Small News From The Theme Park Industry
- Thread starter Lofty
- Start date
VonRolland
Giga Poster
It has a lift, anti rollbacks & a couple of coasting sections and a drop which it wouldn't be able to complete without a coasting section powered by gravity.
Of course Mack powered coasters don't fit into the coasting specification but come on that's not hard to work out if it's a coaster or not
Of course Mack powered coasters don't fit into the coasting specification but come on that's not hard to work out if it's a coaster or not
roomraider
Best Topic Starter
A small tidbit from China. The latest model of Golden Horse inverts have vest restraints which if introduced on their bigger models should negate some of the headbanging issues. Good to see the Chinese manafacturers upping their game still.
CrashCoaster
CF Legend
Ah yes, time to knock off B&M vest restraints.
Benenen
Hyper Poster
Didn't see you slagging off Vekoma for doing the same.
JuliOverbank
Roller Poster
Raptor in Gardaland and Speed of Sound (re)opened in the same year, so I wouldn't call that knocking off
Benenen
Hyper Poster
I stand corrected.
There's a fine line between 'knocking off' and modern coaster design evolving forwards. There's so many examples of manufacturers leapfrogging off the back of each other in a positive way:
-Intamins new train design is very similar to Mack Megacoaster ones
-The swing launch isn't exclusive to whichever manufacturer invented it
-Intamin are now doing zero G stalls
Newtons standing on the shoulders of giants quote is very applicable to the coaster world and I say long may that continue to be the case.
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CrashCoaster
CF Legend
^The restraints, alongside the handles, look much more like B&M vests than Vekoma vests. Nevertheless, if they did look like Vekoma vests it would still be a knock-off so I don't really see the issue.
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An emergent technology proliferating through the market is not the same as a knock-off, though.
Vekoma knocking-off Intamin's LSM launches.
Mack knocking-off Intamin's tri-rail track.
Gerstlauer knocking-off Maurer's spinning coasters.
S&S knocking-off Intamin's Zac-spins.
RMC knocking-off Mack's single rail coasters.
(Oddly lots of Intamin examples here - unintentionally, I promise)
Yes, there are instances (more so historically to be honest) of Chinese manufacturers taking 'western' coaster designs and copying them poorly. But that doesn't make every coaster development in China, just because they're a few years behind the curve when compared to the world leaders in this stuff, a knock-off.
Aren't ZacSpins again knocking off S&S (well, Arrow) 4D coasters?
roomraider
Best Topic Starter
Heres a useful guide for the Xenophobic Coaster Enthusiast out there who thinks only Chinese companies knock off other rides. I'd argue only one of the Chinese rides below is a knock-off (the motorbike coaster) if none of the western versions are.
Antinos
Slut for Spinners
Yeah, "knock-off" tends to only get used in reference to Chinese designs, but as stated, there's a huge difference between adapting good ideas and blatantly stealing IP. Yes, there have been instances in the past where Chinese companies literally copied products. A good example is some of the car companies who literally tore down vehicles, scanned the sheetmetal and trim, cut new tooling, and produced rebadged vehicles. Granted, there are now hundreds of Chinese automakers who are showing that they have gained enough knowledge to fully develop unique, high quality vehicles without any "knock-offs." We're seeing this same trend in the amusement industry as well. It's mostly evident with Golden Horse and their train designs which have been looking more unique as of late, and I'm sure as more Chinese based companies become more prominent, their rides will begin to have their own signature look as well.
SilverArrow
Certified Ride Geek
Apparently there is a Schwarzkopf Looping Star for hire in the UK! Photos are of the old Dreamland one but as far as people know that's still in Africa so it is not clear which one this is. Pretty interesting anyway!
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Coaster Chall YouTube
Hyper Poster
Maybe Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2020 perhaps? (If that goes ahead with the right measures in place)Apparently there is a Schwarzkopf Looping Star for hire in the UK! Photos are of the old Dreamland one but as far as people know that's still in Africa so it is not clear which one this is. Pretty interesting anyway!
I don't no about the looping star but the 42 m mouse is the lightwater valley twister coaster see picture above.Apparently there is a Schwarzkopf Looping Star for hire in the UK! Photos are of the old Dreamland one but as far as people know that's still in Africa so it is not clear which one this is. Pretty interesting anyway!
roomraider
Best Topic Starter
The only looping star it could be really is Bobbejanlands. Since the others are still operatiinal in Italy, Brazil, Cyprus, Japan, Botswana and the USA. (viper from SFAW was the 8th one but the must have been scrapped years ago)
SilverArrow
Certified Ride Geek
Rcdb lists 5 as operational with 3 no longer operational and Brazil (Ita Park) isn't on the operational list. Is that an error or is it SBNO?
Both Bobbejaanland's and Six Flags' ones seem to have dropped off the radar around the same time (2005/2006).
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Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Could it not be Lisebergs Loopen... As one of the picture’s is... I don’t know where it went after closing in Ita in 2018...
roomraider
Best Topic Starter
Thats in Brazil now.
Ita Parks one is travelling so it won't show up on the RCDB. Its set up at a shopping centre along the coast somewhere at the moment. I have pictures but am on my phone.
The other 2 missing are Bobbejanland and Six Flags Astroworld both of which haven't been seen as far as I know in 15 odd years.
Most likely explanation? It's a Pinfari looper and they are somewhat over egging it on the picture front probably.