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What have Vekoma been up to lately?

mouse

Giga Poster
It's probably just me, but Vekoma don't seem to have been building many coasters recently?
Other than the vertical lift prototype they've been developing (there was a topic about it I think) the most recent new coaster of theirs I can think of was Ben 10 at Drayton Manor. I'm sure there must have been more since then, so what has Vekoma built lately?
What's their newest thrill ride, and do they still use the skeletal track style their older coasters have?
I now tend to associate Vekoma with old thrill coasters and relocations, and haven't seen them pop up in Ride Construction for a while.
 

Thekingin64

Strata Poster
That is actually a good point which I'd never thought/noticed before. All I know is that they are still around and there is a brand new SLC being built somewhere in China as we speak.

EDIT: Scratch that, it's being built in Poland and is virtually done: http://rcdb.com/12263.htm

EDIT 2: According to RCDB, they do have a lot under constuction at the minute but it's unclear if they are relocations or not: http://rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&co=6836&page=1&order=-8
 

Snoo

The Legend
It might be because everyone and their mother has a Boomerang so no one wants to buy their crap? :p
 

ThomVD

Giga Poster
I've read somewhere that Vekoma has been fully booked for 2015 and 2016. I think it's just a matter of building stuff in Asia and other places that we don't hear that much about.
 

Jordanovichy

Credit Whore 2016
^basically this.

For example they are building 4 boomerangs in China due to open this year and next (as well as one in Iraq and one in China), they have 4 junior coasters under construction, 3 of which in Asia, so yeah, I don't necessarily think they've slowed down (however I don't know the amount of coasters they usually build in a year so I could be wrong) but more they're in deep Asia :p
 

JoshC.

Strata Poster
Paultons are getting two Vekomas; the custom suspended coaster and a new-layout junior Boomerang. Aren't they also working with RMC for Wildfire at Kolmården as well?

So they are involved in a couple of non-Asian projects as well at the moment!
 

andrus

Giga Poster
^Yes, Vekoma acts as the European dealer for RMC. And they do the lift chain, the electronic controls etc.

Besides that Vekoma has built a lot of suspended family coasters lately; Orkanen at Fårup Sommerland and a clones of it at Energylandia (Poland) and two Fantawild parks (China), as well as several clones of Kvasten at Gröna Lund.
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
As others have said, they really haven't gone anywhere. Looking at RCDB, this year alone they have built/are building 17 new coasters (not relocations), with 10 known, so far, for next year.

The vast majority of these are for the Asian market though, and none of them are anything unique or special - a lot of Boomerangs, Roller Skaters, Family Suspended etc., so they wouldn't really be news for us.

While they may have fallen off our radar a little due to having nothing new - in terms of ride type, layout etc. - they're still very much a key player and are still one of the busier manufacturers.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Suffice it to say, Vekoma has one of the most successful business model in terms of quantity. By RCDB's count, there are 295 Vekomas in the world, with 75 relocated: http://rcdb.com/6836.htm

I believe that is the largest number in the world? At least, in terms of manufacturers - Ing.-Büro Stengel has been involved in 441 roller coasters, but this includes general design and consulting as well.

By comparison, here are other manufacturers, none of which are even close to the 200 mark:

Meisho - 99: http://rcdb.com/6954.htm
B&M - 100: http://rcdb.com/6831.htm
Arrow - http://rcdb.com/6835.htm
PTC - 114: http://rcdb.com/6841.htm
Mack - 117: http://rcdb.com/6856.htm
Intamin - 128: http://rcdb.com/6837.htm
Schwarzkopf - 148: http://rcdb.com/6844.htm
Pinfari - 179: http://rcdb.com/6862.htm
 

MagnesiumPC

Roller Poster
They may be building a Hyper Coaster for Energylandia (Zator, Poland) in 2018. Also, Formula 1 at Energylandia

Formula 1:
2018:
 
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