Is an RMC Gwazi finally on its way to Busch Gardens Tampa for 2020?

"To further solidify Busch Gardens reign as Florida’s thrill ride leader, more news is on the horizon – a second new thrill ride will be coming to the Gwazi area of the park in 2020. To learn more and be the first to know about construction updates, new events and future announcements, fans can join the social conversation using #TakeOnTigris on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram." -Busch Gardens Tampa


During a press conference to release the all-new Tigris, Busch Gardens may have revealed a bit too much, "with Gwazi's existence it's always been a little bit of a Rocky ride, so we decided we're going to go ahead and revamp Gwazi into a new attraction. Now I can't give anymore information than that, but I can tell you that your going to be holding onto your seats. It's going to be an awesome ride, it's going to be thrilling, you're going to love it." Busch Gardens Project Manager, Andrew Schaffer said. "More information is coming on that in the coming months."

This statement, with the words "rocky" and "revamp," almost 100% confirm the transformation of the Gwazi coaster into an RMC creation. RMC ibox track is known for its smooth ride that features twists, turns, and inversions that transform wooden coasters into steel rides.

The name “Twisted Tigers” was also filed for trademark with the names “Tigris” and “Uproar” back in late March , so we can assume this will be the name of the new Gwazi coaster, and that it will still feature two dueling tigers. Whether the track will be Mobius or kept as two separate tracks is unknown.

RMC ibox track (c)RMC

"Rocky Mountain Construction Group was formed in 2001 by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon. With over 20 years in the coaster and theme park industry, Fred is an out of the box thinker who is constantly inventing new and revolutionary building concepts.
In 2008, renowned coaster engineer, Alan Schilke and Fred collaborated and designed two new revolutionary track technologies: The Topper and IBox Tracks. These two new track systems have taken the roller coaster industry by storm, making RMC a leader in the industry." -Rocky Mountain Construction

ibox track on an existing coaster at Kentucky Kingdom, using the existing support structure from an old wooden coaster. (c)RMC

Busch Gardens Tampa Announces New Roller Coaster for 2019. "Tigris."

Tigris will open at Busch Gardens Tampa for the 2019 season as Florida's tallest launch coaster. The triple launch Tigris coaster will feature an inversion, forwards and backwards launches, and be built by Premier rides.

The Tigris Logo (c)Busch Gardens

The coaster is 150 feet tall, travels at speeds up to 62mph, and has a length of 863-feet. It will be built in the former Tidal Wave location of the park.

"'Tigris will be a strong addition to our family of world-class thrill rides. With three intensely exciting launch points, this ride is unlike anything we have in our coaster collection," said Stewart Clark, president and general manager of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. "This new attraction is a testament to our continuing investment in the park, and bringing new and innovative experiences to our guests."

Tigris at Busch Gardens Tampa (c)Busch Gardens

Taking its name from that of the world's largest cat species, Panthera tigris, the new Tigris attraction is being constructed in the Stanleyville area of the theme park adjacent to Jungala®, which houses the park's endangered Bengal tigers. Additionally, Busch Gardens is home to Malayan tigers – a subspecies that has fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild. The park's resident cats are an integral part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan.

More than 100,000 tigers stalked the grasslands and forests of Asia just 100 years ago. Now, every remaining subspecies of this big cat are endangered, and fewer than 4,000 total tigers remain in the wild. Threats to tiger populations include poaching, human encroachment on vital tiger habitat, deforestation and loss of vital prey species." -Market Watch

Just for fun, we've created an RMC Grand National RMC Conversion!

Imagine England's classic racing coaster, Grand National, turning into a dueling horse race. With new steel track, the coaster is smoother than ever and features the familiar red and white colors that we all grew up with.

Screenshot

When making these I try to focus on realism, and think 'what would RMC do in this situation?' If this transformation was even possible, I believe the one-track Mobius layout of Grand National would be turned into two separate tracks. The coaster offers two long rides due to how the layout is set up, and I do believe two-separate tracks is what the Rocky Mountain Construction Crew would do.

Watch the POV's here:
This was a tough one that took quite a bit of time and had me erasing and re-building multiple times, but very happy how it turned out! The tracks duel throughout the length of this ride, offering very different ride experiences. They jockey for position three times throughout the length of the course, left to right or right to left, after all the twists and turns, your train ends in the same station as you begin. Which do you prefer? Right or Left?

As always, this coaster was created using an overlay of the actual satellite image of Grand National at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It follows the layout as exact as possible and features a 14-foot height increase from the current G.N. The hills follow a very similar height to was is already built, as this is generally what Rocky Mountain will do when revamping a ride.

I hope you enjoyed the POV. In reality this is extremely unlikely to ever happen, the issue I see with this ride getting an RMC transformation is the clearance to the train on the other track (As it is, you can high five the other train during the ride) , which is why if anything is ever done to this ride, I would guess it would likely just be a re-tracking and refurbishment of the same track we see today. If RMC were to turn it into a steel-track conversion, I could only see them turning this into a single-track ride, similar to how RMC took Twisted Sisters/Twisted Twins at Kentucky Kingdom and made it a one-track ride instead of the two layouts that it used to be. I hope you get your RMC soon UK coaster fans, but don't expect it out of this coaster in my opinion

Copperhead Strike Roller Coaster Announced as 2019 Addition for Carowinds.

Carowinds announced the long-rumored Copperhead Strike today, a 5-inversion double launch coaster. A POV video of the ride can be seen below courtesy of Carowinds.

"It’s twice the bite on Copperhead Strike! Here’s an up-close first look at all of the twists, turns and record-breaking statistics delivered by the Carolina’s first double-launch coaster." -Carowinds The coaster-map below shows the major parts of the ride!

Guess the Coaster

Just a Thumbnail-sized image today.

Hover mouse over image for answer, scroll down for hint if needed.

Hint: Track has been altered once

Six Flags Magic Mountain Announces Dueling-Race Coaster for 2019.

The side-by-side tracks of West Coaster Racers will feature four launches, speeds up to 55mph, and dueling action along the way!

The Animation (Six Flags Corp.)

"“Six Flags leads the industry in thrill ride innovation; it is part of our DNA, and we are taking thrills to the next level with the new West Coast Racers,” said Park President, Neal Thurman. “Six Flags Magic Mountain is the undisputed ‘Thrill Capital of the World’ and with this newest coaster, strengthens our position as the ‘Coaster Capital of the World’ with a total of 20 roller coasters — more than any other theme park on the planet.”

To begin their three-minute journey on the unique terrain-hugging track, riders sitting two abreast are loaded onto sleek West Coast Customs-designed coaster cars. Launching around the first lap, riders will experience head-to-head racing with the other cars on the twin track. The first of its kind “pit stop” experience, narrated by West Coast Customs Founder and CEO, Ryan Friedlinghaus, occurs between the two laps and provides riders an exclusive inside look into the West Coast Customs shop.

“We are thrilled to partner with Six Flags Magic Mountain to create this unprecedented new ride,” said Ryan Friedlinghaus, founder and CEO West Coast Customs. "Throughout my career, I have always thought outside of the box and I love being challenged to build things others can't. Talk about the ultimate outside of the box challenge — a West Coast Customs-style roller coaster!”" -Market Watch

Hey Gurnee, get your season passes ready because this thing looks fantastic!

Although a ride that may be missing a second half, the new S&S launch coaster coming to Six Flags Great America features many never-before-seen elements that look to make it a must-ride for 2019!


The new S&S launch coaster "Maxx Force" coming to SF Great America next season launches you from 0-78 in under two seconds. It's the fastest launch acceleration in the USA.

"According to details released in a pre-dawn announcement, the new attraction in Carousel Plaza near the park’s main entrance is scheduled to open next summer as “the fastest launch coaster in North America, and feature the fastest inversion and highest double inversion of any roller coaster in the world.”

“Six Flags reigns supreme for record-breaking, one-of-a-kind rides and world-class thrills,” Park President Hank Salemi said in a statement. “The new Maxx Force coaster is in a class all by itself, launching riders from 0 to 78 miles per hour in under two seconds. No other coaster in the country accelerates at that blistering speed.”

The statement added that Maxx Force would be the 17th coaster in the Great America stable and its design is expected to include an air-powered launching system “propelling guests forward at record speeds”; the world’s highest double inversion at 175 feet above the ground; the fastest inversion on any roller coaster in the world with a 60 miles-per-hour zero-G roll; five high-speed inversions; and “one-of-a-kind custom coaster trains modeled after Formula One racing cars.”" -Chicago Tribune

Six Flags Great Adventure Will Announce World's Tallest Swing Ride Tomorrow.

A few news outlets have released the 2019 addition to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, and it's a big one!

The new pendulum-style, spinning, swing ride will reach speeds up to 75-miles per hour and heights of 172-feet, all with 40 riders on board! The ride is expected to open in Spring 2019 and is located near "Justice League: Battle for Metropolis."

"Who else but Wonder Woman can put a spin on thrills that will leave you breathless... the World's tallest pendulum ride, spinning riders through the clouds at speeds up to 75 miles per hours and plummeting 17 stories, again, and again. Get ready for Wonder Woman, Lasso of Truth."

This similar style ride at TusenFryd, Norway is a great example of what to expect!

Similar frisbee models also exist at other Six Flags parks around the country, but nothing as high and fast as the new Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth at Great Adventure.

Wonder Woman: Lasso of Truth.

Check out the press release for the ride below, uploaded to Youtube by user 9.43 The Point!

Banshee

The lift hill travels through the second inversion, a vertical loop.

Score: ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎ ➏ ➐ ➑ ➈ ➉ 7.38/10
90th Percentile 

Height Requirement: 52" / 132cm
Top Speed: 68mph
Inversions: 7

Where to Sit on Banshee: Front.

Excitement: 8.9/10 As far as inverted coaster's go, this layout is one of, if not the, best. The forces are strong, there is a change in terrain height halfway through resulting in a speed increase, and it includes all the inversions you would want out of an invert. It even throws in an in-line twist instead of a brake-run or S-turn. It could use some tunnels or maybe some more near misses, as it's located in an open field with no real interactions. This is also one of the more intense rides I've been on in terms of G-force throughout the ride.

The first few inversions start out fast and strong and it continues throughout the layout.

Pacing: 8.6/10 Banshee has a real pace to it that doesn't allow for much breathing room. Your one slow point is an in-line twist, and it doesn't kill the ride like an MCBR would. Banshee travels through its inversions with good speed, and there are some segments that you really wouldn't want to go any faster through!

Technicals: 9.4/10 Banshee is smooth. It truly doesn't get much smoother than this. This invert is a ride that is comfortable throughout and not jerky at all. It does, however, miss out on some of the snappy-like transitions that you would find on some other inverted coasters like Montu. It's so tall and fast that the elements are just that much more drawn-out. It's a long ride that uses its footprint almost perfectly with an effective layout that fills the area well and has a throughput that won't leave you waiting in line too long. The restraints may be uncomfortable for a tall and skinny person as they do dig into your collarbone a bit. Almost a technically perfect ride.

Banshee Layout

Theming: 2.0/10 Banshee severely lacks theming. There are no real interactions with anything during the ride and nothing during the queue that stands out other than the small tribute to Son of Beast. The setting doesn't do much for the ride either. There are no trees nearby, and the terrain change is unnoticeable to a non-enthusiast.

Uniqueness: 8.0/10 This ride might be lacking some character, but it boasts a layout with some of the best inversions you can find on an inverted coaster. There's nothing you've never seen before, but you've also never ridden something with so many strong elements back-to-back. It's long, built custom to the area, and is one-of-a-kind. Banshee is a must-ride when at the park.

Look at the terrain difference as you head into the second half of the ride!

Score: ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎ ➏ ➐ ➑ ➈ ➉ 7.38/10

Placement: 90th percentile among all coasters. (Ranked in the top 10% of coasters worldwide.) Not as good as Montu at Busch Gardens Africa, better than Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Europe.

Low-angle Wicker Man Front POV Video released by Alton Towers.

I'm a sucker for low-angle POV's and the full-length Wicker Man low-angle POV we've been hearing about has finally been released! Check it out below via Alton Towers Youtube channel!

Amusement Park Worker Dies at Energylandia, Zator, Poland.

At approximately 8:00pm earlier today (Thursday, 16 August) an accident caused the death of a 37-year-old employee of Energylandia, according to the faktyoswiecim.pl site.

(Update, Friday, 17 August) The coaster is now open and operating again as of around 12:00 local time.

The Hyperion Coaster (c)Energylandia

The worker was said to be working at the Hyperion ride when he attempted to retrieve a phone that a guest dropped during the ride, one of the coaster trains struck him during this attempt, he was pronounced dead by a doctor after resuscitation attempts.

"'On the site of a tragic accident, policemen and prosecutors from the District Prosecutor's Office in Oświęcim are working in one of the amusement parks,' staff aspirant Małgorzata Jurecka from Police Headquarters confirmed to Oświęcim." -faktyoswiecim.pl
gazetakrakowska.pl reports that witnesses in the queue for Hyperion first heard a large bang. Afterward, people started jumping over the fence to help the man that had been struck by the coaster train.  "I was standing in the queue when it happened, and at the beginning, they [tried to] resuscitate someone, and then the body was lying behind curtains."

Hyperion opened last month at Energylandia. The exact location of the accident is unknown.

Canada's Wonderland Announces the Biggest Dive-Coaster in the World!

The roller coaster made by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard will feature some never-before-seen elements, including a dive right through the lake where the Vortex coaster now stands. It's part of an all-new area in Canada's Wonderland called Frontier Canada!

"The 2019 season promises to be the biggest yet for Canada’s Wonderland. The park will introduce Yukon Striker, a world-record-breaking dive roller coaster, and Winterfest, an immersive holiday-themed event, making it truly an amusement park for all seasons.

As well, Canada’s Wonderland will officially open Frontier Canada – which is arguably the most historically significant event to take place.

To understand the importance of this ‘new’ gold-rush themed section, we’ve got to travel back in time more than 37 years. Back to a time when Maple, Ontario was still farmland, Wonder Mountain didn’t exist and Canada’s Wonderland was merely a fantastic concept waiting to be realized." -Canada's Wonderland

The full press release can be found here, with some interesting facts about the history and story of Frontier Canada.

"Be exhilarated by Yukon Striker's epic journey high above the park's skyline where you'll hang over a 90-degree drop for three breathtaking seconds, staring 245 feet down into an underwater tunnel. Then suddenly you dive, reaching speeds of 130 km/h and soaring through four dynamic inversions, including a complete 360-degree loop – the only one of its kind for a dive coaster. Be prepared for the ride of a lifetime beginning in 2019!" -Canada's Wonderland

Logo for the new-for-2019 ride! Logo and animated images (c) Canada's Wonderland

A video featuring POV-segments of Yukon Striker and off-ride angles can be viewed below!

Six Flags Launches "Preeminent" New Loyalty Program

Members Now Earn Free Food, Souvenirs, and Special Perks on Every Visit
Today, Six Flags announced a brand new rewards program for their most loyal guests. "Six Flags Membership Rewards allows Members to earn points towards free food, souvenirs, park tickets, and one-of-a-kind in-park experiences each time they visit the park, go on rides, see a show, or make a purchase. Members can also earn additional bonus points for participating in contests, taking surveys and reading Six Flags newsletters.