originally posted on 10/14/2022 1:27:00 AM
Image: Courtesy of SeaWorld. View full-sized image.
SeaWorld San Diego (California) recently announced that it
is building a cool new addition to its roller coaster collection for 2023.
After opening Emperor in 2022, the park is expanding with Arctic
Rescue, a family adventure launched straddle coaster by Intamin.
Guests will board the two-across snowmobile-themed vehicles
and make a 180-degree turn leading to the first of three launches. The first
launch will propel the 16-passenger trains out of the building that housed the
Wild Arctic flight simulator into a series of twists and turns, reaching a
height of 30 feet. After the initial launch of 34 mph, two more boosts will
follow, one accelerating the train to 38 mph and then a third boost resulting
in the ride’s top speed of 40 mph.
View full-sized image.
The entire adventure along the 2,800 feet of blue track
will take about two minutes to complete. Similar in style, but with a
completely different track layout from Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster at
SeaWorld San Antonio (Texas), Arctic Rescue will be about 200 feet
longer but only half the height. To add to the excitement, the feeling of
riding on a speeding snowmobile will be accentuated by the coaster’s low-lying
trackage and twisting layout.
Arctic Rescue has the
same height requirement as Manta and Tidal Twister, so SeaWorld San
Diego visitors who are 48 inches or taller will now have even more of a
challenge deciding which adventure to take on first. On the other side of the
country, Busch Gardens Williamsburg also recently announced an Intamin straddle
coaster with snowmobile trains named DarKoaster. Besides Arctic
Rescue having a longer track layout, the themes for these two attractions
will be very different. Keeping SeaWorld’s important conservation and rescue
priorities front and center, Arctic Rescue will invite those brave
enough to join the team on a rescue mission to save the Arctic animals who are
in peril. In addition to the ice melting and homes disappearing because of
global warming, poachers are lurking and it’s up to thrill seekers to save the
day.
Track was brought in for the media announcement.
Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
After feeling the rush of excitement and dismounting the
snowmobile, the animals of the Wild Arctic await. Once disembarked, SeaWorld
guests will be able to continue their experience, having a sense of
accomplishment of bringing awareness to animals in need and experiencing
SeaWorld San Diego’s newest roller coaster as they encounter beluga whales,
walruses and harbor seals. With SeaWorld San Diego’s commitment to animal
rescue and providing roller coaster enthusiasts with multiple reasons to visit,
nobody should be giving the park and its new Arctic Rescue the cold
shoulder.
— Derek Perry, ACE Communications Director and ACE Pacific Southwest Assistant Regional Representative
#ACENews