Cover Story
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The GCI Hall of Fame
Wildcat, Hersheypark, Pennsylvania (1996) The first coaster designed by GCI, it appears taller than it actually is because it’s built on a large hill. When opened, it set a new world record of 11 seat- lifting moments.
Above: Opened in June 2017, Jungle Dragon at Happy Valley Chongqing, China, is 115 feet (35m) tall and carries riders over 3,957 feet (1,206m) at a top speed of 55mph (89kph).
many of the elements that would become signature for GCII, including the tight sweeping curves, paying homage to the early twentieth century coaster designers such as the legendary Harry Traver. The innovative designs by GCII didn’t stop with their tight twists and fast layouts. Hain & Boodley worked to develop a revolution for the modern wooden coaster industry, their Millennium Flyer trains. “We wanted trains that could smoothly maneuver the
knowledge. We recognized there was potential to really reintroduce the twister-style wooden roller coasters to the industry.” In 1994, having wrapped construction on the Hoosier Hurricane at Indiana Beach, Monticello, Indiana, for the now-defunct Custom Coasters, Hain and Boodley launched their own company, Great Coasters International, Inc. Combined, the two had over 40 years of experience in the amusement park industry. In short time, the company unveiled their first design, Hersheypark’s Wildcat, in 1996, a dynamic coaster that made an impact from the start. “My reaction when I first rode it myself was,‘Wow,’”
exclaimed Hain. “I knew that was exactly the kind of coaster we had been wanting to produce.” The ride contained
InvadR at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, Virginia
curves and snappy transitions we were designing,” said Hain. GCII spent much of 1998 designing the trains and debuted them in 1999 on Roar (later renamed Joker) at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. “The revolutionary design of the trains truly allowed GCII to take twister wooden roller coasters to the next level.” That next level received unparalleled international attention and critical acclaim with the debut of GCII’s Thunderhead at Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 2004. The wild ride was the first coaster to feature a station flyby, having riders literally pass through the loading station, further whetting the appetites of guests waiting to board.
The next generation 2005 saw Boodley retire, handing the title of GCII’s lead designer to Jeff Pike. Pike’s first coaster as lead designer, the Kentucky Rumbler at Beech Bend, Bowling Green, Kentucky, continued the company’s traditions of quality, reliability, smoothness, and comfort in their designs as well as maintaining the curved first drop their designs had become known for. This was followed by such notable ridea as The Prowler at Worlds of Fun, Kansas City, Missouri; 2017’s Mystic Timbers at Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio, and InvadR at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, Virginia. (pictured above and left) In addition, the company has produced effective
refurbishments of popular older coasters that benefitted from a little of GCII’s TLC, including work on Lake Compounce’s Boulder Dash, Bristol, Connecticut; Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Rider, Buena Park, California, and Holiday World’s The Legend, Santa Claus, Indiana. With only bright futures ahead, Hain offered: “Our
coasters have always been designed with the end user in mind, both park operators and guests. That means that we insist on the highest level of ride experience combined with the lowest cost-to-maintain design.”
JANUARY 2018
Lightning Racer, Hersheypark, Pennsylvania (2000) One of the best dueling coasters in existence, both sides travel through the same elements but at different times. In addition to racing beside each other, there are two fly-by turn-arounds where the trains cross paths facing each other.
Thunderhead, Dollywood, Tennessee (2004) This twister features a record- setting 32 crossovers and was the first to feature a station flyby.
Joris en de Draak, Efteling (2009)
A dueling wooden coaster themed around the legend of St. George and the Dragon, it features a 12m tall animatronic dragon, trumpets sounding upon dispatch and a medieval flute soundtrack for the lift hill climb.
Wodan Timbur Coaster, Europa Park (2012) GCI’s largest coaster, this is themed to Norse mythology and has an amazing queue line, featuring projection mapping, smoke screens and moving ceilings as well as fire, mist and water effects. Huge statues lining the loading area turn and watch the train as it exits the station.
White Lightning, Fun Spot America (2013) An out-and-back coaster that shows the company’s ability to build an exciting airtime coaster with a small footprint, this coaster proved to be so popular that a clone of it was built in 2016 at Plopsaland De Panne in Belgium.
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