originally posted on 6/11/2021
Monster.
All Photos: Douglas Ekström-Ahlby.
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On June 2, 2021, Monster, the Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) inverted coaster, opened officially to the public with smoke, sound effects and fireworks accompanying the first train up the lift hill.
The idea for Monster surfaced 10 years ago when Gröna Lund decided it wanted a B&M in its lineup of coasters. The park contacted the Swiss design company, whose representatives visited Gröna Lund and viewed the area where the coaster was set to be built. According to Gröna Lund’s Peter Osbeck, B&M’s first thought was, “This will be difficult!”
Years of planning, sketching and tweaking followed, and it soon became clear that construction for the station, brake run and maintenance room could not take place without blasting and digging underground. To complicate matters, Gröna Lund has some historic buildings that are off limits for demolition.
In January 2018 the blasting began after clearing the area. The size of the blasted and dug-out area was 1,300 square meters (13,993 square feet), and the depth of the hole 8 meters (26.2 feet). It took 3,500 lorry truck trips to carry away all the solid rocks and the mud.
Since construction of the coaster would be a multiyear working operation, the dug-out area had to be covered during the summer season while the park was open. Huge steel plates were placed as lids over the hole, and rides and other games and food stands were stationed on top of the lids during park operation and then removed for the off-season work.
A unique feature of Monster is the size of the support pillars. Gröna Lund did not want the park area filled up with lots of steel supports for the track. They asked B&M to construct pillars so huge that one pillar would replace the need for six to eight “normal-sized” pillars. B&M had never done this before, and after even more head scratching, drawing and tweaking, the problem was finally solved.
Monster’s support pillars are so large that not as many are needed.
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Monster’s track runs, for the most part, right over the walkways and heads of park guests. The lift hill rises over a new Biergarten restaurant, and the steel supports are placed throughout the building and are very visible inside, between tables and along the walls. As the track layout zigzags through the park, it runs very very close to buildings. The term “leg chopper” can be substituted for “head chopper” in a whole new way!
Monster flies over the heads of those in the queue.
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A “leg chopper” moment on Monster.
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Gröna Lund closed during the 2020 season, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the final work on Monster started in early fall of that year.
The name Monster comes from the legend that in the 1970s, when the Stockholm subway system was being developed, a new line extension was planned to go to the island where Gröna Lund is situated (true!). Construction on a station began, but work was suddenly stopped and the half-finished station abandoned owing to unknown reasons. The legend has it that something lurked in the unfinished area, but no one knows for sure what it might be….
The area around Monster has a New York City theme, and parts of the station are designed to look like a New York City subway station. But there’s a twist: the entrance to Monster is designed like a Paris Metro station, where you first climb UP the stairs and then the queue works its way down deep into the station underground! The station itself is covered in handmade glazed tiles from southern Europe, and there’s a huge, stunning, handmade wall watch in art deco style.
Riders first climb up the stairs before going underground.
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The underground station was a necessity to make the installation possible. View full-sized image.
Around the area you will find New York City fire hydrants, U.S. mailboxes, a Little Italy ice-cream parlor, hotdogs in Willie’s Wieners and a Sam’s Deli with chicken, meat and veggie stuff inspired by New York City vendors. There’s even steam rising from the gutters next to a music store with instruments, posters and an original contract with Jimi Hendrix, signed by the artist, for one of his live shows at Gröna Lund back in the day.
What is hidden from the public is the transfer track and the trains’ maintenance room next to the station underground, as well as Gröna Lund’s staff locker rooms. There’s also an elevator for disabled guests wanting to ride Monster.
Once the train leaves the station, there’s a left turn into an underground “tunnel” leading to the lift hill. As the train climbs the lift hill, riders are greeted by an absolutely beautiful view of the Stockholm city skyline with islands and water all around.
After the train crests the top at 34 meters (111.5 feet), there’s a left-turn curved first drop straight down toward the water, where all riders see is the surface of the water rushing closer as the train speeds down and reaches 4.5 Gs. At the last moment, riders turn over land and head upward. What follows are a zero-G roll, an Immelmann, two flat-spins, a panoramic spiral with a view of the park’s entrance, a horseshoe and a camelback and yet another spiral before the train rushes toward the brake run, going underground into the station. The total length of the ride is 700 meters (2,296 feet).
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An exhilarating and action-filled ride it is, featuring constant changes of direction — and those foot choppers! Everything is ultrasmooth, and really, Monster is a very re-rideable coaster. Riders never feel uncomfortable or overloaded with heavy Gs; it is a true joyride.
Monster trains fly above guests almost entirely without nets and fenced-in areas. At night the train’s lights underneath the seats almost resemble fireflies as the trains roll through this section of the park, caressing the track and being accompanied by the joyful screams of terror from riders.
Monster is by far the most thrilling and exciting coaster at Gröna Lund. It is a welcome contribution to the coaster collection at the park. The park map shows the layout of the ride, which covers roughly one-third of the park, as well as the track layout for Twister, Jetline, Kvasten, Vilda Musen and Insane.
The layout for six coasters is shown in the park map.
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Gröna Lund has outdone itself again with the addition of Monster, and now, by far, can claim the most coaster track per square foot anywhere. But Monster is not just a statistic; it is a gem of a coaster and the icing on the cake.
Although Gröna Lund is not large in terms of total land area, it tops all parks in terms of coaster track per square foot.
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— Douglas Ekström-Ahlby
@#$%&!
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