originally posted on 11/4/2022 1:45:00 AM
All renderings courtesy of SeaWorld. View full-sized image.
For months, enthusiasts had expected SeaWorld Orlando’s new-for-2023 addition to be Bolliger & Mabillard’s (B&M’s) “surf coaster” prototype, but the central Florida theme park remained tight-lipped about the project. A Hurricane Ian-delayed media event resulted in additional weeks passing without any additional information. On a Tuesday morning late in October when the digital sign beyond the park’s entrance plaza boasted 40,000 animals rescued by the theme park family, it was finally announced as Pipeline: The Surf Coaster.
For some, news of a next-generation stand-up coaster failed to move the needle, as a considerable number of enthusiasts point to the small number constructed in the 1980s and ‘90s and fewer having been popular enough to survive the test of time. However, there’s no denying the brilliance of B&M engineering or the fact that the theme park giant has teamed with the Switzerland-based firm in its Busch Gardens and SeaWorld properties to create many memorable, award-winning experiences in the last three decades.
View full-sized image.
Celebrating everything about surf culture, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster will feature innovative surfboard-shaped ride vehicles securing riders in a surfing (standing) position with movable “seats” capable of rising and falling to create the sensation of wave jumping. “SeaWorld Orlando will be the only place in the world to ride a roller coaster like this,” stated Kyle Miller, SeaWorld Orlando’s park president.
View full-sized image.
The attraction sports a single inversion.
View full-sized image.
Currently under construction adjacent to the park’s entrance, the investment will include a dramatic reworking of the Ports of Call section. Pipeline: The Surf Coaster’s 2,950 feet of track will feature a launch into a 110-foot-tall turn, then be traversed at speeds of up to 60 mph. The ride experience will be highlighted by five distinct airtime moments, a variety of twists and turns and a single inversion. A minimum height requirement of 54 inches is currently projected for the two-abreast ride vehicles — an arrangement never before featured on a B&M stand-up coaster.
Pipeline: The Surf Coaster will be B&M’s first two-abreast stand-up coaster.
View full-sized image.
The layout of the coaster and its placement within the park is seen in this rendering.
View full-sized image.
“This first-of-its-kind roller coaster will be the perfect addition to the already incredible lineup of attractions at SeaWorld Orlando,” said Miller. Indeed, it will be the theme park’s seventh roller coaster and joins Kraken, Manta and Mako as its fourth B&M creation. It follows Infinity Falls (Intamin river raft ride) and Ice Breaker (Premier Rides launched coaster) as recent attractions, shifting the destination’s focus from animals to thrills.
An opening date has not been announced. However, as was the case with the aforementioned Ice Breaker, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster will first be available to SeaWorld Orlando Annual pass members through its Passport To Thrills program. Additionally, pass members visiting the park’s member lounge can have their passes scanned up to three times prior to December 31, 2023, for one-time Quick Queues, allowing front-of-line access to the coaster.
— Rob Ascough
View full-sized image.
#ACENews