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Fun Spot ignites Mine Blower
F
un Spot America, Kissimmee, Florida, has introduced Mine Blower, a new $6 million wooden roller coaster from The Gravity Group (TGG). This is the first
permanent thrill ride built at the park since Fun Spot purchased it in 2004 and follows the success of White Lightning, a coaster built at Fun Spot America's Orlando location in 2013 by Great Coasters International. This is the Gravity Group’s first coaster built in Florida, and with faux dynamite rockets mounted on each train, it’s explosive. Built on the former location of two go-kart tracks, ‘Blower sits atop steel angle iron supports. It measures 2,289 feet (698 m) long with an 83-foot (25.3 m) tall lift hill and a first drop of 81.5 feet (25 m). Riders experience a top speed of 49 mph (79 kph) before twisting through a maximum bank angle of 115° and a 360° barrel roll inversion above the loading platform. It is the only wooden roller coaster in the southeast United States that features a 360° barrel roll.
Two Inversions “We believed we needed to add some new attractions at Fun Spot America – Kissimmee,” explained John B. Arie, Sr., Owner and CEO. “We knew what an impact a thrilling roller coaster would have on the park, as White Lightning has done such for Fun Spot America-Orlando. At IAAPA, we talked to
JULY 2017
all the coaster manufacturers and The Gravity Group won the contract based on design, price and completion date. We wanted something unique and different so we designed a compact (footprint wise) coaster with two inversions into the coasters, a 360° barrel roll and a 120° turn. We got what we wanted and much much more. The Mine Blower is totally unique and different and extremely fast, intense and impactful! I predict many industry awards and nominations. “We added not one inversion, but two,” he added. “Why? Because it hadn’t been done on a woodie in Central Florida, that’s why. We wanted to make the ride very special to our guests in Central Florida.” “The inversions are made possible due to our revolutionary
Timberliner trains,” said TGG’s Korey Kiepert. “Timberliners are the only wooden coaster cars that have a steerable wheel system, allowing them to more closely follow the track shape as well as navigate twists and turns that are tighter than what has traditionally been found on wooden roller coasters." Guests are seated in one of two Timberline trains, either
red or black with large mock TNT explosives mounted in front of each 12-passenger train. They are lifted off their seats 11 times during the course of their ride, restrained by an unusual lap-bar harness with nothing over the shoulders. Seat belts serve as back-up restraints.
John B. Arie, Sr., Owner and CEO
Korey Kiepert, Engineer and Principal at The Gravity Group, LLC
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