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ParkHoppin’ with Paul Ruben
Upside-down in Branson
Branson is a small town tucked into the Ozark Mountains of southwest Missouri. It's been described as the "live country music capital of the universe," and I like country music almost as much as camping with fire ants. But it also celebrates American kitsch (something that appeals to popular taste). I was all in. First up was a visit to Silver Dollar City, Herschend Entertainment's flagship park, where I could ride Outlaw Run. It's the world's first wooden coaster to turn riders upside-down three times. From start to finish, the ride takes one minute and 27 seconds, but the high-speed portion felt like the manoeuvres of a one-minute ride had been crammed into 37 seconds. My senses were on red alert. It felt like I was in a video being run fast forward. I'm not sure what happened, but it was so much fun I rode twice. Once in front and once in the back. I even had a thigh bruise to show for it. I have seen the future of wood coasters, and it is Outlaw Run. Next was a cruise on the Showboat Branson Belle, another Herschend enterprise. Here I would find the beautiful and talented Janice Martin, an accomplished violinist who performed while dangling upside-down from aerial silks. She also sings, and I was hoping she would sing my favourite country song, I got the goldmine. He got the shaft. But she didn't. As a child I played violin, but never while hanging. I bet it would have helped.
I saw several shows, including one with ventriloquist Todd Oliver. He used live dogs as his ventriloquist dummies, and then chose two audience members to join him on stage. Unfortunately, I was
sitting too close to the front and was one of those chosen. We were to open our mouth whenever he squeezed the back of our neck, and he supplied the dialogue. I was fortunate. No one there knew me. Sky Surfing is a zip line in Branson that goes both downwards and upwards. It's motorised, and you can ride standing, sitting, or lying down while safely harnessed in. I chose to stand, as pictured above, while we scooted around a meandering course through a wooded area. It's the only one like it, although they are now building a second unit at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. I mention it because it is a low capacity up-charge attraction that would fit in any park. It takes little ground space and does not require an incline to operate. Finally, there is another Herschend attraction, Ride the Ducks, that I enjoyed. The Ducks are amphibious vehicles used originally in World War II to transport soldiers. Today, 75 years later, these are no longer the original Ducks, but replicas built by Chance Rides on GM truck bodies. They are used to transport tourists around the surrounding mountainside and into Table Rock Lake. Riders are given duck-billed squawkers to annoy onlookers. As we splashed into Table Rock Lake, I blew loudly on my duck-billed squawker and startled a couple of unsuspecting real ducks. Disoriented, they shot into the air, flew upside-down, and ... quacked up.
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Psyké Underground Undercover launch coaster
Walibi Belgium’s
Schwarzkopf shuttle coaster could tell a few tales. Operating at the park in Wavre near Brussels since 1982, it has ridden over 13 million people and boasted three different identities during its life. This season it has remerged as a unique coaster called Psyké Underground.
The ride’s new train by Gerstlauer
Opened back in the ‘80s as Sirocco, the 220m-long
(722ft ) ride was relaunched in 1999 as Turbine, when its loop was enclosed inside a building to dampen the screams of its riders. Now the entire ride is undercover, with a tube structure covering the track either side of the building.
A new train has been delivered and the drive system updated too, both by Gerstlauer using the former Schwarzkopf production facilities. The work involved replacing the old flywheel launch with linear induction motors. The power required to launch the 14-seater/7-car train through the loop and up the 45m incline that follows is equivalent to one and a half times the energy consumption the entire park – but fortunately it is only needed very briefly. On leaving the station the train goes from 0 to 85kmh in just three seconds. After racing backwards through the loop and up an incline at the other side, the train is eventually brought to a stop in the station with the aid of new magnetic brakes. Walibi owner Compagnie des Alpes has spend around €6 million on the ride’s transformation, which also includes new theming and special effects courtesy of Jora Vision. In honour of the ride’s relaunch, Walibi staged five special “Psyké Nights” during July and August, when the park stayed open until midnight with a laser/firework finale.
walibi.be
RIGHT: The loop inside the building BELOW: The outside of the building
SEPTEMBER 2013
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