originally posted on 2/11/2022
Photo: Chris Kraftchick. View full-sized image.
As of March 11, Iron Gwazi will be officially a member of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s roller coaster collection, and what an amazing ride it is! With the world’s longest drop on any hybrid coaster and North America's tallest, fastest and steepest hybrid, its arrival at the Florida park is not to be ignored. All the superlatives really can’t do this ride justice— it offers an amazing rider experience, particularly for fans of airtime. From start to finish, riders are out of their seats with constant ejector airtime and great forces. Jake Kilcup, Rocky Mountain Construction’s (RMC) director of design and engineering, shared that Iron Gwazi features “a lot more floater and sustained airtime than some of the other RMC coasters.” The reimagined Gwazi uniquely fills Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s desire for a hyper hybrid coaster.
Photo: Chris Kraftchick. View full-sized image.
Iron Gwazi takes thrills to new heights, plunging riders from a 206-foot-tall peak into a 91-degree drop and reaching top speeds of 76 mph. Riders will experience a dozen airtime moments, including two inversions, as they sink their teeth into crocodile-inspired thrills.
Photo: Michael Christopher. View full-sized image.
Manufactured by RMC, the newest addition at Tampa Bay is a wood and steel hybrid coaster design, combining the innovation of a steel coaster and the nostalgia of a wooden coaster. While elements of Gwazi, the classic wooden coaster that previously operated at the park from 1999 to 2015, are integrated into the ride, all new thrill components and a reimagined layout take this ride experience to another level, including a barrel roll downdrop, an overbanked curve, sideways airtime moments and a zero-G stall. Not to mention, the dazzling purple track in contrast to the classic wood adds a sparkling touch to the Florida skyline.
Gwazi truly does live on in this new reprofiled creation. Kilcup pointed out that 30 to 40 percent of the wood structure was reused from the original roller coaster. “Since this was a dueling coaster, we had lots of options that we typically do not normally get with a reprofile,” the engineer explained.
Photo: Maddie Kraftchick. View full-sized image.
Despite the craziness that the record-breaking ride possesses, Iron Gwazi offers the low height requirement of 48 inches, allowing thrill-seeking families to experience more thrills together.
After riding, riders will march straight from exit to entrance, as every seat on the six-car train provides a different experience. Front-seat riders enjoy a few moments of anticipation as they admire the 206-foot-tall beyond-vertical drop and back-seat riders plunge into nearly two minutes of ultimate airtime.
Photo: Michael Christopher. View full-sized image.
Iron Gwazi stands out with its “crazy unique airtime moments,” as Jonathan Smith, corporate vice president of rides and engineering at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, commented. The curve out of the first drop offers riders an unexpected experience: an outside banked curve, during which the train travels on the outside-inside edge of the curve versus the typical inside banked curve experience.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay brings thrill seekers a gift that will deliver memories for years to come. American Coaster Enthusiasts looks forward to gathering in May to experience this new creation together at our annual Spring Conference featuring exclusive ride time on Iron Gwazi. We invite you to join us there.
— Tayton Laing, ACE Member Florida Region
American Coaster Enthusiasts is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, appreciation and safe enjoyment of roller coasters. With 6,000 members worldwide, ACE is the largest and longest-running enthusiast organization in the world. Members of ACE receive exclusive park benefits, newsletters, magazines and the opportunity to attend national, local and even international tours at parks. You can enjoy the benefits of members today! Join at join.aceonline.org.
Photo: Michael Christopher. View full-sized image.
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