originally posted on 12/23/2024
Photo: Sean Randall. View full-sized image.
On July 6, ThunderVolt welcomed its first riders at PNE/Playland in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The coaster initially operated as Senzafiato at Miragica near Bari, Italy, from 2009 to 2018 and was standing but not operating until 2021. Purchased by Zamperla, the Intamin coaster launched riders up a 59-foot steep incline followed by a steep drop and several sharply banked helixes. For its relocation to PNE/Playland, Zamperla replaced the hydraulic launch with a linear synchronous motor launching system and also built a new train that was unveiled and displayed during the IAAPA Expo in 2022. The name ThunderVolt resulted from a naming contest that PNE/ Playland hosted — 852 entries were submitted and the winner received two season passes and an invitation to the ride’s launch party.
It’s not every day a new coaster is added to PNE/Playland, so ACEers made sure to celebrate ThunderVolt — the park’s most recent addition.
Photo: Sean Randall. View full-sized image.
Photo: Steve Gzesh. View full-sized image.
In what turned out to be one very rainy event, ACE Northwest visited PNE/Playland on October 19, where attendees got to experience ERT on ThunderVolt — the park’s largest investment to date. Unfortunately, with the substantial amount of rain experienced over the weekend, a portion of the track for Coaster—Canada’s oldest roller coaster—was flooded, which the park claimed has not happened as far back as they can recollect. Since the ERT for that ride had to be canceled, the park provided rapid passes to all attendees, which allowed quick access to the eight themed haunted houses for their annual “Fright Nights,” as well as many of the park's flat rides.
The park is also home to Coaster — an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark — but flooding of the track prevented it from being operational for the event.
Photo: Sean Randall. View full-sized image.
Photo: Sean Randall. View full-sized image.
During a brief lull in the rainfall, ACEers enjoyed two back-to-back rides on ThunderVolt during the ERT session. Most attendees came back a little later to ride it a third time, perhaps to experience the coaster from a different seating position on the train. The front of the train gives riders the sensation of going through hyperspace as it launches through a tunnel lit by thousands of LED lights before being thrust up the spike. At other seats, riders experience sensations from different airtime and lateral moments to a brief ejector section in the midcourse of the ride.
ThunderVolt is an exciting addition to the park and it is quite re-rideable. It will surely add a new generation of thrills to PNE/Playland for many years to come.
— Sean Randall, ACE Northwest Regional Representative
#ACENews