SFGAmerica to get new wooden coaster--possibly the fastest?

[Ride On_17]

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130817/news/708179826/

What intrigues me is the statement that the ride might be the fastest wooden coaster. With a rumored height of only 165 feet I'm not sure how this would allow it to gain enough speed to beat the current record, but we'll just have to wait and see. If this rumor is true, I might just have to add this park to my list of ones to visit. This sounds like it could be very interesting.

[YoungStud]

eltoro is 70 with a height of 181. Be cool to get another Intamin woodie in the states.

[Ride On_17]

Is it possible this new coaster will have an underground tunnel? Maybe the height above ground is 165 feet but the drop could go under ground, allowing the train to gain enough momentum to surpass the current record.

Seriously, SFGAmerica has never intrigued me up until now.

[YoungStud]

It could be a lot taller, news does not know much. Could go to the gurnee public records building and get the blue prints.

[jcgoble3]

Or, what if someone has finally figured out how to make launch technology work with a wooden coaster? I realize that's unlikely, but anything is possible here.

[YoungStud]

^

That would have to be an intamin.

[jcgoble3]

Good point. Maybe that's not such a good idea after all.

[Ride On_17]

I wish Intamin could have the reliability of B&M. That would be the perfect combination.

[YoungStud]

Hydraulic launch is possible on a woodie. They already have a cable & catch car on El toro.

[YoungStud]

I wish Intamin could have the reliability of B&M. That would be the perfect combination.

Or b&m could have the creativeness of intamin.

[Tr0y]

I wish Intamin could have the reliability of B&M. That would be the perfect combination.

back in the 90s b&m and intamin did work together.

[Ride On_17]

I think it would be cool to have a launching woodie.

There ya go, YoungStud. You should start your own roller coaster design company so you can create as many launching giga monsters as you want.

[YoungStud]

Maybe it will be a gravity group with timberliners 3-4 hours from holiday world.

[Tr0y]

SFGAmercia just built x flight 2 years ago its hard to believe they are getting another coaster, but i guess its possible considering Kings Island got Firehawk and Diamondback within 2 years. This wooden coaster is probably going to utilize terrain to reach its top speed.

[Ride On_17]

Does SFGAmerica even have terrain to work with or is it a pretty flat park?

[HTCO]

I wish Intamin could have the reliability of B&M. That would be the perfect combination.

back in the 90s b&m and intamin did work together.

I remember hearing somewhere that Bolliger or Mabillard worked for Intamin then left/got fired and created their own company.

Or it was the other way around.

[TTD-120-420]

I know when GravityKraft first released info about their Timberliners that they had capabilities to be launched.

[Tr0y]

I wish Intamin could have the reliability of B&M. That would be the perfect combination.

back in the 90s b&m and intamin did work together.

I remember hearing somewhere that Bolliger or Mabillard worked for Intamin then left/got fired and created their own company.

Or it was the other way around.

your right and wrong on this, before b&m was there own company bollard and Millard worked for Giovanola who was contracted by intamin to build some of their rollercoasters : flashback, the shock wave, cobra, and batman the escape are considered intamin coasters but have box style track because it was giovanola design / manufacture.. Bollard and Millard left giovanola in the 90's made their own company which is known today as B&M.. Giovanola went on to build goliath and titan, before going bankrupt in 2004. Therefor Intamin and b&m were once partners but since the split from giovanola in the 90's b&m and intamin are now competitors... A

[THE_BEASTmaster]

Giovanola did make one inverted coaster too called Anaconda at Gold Reef City in South Africa.

http://rcdb.com/1169.htm

[kblanken]

Does SFGAmerica even have terrain to work with or is it a pretty flat park?

The park is quite flat. I really doubt the elevation changes more than ten meters.

[McSalsa]

Hmm...I find this story interesting. Six Flags Great America, from what I have seen & heard, is actually a great park. The park looks great from photos I have seen, has won awards for cleanliness, and this Six Flags actually seems to have a good balance of roller coasters and flat rides. The coaster lineup is good-looking, but none of them really leap out at you the way a Beast, Millennium Force, or El Toro does- most are clones or have been cloned, or have been overshadowed by other rides at other parks. So, what do I think a big new wooden coaster would do at SFGam?

It would, if it is anything like El Toro or any of the recent RMC creations, make SFGam a park very high on my must-visit list. The new ride would likely mesh well with the existing woodies (Viper & American Eagle) and would give SFGam a true stand-out roller coaster. If it is an Intamin Plug-N-Play, then that also means I would not have to go for a multi-day car ride just to ride one, too. This would combine with the steel coasters, good flat ride collection, and fun-looking waterpark to make Six Flags Great America a must visit park in my eyes. Granted, I kind of already wanted to visit this park...it is within a somewhat reasonable distance and one of my friends has family nearby.

Also, anyone heard of that other rumor? Apparently Ragin Cajun, one of SFGam's wild mouse coasters, will be re-located to another park and a SkyScreamer swing ride will go in its place...

FUN FACT: If this new wooden coaster at SFGam is an Intamin (could also possibly be a RMC, I'd rule out GCI though because of the 165-feet height and Gravity Group has never worked with Six Flags) it would be ironic as their first big coaster project ever was American Eagle, a wooden coaster that opened at Six Flags Great America in 1981 and is still the world's tallest and fastest racing wooden coaster. So it would kind of be a "homecoming" for Intamin Wooden Coasters...

[IndyGuy4KI]

I wish Intamin could have the reliability of B&M. That would be the perfect combination.

Or b&m could have the creativeness of intamin.

I have a feeling they are not less creative, but B&M may just have a better understanding of how far they can go with their technology to produce a more reliable ride.

These are 2 companies that have different business models and I don't think either one is wrong. Intamin has great rides when they are operating.

• I think that Intamin's business model is pushing the limit of their rides, and unfortunately causes more wear and down time.

• It seems B&M's business model is safety and reliability. A reputation they have earned and is obviously selling them several coasters at FUN the last few years!

[McSalsa]

OK, an update on the SFGam wooden coaster- On Coasterbuzz, a used named Tekwardo posted these blueprints for the new coaster:

Well, there goes some of my hype- this thing looks pretty short. I saw an overlay image of it and the park, posted by LordGonchar, and it looks like it's not a super-long ride at all:

Well, just felt this update was worth posting...oh, and the coaster is supposed to be 165 feet tall (as was stated before) but it does go 13 feet "below grade", so the drop is 178 feet if that is true...

Any thoughts/comments?

[YoungStud]

Highly doubt that is correct.

[westcoaster]

To the future of wooden coasters:

[calakapepe]

Launching woodie with a dive loop. You're welcome.

[kblanken]

So about a week before SIX plans to announce all the new rides for next year, they still hadn't asked the zoning board for permission?

Gurnee sure isn't in the woods by the sea.

[McSalsa]

So about a week before SIX plans to announce all the new rides for next year, they still hadn't asked the zoning board for permission?

Gurnee sure isn't in the woods by the sea.

I kind of thought that was a bit iffy, too...so perhaps this new wooden coaster isn't for 2014 at all...in which case we are already speculating something that may be for 2015 or later. (Though SFGam could well get something in 2014, even if not this)

Which is very...interesting...

Well, we should find out come the Six Flags new-for-2014 announcements on August 29th.

[vortexfan]

So about a week before SIX plans to announce all the new rides for next year, they still hadn't asked the zoning board for permission?

Gurnee sure isn't in the woods by the sea.

But that is just sooo typical Six Flags. Anyone remember the Six Flags New England Dark Knight debacle?

[The Interpreter]

Not the same management. Totally different company, with only a similar name.