Ride Profiles
parkworld-online.com
County Fair section of the park, makes Six Flags Great America home to the most wooden rollercoaster track of any amusement park in world.
sixflags.com/greatamerica Medusa
Rocky
Mountain’s wood and steel
Six Flags Mexico
In Mexico City, a new generation of rollercoasters has arrived at Six Flags Mexico with the debut of Medusa Steel Coaster. Opened on 14 June, the record-breaking RMC ride combines a massive wooden structure with a new modern steel track to deliver a heart-pounding, high-adrenaline ride experience.
Medusa started life as a wooden coaster built by Custom Coasters International. When it opened in 2000 it was one of the only “woodies” in Latin America. One year ago the ride was closed to prepare for its transformation from wood to RMC’s I- Box steel track – similar to what was done for two other Six Flags coasters, the New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas and the Iron Rattler at Fiesta Texas. Following the work by Rocky Mountain the ride now offers a completely new experience. Medusa Steel Coaster offers a smoother, more exciting ride with more than 3,000ft (915m) of track, travelling at speeds up to 58mph (93kmh) and climbing 15 storeys high. The attraction boasts seven heel-over- head manoeuvres – a record for any wooden-based coaster – including three full barrel rolls and four over-banked beyond-vertical turns. The first drop is actually an inversion, an extremely unique feature
unmatched by any other coaster in the world. Two custom-designed trains carrying 24 riders run simultaneously, offering non-stop thrills. According to RMC, around 70% of Medusa’s original wooden structure was saved in the creation of the new-look coaster. “We then added about 20% of new structure to the areas such as the lift hill, drop hill and the second large corner,” says foreman Justin Whiteman. “Our tracks require virtually no maintenance and a track warranty is included. Six Flags Mexico will see a dramatic decrease in their maintenance costs.”
The coaster is themed around the storyline of an
awe-inspiring Greek mythical character Medusa, whose golden hair turned into snakes and her eyes turned people into stone. If the story may seem chilling, then the ride is most definitely thrilling.
sixflags.com.mx
wonders Based in Idaho, Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) was formed in 2001 by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon. The innovative company has built wooden coasters and erected steel coasters from the ground up as well as performed numerous repairs on wooden coasters. In 2016 it will launch its first ride in Europe, Wildfire at Kolmården in Sweden, a 1.3km-long (4,266ft) coaster featuring Topper track. “Our track technologies allow us to incorporate new exciting elements, such as inversions and extreme banking, that traditional wood tracks do not allow,” highlights RMC’s Amy Garcia. “Traditional wooden track also requires constant maintenance, while our track technologies require very little and come with a five year warranty. In addition, the welded steel track assemblies decrease structural movement and lessen the wear of the wood structure.”
rockymtnconstruction.com
JULY 2014
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