash eliminated the risk of mechanical disk failures, ensuring critical data remains secure and accessible. “One of the biggest advantages is the reliability,” Palsenbarg said. “With NetApp, the array always just works, and tamperproof snapshots have saved us a couple times.”
• Effortless Management: Complex maintenance is a thing of the past. ONTAP upgrades are simple, intuitive, and effortless. “It’s so much easier now,” says Palsenbarg. “It's basically me going to the support site, downloading the version, uploading it to the system, hitting next, and waiting 45 minutes. I don’t have to do anything. I love it."
• Greener Operations: The new system requires less rack space and consumes less power, extending UPS runtime and aligning with the company's sustainability goals. “We are ISO14001 certified for sustainability and the NetApp all-flash array helps us with power consumption too,” said Palsenbarg.

Combined, these improvements allow WhiteWater to push the boundaries of their designs, offering more innovative and exciting water park attractions to their customers.

WhiteWater is ready to take water park fun to the next level—making life easier for their designers and engineers and even more exciting for their riders.

• Bigger, wilder designs: Whether it’s for water slides, theme parks, cruise lines, or a desert attraction, faster access to design files means the creative team can dream up more daring, gravity-defying experiences in less time.
• Seamless experiences: With partners such as IT Blueprint working as an extension of the WhiteWater team, the right technologies are in place to set the global organization up for success. Reliable systems mean smoother operations and safer, more dependable attractions for everyone.
• Sustainability in action: Greener tech lets riders enjoy the thrills. Water is a precious commodity, so the company’s promise is to work across every area of the business to minimize waste. Customers can continue the fun knowing it’s powered by eco-friendly innovation.
• The future of fun: AI and advanced tech are paving the way for smarter, more personalized water park experiences. While Palsenbarg and his team are always pushing to improve and identify inefficiencies to make WhiteWater better as an organization, they are confident that they’re off to a good start.

By empowering their team behind the scenes, WhiteWater is ensuring riders will enjoy unforgettable adventures for years to come.

As Palsenbarg puts it, “If you have the opportunity to choose NetApp all-flash, you have to do it. The performance alone is worth the investment. The technology is there, and now we can focus on delivering the next big thing.”