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Martin & Vleminckx building China's first wooden roller coaster in 2009
January 16, 2008 – In an exclusive to Amusement Today, officials at G. Martin & A. Vleminckx Amusement, Ltd. have confirmed that the Montreal-based company will build China's first wooden roller. The ride is currently slated to open during the 2009 season.
The recipient of the country's first wooden coaster is Overseas Chinese Town, a new park being constructed in Sheshan, Songjiang, Shanghai. The coaster will be situated on an island near the park's main entrance. As guest pass through the front gate, the ride's structure will appear as a bamboo curtain.
The as-yet-unnamed coaster is a combination Out & Back and Twister style with a dogleg footprint. Sporting ten track crossovers and two road crossovers, it will stand 108.25 feet tall with a first drop of 103.5 feet. It will feature 3,819 feet of twisted track and reach a top speed of 56 mph.
Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters will provide the rolling stock, which will consist of two six-car trains seating four riders per car.
The ride was sold by G. Martin & A. Vleminckx Amusement, Ltd. and will be sourced in Canada and the U.S. The fabrication and installation supervision will be handled by Martin & Vleminckx. The project is a turnkey delivery excluding foundations and installation labor.
With engineering of the coaster sub-contracted to The Gravity Group of Cincinnati, Ohio, the ride will be designed and fabricated according to ASTM standards and delivered from America.
[from Amusement Today with permission] •
Four Coasters in Five Years
October 11, 2007 – The Gravity Group, LLC has designed four roller coasters since it formed in 2002 as an independent design and engineering firm specializing in wooden roller coaster design. Its experienced staff has pioneered a new business model for the realization of wooden roller coasters. Working with the park directly to build a ride in-house, or alongside a contractor, The Gravity Group has given a park more options than ever to get a world-class roller coaster.
The team is currently working on its fourth coaster, The Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer in Erie, Pennsylvania. This twisted ride is built on Lake Erie’s sloped banks and features a unique 150 feet long arched bridge that crosses over a four-lane state highway. Once this ride opens in Spring of 2008, the ride is sure to become an area landmark that entertains guests for years to come.
This large project follows on the heels of Boardwalk Bullet, a challengingly twisted ride at Kemah Boardwalk on Texas’ Galveston Bay. This 3200 foot long ride is crammed onto 1 acre of land, creating what is quite possibly the most compact wooden coaster in the world.
At September’s Amusement Today Golden Ticket Award Ceremony, The Voyage received the coveted 2007 Golden Ticket Award for the Best Wooden Coaster in the world. Designed by The Gravity Group, The Voyage has a record 24.2 seconds of weightlessness, three moments of 90 degree banking, and eight underground tunnels. In its first year, 2006 it captured the Golden Ticket for the category of “Best New Ride”.
The Gravity Group debuted its first full ride in 2005 with Hades, which is the current Golden Ticket #5 Wooden Coaster. This ride garnered the 2005 Best New Ride Golden Ticket during its opening season at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park (Wisconsin Dells, WI). One of Hades’ most notable features is an incredible, record breaking 700 foot long underground tunnel and the first 90 degree banked turn on a wooden coaster.
The Gravity Group, LLC will be showcasing its design and engineering talents during the upcoming 2007 IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, Florida at booth #3719. The show dates are November 13th through 16th.
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The Voyage Captures Title of #1 Wooden Coaster
September 5, 2007 –
At the 2007 Golden Ticket Awards, the industry awards of industry magazine Amusement Today, The Voyage, a monumental ride designed by The Gravity Group, LLC, was crowned the best wooden roller coaster. In fact, this wooden roller coaster at Holiday World captured more vote points than any other wooden or steel roller coaster ever. The engineers of The Gravity Group are elated to have this ride be so honored and widely loved.
After
his first ride, Holiday World’s General Manager Will
Koch acclaimed, “It was everything I’d dreamed of. The
Gravity Group outdid themselves in maximizing every
moment. I think it’s safe to say that a new era in wooden
roller coasters has begun.” Even before riding he had
been heard projecting, “I really think this will be
the greatest wooden coaster ever built.”
[
more info about the Voyage here
]
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Waldameer Announces Ravine Flyer II
May
12, 2007 – After many years of planning, zoning
and preliminary hurdles, Waldameer and WaterWorld in
Erie, Pennsylvania will finally get their new wooden
roller coaster for the 2008 season. The new ride has
been named Ravine Flyer II, harkening back to the classic
Ravine Flyer that once graced the same Lake Erie slope.
In addition The old and new rides both crossed Peninsula
Drive, which is now a four-lane highway. This twisting,
exciting ride will also have 6 tunnels which enhance
the rider experience.
The Gravity Group is excited to provide the design and
engineering of this roller coaster landmark. Similar
to other successful Gravity Group projects, the park
is building the ride in-house. This business model,
pioneered by the group allows a park to have more involvement
in the ride as well as saving money with a few key specialized
workers guiding the project.
[more
info about the Ravine Flyer here]
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