Weird, Wacky & Strange Coaster Bits

[roomraider]

Here's one of the strangest rides I've ever come across, It was brought to my attention the other day by a friend Ultro on Discord but so far I've found so little info this is more of an appeal for information from anyone that might know more.

This ride was called Mud Rider/Mad Rider (マッドライダー) at Minamichita Green Valley (南知多グリーンバレイ) in Japan and I believe it operated in the early 2000s but for a very short amount of time.

It seems the ride would be dropped down a steep ski jump style track over a lake before jumping off the end and being being caught above the water by two ropes attached to either side of the car.

The ride was featured on a Japanese TV show about thrill rides from Chukyo TV which is I believe these screen grabs originally came from.
However as usual with Japan finding things on anything from about pre 2010 is really bloody difficult and I haven't managed to dig up the clip itself, just numerous references to it.

The source for these images is this Japanese Youtube Video of Japans most extreme rides https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EwWhOE5W1I

But I'd love to see the original video clip of the ride operating.

 

[cookie]

Almost as weird is this proto-4D coaster featured in the same video:

Nothing about ”Sledge Hammer” comes up on RCDB so I assume this was some prototype that never went anywhere?

 

[CanobieFan]

Pretty sure back in the day @roomraider had info on that prototype as well. #RIPFrighttime

 

[roomraider]

Almost as weird is this proto-4D coaster featured in the same video:

Nothing about ”Sledge Hammer” comes up on RCDB so I assume this was some prototype that never went anywhere?

Correct it was a prototype they built at their yard as a proof of concept. Unfortunately no one ever picked it up.


The prototype at the yard was essentially the first drop, raven turn and rise into the airtime hill from this concept layout

The videos make it look pretty brutal but would have been really interesting to see one built.

Hoei Sangyo always seemed like a company with bigger ideas than resources.