originally posted on 2/5/2021 2:27:25 PM
POSTED FEBRUARY 5
Kanonen Readies to Blast Again
Photo: Jeffrey Seifert. View full-sized image.
ACE members who have visited Liseberg (Gothenburg, Sweden), particularly from 2005 to 2016, will recall a compact Intamin launched coaster called Kanonen. After its relatively short run at the park, the ride was eventually overshadowed by larger and taller creations, such as Helix and Valkyria. There was some speculation that the ride could possibly — and hopefully — resurface elsewhere. Now, five years later, that is indeed happening. Americans can also be excited that it is on their turf.
Lost Island Theme Park in Waterloo, Iowa, is under construction and will be adjacent to the Lost Island Water Park. The plan is for the theme park to open in 2022. Images have surfaced of the supports and portions of track going into place in the construction zone, now painted a bright green.
Kanonen’s layout was quite compact, which made for snappy airtime hills and banked turns. Two inversions — a vertical loop and an inline twist — followed a short top hat maneuver standing at 79 feet. While track length is just under 1,500 feet, the layout was packed every second of the way. It should make for a great addition to the new park.
A children’s coaster and a relocated Vekoma suspended looping coaster from Ratanga Junction in Cape Town, South Africa, will also join the coaster offerings.
Aquaman Temporarily a Fish Out of Water
Rendering: Courtesy Six Flags. View full-sized image.
Many new-for-2020 attractions were postponed last year, but Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington) is pushing back its new Mack PowerSplash until 2022. For good reason. The original purchase was for a one-train (boat) operation. When coming aboard in the fall of 2020, new Park President Ron McKenzie re-examined the possibilities and gained approval to redevelop the ride with the inclusion of the turntable that allows for two-vehicle operation. While the entire track work was completed in 2019, the adjustments and reengineering of the station and turntable will require Mack Rides to need additional time. The station and reservoir pools also remain to be completed. While patience is required of park fans and visitors to the park, the end result will more than double the ride’s capacity. Aquaman Power Wave will be the first linear synchronous motor-launched Mack PowerSplash in North America and only the second in the world.
For the 2021 season, the park will offer special events and activities that surround its 60th anniversary.
VelociCoaster Trains Amp the Cool Factor
The cool styling of the VelociCoaster trains adds one more special touch to the much-anticipated ride.
Photo: Courtesy Universal. View full-sized image.
Testing with riders is reported to be under way at Universal’s Islands of Adventure (Orlando). VelociCoaster’s construction has captivated local residents as well as onlookers on social media outlets. The layout looks incredible, and the theming continues to be installed.
One of the coolest aspects of the ride is the design of the trains themselves — sleek and stylish, with incorporated lighting that should make the coaster trains a big wow at night.
While no specific date has been confirmed for the debut of the new Intamin coaster, the park announced that it will be “a few more months.” It’s nebulous enough for the park to do what it needs to do, but at the same point offers hope it could be this summer.
Myrtle Beach to Soon Add Another Amusement Park
Rendering: Courtesy Funplex. View full-sized image.
Funplex Myrtle Beach broke ground last fall for a planned 2021 debut. With a ride package brokered from Rides 4 U, the South Carolina facility will have its complement of rides encircled by a custom Big Air Coaster from Visa.
The roller coaster will offer two ride experiences: spinning vehicles and the new “hamster wheel” cars that flip riders upside down in the course of each circuit. If renderings are accurate, this installation will feature two hamster wheel cars.
Scene75 Hit by Tsunami
Photo: John Robinson. View full-sized image.
Scene75 in Dayton, Ohio, has seen its share of challenges. Opened in 2012, the family entertainment center (FEC) was hit by a tornado in 2019. Couple that with a pandemic last year, and it is even more inspiring to see Scene75 reopen in December with a 40,000-square-foot indoor expansion. Adding a Tsunami sounds like more bad luck, but not in this case. It’s a coaster.
This Visa spinning coaster is not the same model as the typical figure-eight installations that have populated FECs nationally. Here, a five-car train follows a course that loosely resembles a Wacky Worm layout. With no brake on the ride’s drop, the back car can enjoy a dramatic yank and all cars experience some good laterals.
The Dayton location is one of five in the Scene75 chain of FECs.
Fire at Playland’s Castaway Cove Won’t Stop Park From Opening
This beloved entrance was completely burned in the fire on January 30.
Photo: Richard Koppelman. View full-sized image.
On Saturday, January 30, firefighters were called to Playland’s Castaway Cove (Ocean City, New Jersey) to combat a raging blaze. Although smoke and flames billowed into the air, fortunately no lives were lost, and the damaged areas of the park are replaceable.
The main entrance to the park was through a pirate ship, which housed offices and an indoor arcade. As iconic as the structure was, it can be rebuilt, and the park plans to be prepared to open for the season this spring. While some spare parts for rides were stored in the building, the main rides survived unscathed with no damage whatsoever. Unfortunately for an adjacent Dairy Queen and Hamburger Construction Company, those businesses were lost in the blaze.
Loyal fans reached out to park officials to see if a GoFundMe page would help. According to the park’s Facebook page, Vice President Brian Hartley declined such offers, stating park personnel would rather see aid go to local people in need instead, noting all the things that are happening in the world. “Take care of those around you,” he said.
The park is home to four roller coasters, the largest being Gale Force, a triple-launch coaster from S&S Worldwide.
The blaze and smoke could be seen along the boardwalk.
Photo: Courtesy Fox29/Philadelphia. View full-sized image.
— Compiled by Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
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