originally posted on 7/29/2022
Fireball.
All photos by Ebeth Photography. View full-sized image.
Tucked away on Long Island is a delightful neighborhood park, Adventureland (Farmingdale, New York). Those who have visited know it is a lot of fun packed into a small space. According to Steven Gentile, president and co-owner, the park is 15 acres. In 2022, it celebrates its 60th anniversary.
As far as enthusiasts are concerned, nothing goes better with an anniversary than a new roller coaster. This summer, Fireball made its debut. It is the first Roller Ball coaster from Ride Engineers of Switzerland (RES) in North America.
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The ride was introduced at the Euro Attractions Show (now known as IAAPA Expo Europe) in 2016. Since then, there have been four installations globally, with Adventureland’s project being the first in North America.
The Roller Ball concept is relatively simple. Gondolas that seat four riders back to back in pairs rise on a vertical lift, then descend through a zigzag of curving drops until reaching the loading platform once again. Because of the back-and-forth trajectory, riders will enjoy both forward and backward motion. More important, the sudden drops cause the gondolas to rock, which adds to the thrill.
Riders sit back to back, making for different views.
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“It’s working for us. It’s a gem,” said Gentile. “It’s nothing but rave, rave reviews.”
RES offers this style of ride in three sizes. Adventureland’s is the smallest version at 68.7 feet tall. With the sign, it stands 78.5 feet. Despite this relatively modest height, it is still the tallest roller coaster ever erected at the park.
Hardcore coaster fans won’t find it a white-knuckle thriller, nor is that the installation’s intent. It is meant to be fun for all audiences.
Gentile commented it has enabled Adventureland to expand the age range of its target kid audience. “We used to stop at about 14 year olds. Now we are getting another three, four, five years of age. Now we’re getting the 18 and 19 year olds who like to take a ride,” he said.
In addition to its unusual look structurally, the coaster has been decorated with the fire theme in other ways.
The fire-like lighting gives the coaster a sharp look.
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The lighting on the ride, supplied by Shenzhen Aglare Lighting Co., Ltd., has been praised by Gentile. “This company has done such a bang-up job. They work so, so well with our staff at Adventureland, as well as RES,” he said. He also laughingly reported that the lighting is so realistic, that the local fire department was called in the middle of the night because a resident thought something was on fire at the park. The park has since agreed to turn the lighting off overnight.
The track length is actually less than 300 feet long, but because of its imposing presence built on a vertical plane, it offers the impression of a big ride.
“I love how unique this ride is. The colors on the ride are striking, the lighting on the ride is striking — you can’t not sit there and just watch this ride for a while. It’s a great addition for our park,” said Gentile.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
The cantilevered seats make for an unusual appearance.
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