originally posted on 10/6/2023
All Photos Courtesy of Vekoma. View full-sized image.
Those old enough to have been in ACE much of their lives will remember the 1980s and 1990s when Vekoma — or what the current company terms “old Vekoma” — was finding tremendous success producing the original Boomerang model. It was thrilling, went forward and backward and delivered six inversions (with only three designed into the track). It was a worthwhile investment for a park looking to make an impact in its market.
In time, the production model was everywhere. It served its purpose at a local and regional level, but for the enthusiast community, the repetition lessened the excitement members felt when they rode their very first one. Like the “old” company’s suspended looping coasters, the reputation of boomerangs being rather aggressive stuck.
The original company filed for bankruptcy in 2001. Since then, a new regime has taken hold and things have taken a turn for the better. Over the past decade, the Dutch company has climbed above its previous reputation, building an extraordinary lineup of crowd-pleasing coasters particularly noted for their comfort and smoothness.
Vekoma’s Super Boomerang will feature forward and backward sections but have little else in common with the company’s original Boomerang models.
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While the term “boomerang” is often referred to as an old Arrow Development element, it also became synonymous with Vekoma’s heavily produced production model. When the new company began building the Family Boomerang installations, the variation of the name made sense with the track layout going forward and then returning to the station backward, just as the original did. These new family coasters have become big sellers, particularly in Europe and Asia.
A new boomerang model appeared in 2023, the Super Boomerang.
When Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey) announced its new Flash: Vertical Velocity for 2024, most people were not familiar with what a Super Boomerang was.
The original opened somewhat quietly (at least to coaster fans in the United States) mid-summer. Cloud Shuttle at Fantawild Wonderland (Tongshan, Jiangsu, China) is like no other boomerang coaster that preceded it.
So, what is it?
The design for Cloud Shuttle and Flash: Vertical Velocity is highlighted by a center tower with vertical reverse points and a stretched loop that will provided extended moments of hangtime.
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Like previous models, there are reverse points. What differs is the multiple launches. The two reverse points are vertical on a central tower. Launching backward from the station, the train of 24 riders rushes up the tower before plummeting down into the station for a second launched pass. Then it is a tangle of inversions, twists and speed bumps, both forward and backward. Until enthusiasts hop aboard, there may be debate as to whether an element creates an upside-down inversion or not. There are two definite upside-down sections of track (creating four inversions). One is a very stretched loop that offers serious hangtime — both directions. A midcourse launch assists. A barrel roll is an obvious flip, but placed in conjunction with a speed bump makes the approach to the spike an original experience. A dramatic dive is the one element in question. Whether it is a bona-fide upside-down moment or not, it is clearly a cool maneuver.
See it here:
Cloud Coaster is the extreme coaster of the brand-new park’s three. Pine Tree Rocket and Puppy Coaster are more family fare. The former is a Vekoma Junior coaster, and the latter is a children’s coaster supplied by Beijing Shibaolai Amusement Equipment. The park and coasters all opened in July.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News
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