originally posted on 6/4/2023
Following a journey across the Atlantic Ocean and various construction-related delays, the former Kanonen of Liseberg debuted as Matugani at Lost Island Themepark on May 20th.
All Photos: Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
On May 20, 2023, a much-anticipated coaster for the state of Iowa finally opened with surprisingly little fanfare. Matugani, the Intamin launch coaster that formerly operated at Liseberg (Gothenburg, Västra Götaland, Sweden) from 2005 to 2016, was brought back to life at Lost Island Themepark (Waterloo, Iowa).
Its original name Kanonen translates to “cannon” in Swedish, which is appropriate because it launched riders to 45 mph in two seconds immediately into a top hat element. When Kanonen closed, Lost Island Waterpark bought it for its soon-to-be-constructed theme park project. Upon completing the purchase, the new park couldn’t have predicted the challenges it would face in the coming years.
Matugani’s compact layout includes a launch into a top hat element soon followed by a tight vertical loop.
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Lost Island Themepark prepared to make Matugani one of its star attractions by giving the roller coaster a brand-new paint job and working with Intamin to refurbish it to its original condition. “We have spent so much energy and resources into refurbishing this ride that it is basically a brand-new ride,” said Lost Island Themepark owner Eric Bertch.
However, when Lost Island Themepark opened for the 2022 season, it remained without one of its headline attractions. Supply chain issues, scheduling conflicts with builders and manufacturers and testing requirements forced the unfortunate decision to postpone Matugani’s debut to the 2023 season.
Lost Island Themepark impressed guests with creative and whimsical theming elements when it first opened in 2022, and Matugani’s refurbished trains have not escaped the park’s eye for detail.
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As the countdown to opening day approached, questions still loomed about whether Matugani would be ready. On May 20, shortly after the park opened, ACE members were proud to announce the coaster finally ran- and ran well. Matugani is now alive and has a great back story to complement the young theme park. The people of the Yuta realm (Earth) are skilled merchants and miners, and when an earthquake caused by Volkanu traps them underground, the legend of a green serpent named Matugani leads them to the surface.
Although the coaster may not boast the most impressive statistics, it packs a nice punch in a short space. Starting with the launch, the hand-painted serpent trains run straight to a top hat element. As the trains travel over a guest walkway, they pause momentarily to allow riders a magnificent view of the Lost Island lake. Following this is an inside downward twist and a small airtime hill into a vertical loop. After slithering around itself and twisting to the right, the train moves left, then right again into another airtime hill. As the track turns one more time, it gives riders a nice barrel roll before returning to the station. Matugani may only last approximately 90 seconds, but it is a great fit for this unique park and will please most riders.
Matugani doesn’t boast record-breaking statistics but its brief layout is punctuated by many zippy low-to-the-ground maneuvers.
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Enthusiasts interested in experiencing this great ride and park should visit the ACE events calendar and sign up for ACE Gets Lost.
— Tom Nickerson, ACE North Central Regional Representative
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