originally posted on 6/18/2021 12:18:55 PM
Dragon Slayer.
Photo: Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
In a little town called Altoona, just outside of Des Moines, Iowa, stands a family-run amusement park with a new coaster. To get to it, visitors will have to hurry around a Monster, weave by a Tornado, then cross a bridge and a moat to conquer the new-for-2021 Dragon Slayer. Tucked in the back corner of Adventureland Park stands a 112-foot-tall, red S&S 4D Free Spin. This coaster has a castle façade, playing into the whole concept of knights and dragons.
Castle entrance to Dragon Slayer.
Photo: Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
Back in 2019 Adventureland started teasing that a new ride would be coming soon. Like park representatives from every park that opens a new ride, officials did not say what or where. Adventureland began posting pictures of Dragon, a 1990 Hopkins looping coaster. Then the pictures switched to Dragon artwork that could be found outside the Dragon station. Enthusiasts got excited. Was the park planning to do a new track layout of Dragon, perhaps add something intertwined with it?
The next clue was a big one. Adventureland took the Dragon picture and made it start spinning. Now enthusiasts had something to be really excited about. They knew that whatever it was, it was going to be a spinning coaster of some sort. In late 2019 track started to arrive, and a keen eye could tell that Adventureland was getting an S&S 4D Free Spin. At the end of the 2019 season, it was announced that Dragon would be no more, as the Dragon Slayer would be taking its place in the 2021 season.
Photo: Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
The work to dismantle Dragon and assemble Dragon Slayer began in late September. The process went very quickly and smoothly through the 2020 season. By midsummer of 2020, Dragon Slayer was going vertical. By March 2021 Dragon Slayer was complete and ready to start test runs, and the initial test runs began on March 24. An early June opening date was projected, but Dragon Slayer opened early on May 29, when the first riders got to experience this great coaster.
With its red track and its yellow and green cars, this coaster really pops against the blue sky. Portions of Dragon remain, including the two big loops. These were “left to pay homage to the Dragon,” according to Molly Vincent, public relations coordinator.
The two loops saved from Dragon can be seen next to Dragon Slayer and Tornado.
Photo: Courtesy Adventureland. View full-sized image.
So what makes this free spin different from the others? Several things, starting with the height. Yes, this is a smaller, more compact, version. It stands 112 feet tall and does not go out as wide. Adventureland made the decision to go with this model because of the space available (located where the double helix of Dragon once stood). This model also includes one camel hump on both the top and middle levels (as opposed to two on both levels), which is actually a very guest-friendly feature. With the single hump, the thrills are more consistent and happen more rapidly. Unlike the larger model with the double humps, this one allows riders a moment to catch their breath in between elements.
The other major difference with this model is that it is the first to advertise and use the spin-inducing fins in different amounts on each side. This creates a mild side (aka Squire) and a wild side (aka Knight). The Squire side has 14 spin-inducing fins; the Knight side has 18 spin-inducing fins. However, many guests will notice that the mild side may not be so mild and the wild side can be super wild.
Wild side or mild side?
Photo: Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
The ride experience is affected by many more factors than just the fins, however. The weight of the car, the balance of the car and the individual car itself all affect the way the ride interacts and spins. The short and compact size of this ride means that Dragon Slayer has the potential to give a relentless ride. “When I first rode the mild side, my jaw hit the floor. I got almost seven full flips. If this is the mild side, I can only guess what the wild side will feel like,” said Tom Nickerson, regional rep for ACE North Central (and this author).
When asked why Adventureland chose this model, Vincent had this to say: “This ride is a great addition to Adventureland. Guests seem to love being able to have a choice. This ride gives guests a great experience and something they have never done at Adventureland before. S&S made installation a breeze, and the ride is a perfect fit for the land and space we have available as we dismantled the Dragon.” Vincent was right. When in the queue, riders can feel the buzz and excitement, some shock and awe, some nervous anticipation. As guests come off the ride, their faces indicate which way their ride went: some are as white as a ghost, and others have smiles from ear to ear. One thing is certain: Adventureland really does have another successful coaster in its lineup.
— Tom Nickerson, ACE North Central Regional Representative
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