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Wooden kingdom! Four new woodies for China from MVR
Martin & Vleminckx Rides (MVR) will open no fewer than four new wooden coasters in China over the next 13 months. The first will debut on 1 May at Fantawild in Zhuzhou. Two months later, Hotgo Park, Fushun, will open its rollercoaster, followed by a woodie at Fantawild in Jinan, opening 1 December. Finally, Fantawild Wuhu will unveil its new MVR coaster on 1 February, 2015.
The rides, all designed and engineered by The Gravity Group (GG), will include elements new to China such as a 360 Barrel Roll. Some will include GG’s Timberliner trains, others classic PTC trains. With previous deliveries to OCT’s Happy Valley parks in Shanghai, Wuhan and Tianjin,
there will soon be seven MVR-built woodies in China.
Instrumental in developing the Chinese market for the company over the last five years has been young Owen Yao, who has now officially been appointed MVR’s local representative. The firm also boasts three Chinese nationals on its technical support team and plans soon to open an office in the country, most likely in Shenzhen. Back at MVR’s headquarters in Canada, Kevin Hehn has been appointed general manager. He has 24 years’ experience in the amusement industry and previously served as the company’s senior project manager. Additionally, MVR has begun a collaboration
GCI promises ‘bad-assed’
woodie for China MVR no longer has the Chinese market to itself when it comes to supplying woodies. Great Coaster International’s Jeff Pike reports his company is building the “tallest, fastest, longest and most bad-assed wood coaster in China.”
Where? It will open at the new Wanda City theme park in Nanchang this coming June. Named the Viper, it will feature snake-themed Millennium Flyer trains and a 1.5km (4,921ft) layout including a 50m (164ft) lift. Travelling on a mountain and through a forest, it will reach a top speed of 100kmh (62mph).
Goliath coach unveiled Here’s the lead coach for
Goliath, soon to be the world’s fastest wooden rollercoaster. Doesn’t it look handsome? Built by Rocky Mountain Construction, the ride will go into use this coming spring at Six Flags Great America near Chicago. Reaching speeds of up to 172 mph (116kmh), the steel railed ride will also feature the world’s tallest (180ft/55m) and steepest (85°) drop, thereby claiming three woodie world records. The eye-catching coach appears as though clad in biblical-era armour
appropriate for a giant.
Pictured on MVR‘s booth at IAAPA are Chuck Bingham, Alain Vleminckx, Pierre Cloutier and Owen Yao
with the Yeditepe Group of Instanbul, Turkey, allowing it to continue with the development of the Turkish market and in the Middle East.
Mini-liennium
trains launched Great Coasters International (GCI) has installed some new “Mini-liennium” coaches on the Coastersaurus wooden coaster at Legoland Florida. They are junior-sized versions of GCI’s Millennium Flyer trains, and replaces the ride’s former PTC Jr cars. Individual lap bars are provided, allowing children as small as 42 inches (107cm) to ride. Adults can also hop on board the 24-seat train, which can negotiate a 12ft (3.7m) radius curve.
Roar-O-Saurus!
The ride’s exciting layout
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Is this the best new name you’ve heard a rollercoaster? We think so. Palace Entertainment is to introduce a one-of-a-kind wooden coaster this coming season at Story Land, Glen, New Hampshire. From the Gravity Group, Roar-O-Saurus will anchor a new dinosaur- themed section of the park. The ride’s colourful 12-passenger train is almost as much fun as the rest of the ride, custom themed around the newest member of the Story Land family: Rory, the little dinosaur with the big roar! The coaster itself will boast a family-friendly lift height of 40ft (12m), providing a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Riders will be sent roaring and soaring down a first drop of 38.5ft (11.7 m) and over 1,242ft (379m) of track, during which they will Experience no fewer than 12 airtime moments. “This unique wooden coaster will provide children of all ages the experience of riding their first ‘big’ coaster with Mom or Dad,” says Story Land general manager Eric Dziedzic. Story Land celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2014. Its other, established rollercoaster is the Polar Coaster, a 1987 family coaster from Hopkins.
ABOVE: Story Land’s Eric Dziedzic (left) and Palace Entertainment’s Fernando Eiroa try out the Roar-O-Saurus train
JANUARY 2014
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