Ride Profile
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Feel the steel
Storm Chaser is not an entirely new coaster, however. The ride uses Rocky Mountain Construction’s patented I-Box steel track, which until now the Idaho-based manufacturer has used with wooden supporting structures, to create the feel of a wood coaster but with a steel supporting structure from a previous ride. The I-Box track yields a ride that’s smooth as glass, yet also very fast and intense. Hart had worked previously with RMC when, in 2014, he used the company to re-track Kentucky Kingdom’s classic wooden coaster, Thunder Run. “It ran smoother than ever,” he recalls. “Now they’ve done a great job with Storm Chaser too, delivering a spectacular coaster on time.” “We are thrilled to have been selected for this project and to help introduce our special brand of coaster design to Kentucky," offers RMC founder and “chief innovator”, Fred Grubb. "Storm Chaser is one of the most exciting coasters we’ve ever built!” The attraction, which opened on April 30, has been built at a cost of $10 million on the site of the former Twisted Twins. The original duelling coaster featured two trains that rolled over different tracks and passed each other several times. Storm Chaser is taller (100ft/30m Vs 80ft/30.4.m) than the ride it replaces, but shorter in total track length (2,744ft/ 836m Vs 3,000ft/914m) and slightly slower. Yet according to Hart, it’s a far superior ride. "Twisted Twins was a very average coaster," says the
park’s CEO. "Storm Chaser is a great coaster. Why stay average when you can be great? A ride like this would normally cost as much as $15 million all-in, but we saved money by using some of the existing superstructure from Twisted Twins. Because of the new configuration, taller lift hill and many other innovative features, we essentially redesigned and built a new coaster.”
Plants Vs coasters In addition to Storm Chaser, Kentucky Kingdom is also introducing the Angry Birds 4D movie this season in its 5D Cinema. New games, F&B locations and retail shops have been added and 25% more seating has been installed throughout the park. The park is also launching its new Kentucky Kingdom Gardens programme by labelling hundreds of flowers, plants, ornamental grasses and trees. Each label includes a QR code that the guests can scan with their smartphones for more information. The new initiative is something that can be enjoyed by riders and non-riders alike, but Hart knows what’s really going to pull people into the park this season. “It’s all about the coasters!” says the park’s president and
CEO. “That’s what I was told by a seasoned manager of one of the county’s most renowned parks when I first came into the industry many years ago. It’s been my experience since that it was very good advice." The 2016 season continues at Kentucky Kingdom until September 25.
Stormin’stats
Here’s some key Storm Runner facts and figures for your delight:
• Lift height: 100ft (30m) • Track length: 2,744ft (836m) • Maximum speed 52 mph (84km/h)
• Ride time: 100 seconds • Load/unload time: 80 seconds • Dispatch interval: 90 seconds • Train capacity: 24 riders • Number of trains: 2 • Hourly capacity: 960 • Max/min G-forces: 3.75/-1.0
JUNE 2016
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