Gold Striker Construction Update

Guess who got Gold Striker construction pics? WE DID!

A PureCoaster reader sent us a set of construction pics showing off the latest on this new GCI beauty.

Now, as someone who finds trip reports of twister coasters VERY confusing, especially if it’s at a park I’ve never been to, so I’ve made a chart that hopefully helps to clear up exactly what the photos are showing.

• Orange; dueling turns
• Green; double overbanked turns
• Red; showcase turn, (because it looks really showy)

Overlooking the park entrance from the Star Tower, with the new 49ers Standium in the back.

Flight Deck invert on the side, got to love the greenery in the park.

Onto Gold Striker!

An older image, with construction focussing on the now complete double overbanked turns.

The two overlapping turns appear to be finished, (view from behind)

The inside view of the double overlapping turns.

Work continues outwards.

More footers, maybe for the “showcase turn (labelled red)”

Well that’s it for Gold Striker construction pics, we hope to get some more pics soon to show you guys. Thanks again to CoasterMech for sending us the pics.

Parks in Need of Steel

After just hearing some of the big “New for 2013” coaster announcements, I took a quick look at some parks that I think are being neglected in terms of new steel coasters. Lets take a look at some parks that I think are desperate for new steel coasters;

Six Flags St. Louis

Face it, the park is dominated by wooden coasters, and don;t get me wrong, they’re great! But with the truth being that the park’s last steel coaster was a spinning coaster, and that the park’s best steel may very well be a Batman clone, this park is screaming for some new steel, (and no, a relocated boomerang doesn’t count!)

What STSL needs is a new, coaster with a bunch of inversions, (Chang would’ve done it,) and a mega or launch coaster. Plus, the park needs to beef up their line up to compete with Worlds of Fun, and Silver Dollar City, (especially with Outlaw Run.)

Kings Island

Although the park used to be Paramount’s flagship, since the Cedar Fair acquisition, the park hasn’t recieved a whole lot. Considering the fact that most other parks have each recieved 2 new coasters, and Kings Island has only gotten one, makes me think that Cedar Point has been the priority, and Kings Island has been left in the dust.

Truth be told, the park needs a coaster that no park should be without, a standard inverted coaster, (no, the Arrow Suspended coaster doesn’t count!)

California’s Great America

Yes, I know they’re getting a wooden coaster for 2013, but long term, this park has some tough competition, and needs some serious steel to make up for all those years of neglect.

Honestly, this park doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room on new coasters, because so many classes are covered by the park and SFDK. But I think a wing coaster would work here, or a mega, (if it can beat SKDK to the punch.)

Six Flags 2013 Rumours

Although the big Six Flags announcement has yet to happen, we’re already starting to see huge piles of rumours regarding what will be announced by Six Flags. Lets take a look at the latest Six Flags rumours;

Six Flags Magic Mountain

There has been lots of speculation around what SFMM has in store for 2013, an the appearance of coloured steel beams backstage has only fuelled those rumours. Although may think that the beams are for a slingshot upcharge attraction, that leaves us wondering, “What about Full Throttle?” Since the name and features were supposedly leaked at WCB, we have heard countless rumours about length, speed, inversions, but if all of these are true, Six Flags Magic Mountain may have another winner on their hands!

Six Flags New England  

One piece of news that is making the rounds, is that Six Flags New England was recently granted an exception to the normal height limit, allowing them to build a rumoured 400ft tower swing ride, similar to the other Sky Screamers at other Six Flag parks.

Six Flags Over Texas

Since the announced removal of Flashback and Texas Chute Out, we’ve heard many rumours of what may take up this plot of land next season, but one rumour that has gained traction is the introduction of a similar tower swing ride to what is planned for Six Flags New England.

Six Flags Great America

The park recently released this image via their Facebook page, proving that we will see something new at the park, but the scale of it, we don’t know. Great America could simply be getting 6 new shows like SFOG did this season.

Six Flags St. Louis

Now, this one is pure RUMOUR, because absolutely nothing about this one has been confirmed. But people are saying, (Screamscape) that the park’s shoot the chutes Tidal Wave, will removed soon to make room for something new, possibly a relocated Flashback from SFOT.

Remember, these are all just rumours, we’ll have to wait for the big Six Flags announcement to learn what the chain REALLY has in store for what is looking like a very exciting 2013.

2012 Attraction Removals

As the major announcement dates for 2013 coasters come nearer, I’m starting to see something unfortunate happen at many parks, COASTER REMOVAL. Now, I know the world we’re in, the old must make room for the new. Here are a few current, newsworthy examples.

Cedar Point

It has been long known, and disliked that Cedar Point was planning to remove Disaster Transport and the Space Spiral observation tower rides to make room for the park`s 2013 coaster Gatekeeper, but sadly those plans have come through as both rides have seen their last days of operation.

Kings Island

Yes I know, this has been commented on before here on PureCoaster, (read my other post here.) In short, Son of Beast has been SBNO since 2009, and although many enthusiasts were hoping for a refurb, it is now slated for demolition.

Six Flags Over Texas

It was just announced that Six Flags Over Texas will be closing 2 attractions on September 3rd. One of these is the park`s boomerang Flashback, which will supposedly be rotated to another Six Flags park for the 2013 season. However, the news that a second ride will be closing really saddens me, as that ride is Flashback`s neighbour Texas Chute Out, certainly a classic ride and seeing that there aren`t a lot of parachute towers out there, this ride will be missed.

Six Flags New England

Although nothing`s been confirmed, but rumour has it that Six Flags New England will be saying goodbye to their sky coaster Taz`s Daredevil Dive to make room for what will supposedly be the world`s tallest tower swing ride. The park has been granted an exception to the current height limit to build a tower swing similar to the SkyScreamers at other Six Flags parks, except the proposed height would be 400ft tall.

Despite the removals, I’m really excited to see what the amusement industry has to show us for next season. Keep checking PureCoaster for news on 2013 coasters!

2nd Photo by Six Flags Over Texas

Kings Island to Dismantle Son of Beast

The order has been made, the shuttered wooden coaster Son of Beast at Kings Island is now set for removal. We’ve known this would probably be happening pretty much since the rides closure in 2009.

Before closure, the coaster was the first to ever wooden feature an inversion, a vertical loop about halfway through the layout, but due complications it was removed in 2006. But that wasn’t the end of SOB’s troubles, as in 2009 another injury causing incident occurred, and forced the closure of the coaster.

For 3 seasons now it has been SBNO, and many hoped to see a GCI or RMC rehab of the coaster, but the decision has finally been made to demolish the record breaking wooden coaster.

Weird Coaster Lifts

Every roller coaster ever made needs some way to give the train momentum. Usually, that comes in the form of a drop. But, drops require height, and how do coaster trains reach that height? With lift hills! But, a bunch of manufacturers have said to themselves, “Does it have to be a hill” and have created some wicked ways of lifing riders to that first drop. Lets take a look, at some weird lifts:

Zamperla Volare Rotating Lift

One odd lift system I’ve encountered in my trips to theme parks is the spiral lift found on Zamperla’s Volare flying coaster. Instead of a linear chain lift, a central rotating structure makes contact with your car and pushes you up the spiral track.

Max RPM Ferris Wheel Lift

This lift hill, found at the shuttered Hard Rock Park/Freestyle Music Park, features a one-of-a-kind “ferris wheel lift.” Trains exit the station and enter their own little section of the wheel, then it rotates so you move around the centre and end up at the top. Once at the top, you are pushed forward out onto the running course of the coaster.

G-Force Loop Lift

I don’t think it gets any weirder than inverting ON the lift. On the Maurer Sohne created G-Force at Drayton Manor, riders are puled up the first half at the loop, and once at the top, you are set free from the lift and you finish the loop and go through the rest of the coaster’s twisted layout.

Which lift hill do you like?

First and Third Photo Credit RCDB

Best “Top Coaster”

The GTA Top Four Steel Coasters are made up of Millennium Force, Bizarro, (SFNE,) and two B&M Hypers. However, the two Intamin Megas are always the top two and have been battling it out for years trying to maintain control of that desirable top spot. But out of that top four, which do you think should actually hold the title of #1 Roller Coaster?

Leviathan Track Complete!!!!!!

Leviathan officially joined the New for 2012 rides such as Wild Eagle and Verbolten that have completed installation of the track! This means we are all one step closer to riding this beast of a coaster. Canada’s Wonderland posted a video showing the final piece being installed between the final turn and the break run.

Best Bolliger and Mabillard Sit-Down

Over the years the famed rollercoaster manufacturer B&M has had many models, and one that they have phased out of is their classic sit-down. Five were built, and all, (ok most,) of them are still popular today. They are all very good rides, and enthusiasts mark them as must rides at any park. But which actually deserves to be classified the best of what is now a piece of B&M’s history?

Fun Spot USA Expansion Details

A while ago, Fun Spot USA announced they were going to be adding a monumental expansion in the upcoming years. They divulged few details, but they told us they would be building a waterpark, plus one wooden and one steel rollercoaster. Today, plans made their way to the internet explaining the layout for the overall expansion, the water park plans, plus the rollercoaster layouts. You can see the photos at the bottom of the post.

I really think the water park has potential, because the slides look to be very unique. The Splash Rally twisting mat racer, the Double BowlsEye dueling bowl slide, and the 360 Rush look very fun. Plus, I’m very happy to see new concepts still being produced.

The wooden coaster looks like it will be a GCI, based on the banked drop, and the steel seems to be a Vekoma Suspended Family coaster, both perfect fits for Fun Spot. The park has also stated they will add a shorter version of the Mondial Windseeker, already in place at several Cedar Fair parks. If all stays on schedule, everything will be ready for a 2013 opening.

  

     Aerial View               Proposed Expansion          Wooden Coaster

 

 Steel Coaster                  Water Park

To see and read more, check out ParkRumors

Leviathan Construction Update: January 24

Today Canada’s Wonderland added a few more construction pictures showing the world their impressive new B&M giga coaster, Leviathan. It looks like the intense hammerhead is done, and they are on to the second high speed curve on the return to the station, and with the brake run complete, it is only a bit longer until the track installation is complete!

Additionally, in the blog post, they draw attention to the fact that a lot of the technical work in the station, such as the pneumatic lines and electrical work.  I don’t want to jinx it, but this looks like it might be ready for opening day, unlike last year’s Green Lantern First Flight@Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Check out the full construction gallery right here.

Leviathan and Wonderland from Above

As construction proceeds, we can finally start to see what the whole ride will look like when it’s complete, and additionally how massive it is! And what better way to see the scale of things then from above! A friend of mine who owns a plane flew by Wonderland and got a photo of the park from the south. (It’s also in the gallery.) Plus, he also got a video while circling the park and let me say, because of the way it thwarts that corner of the park, the statement saying, “this is my park now,” is sort of true!

Also, if you zoom in on Leviathan, you really get a sense for how tall the camel-backs are on this ride. You can barely make out Dragon Fire, it looks tiny!

 

Best Intamin Mega CoasterPoll

With Skyrush making it’s debut next year, there will be another Intamin Mega Coaster fighting for the #1 Coaster spot in next year’s GTAs. But in your opinion, which existing ride should have it?

What should the next CoasterPoll be?

Lots has been going on this week, and I think it’s about time for another CoasterPoll, but instead of doing it all myself, I’m going to let you decide what category it will be in: