Why Hasn't Anybody Built A Wooden Hypercoaster Yet?

[presto123]

.......besides the one and only Son of Beast that is. SoB had some big problems, but this coaster was 218 ft. tall and was built  way back in 2000. No coaster has come close since.(197 is the tallest I believe)  Why is that?  It is a very competitive industry these days and it seems that one of these companies would want to design a wooden sky coaster just for the acclaim. Are their just too many problems inherent in designing and operation a wooden coaster of that height?

 

  It still blows me away that nobody has topped SoB. Will it ever be topped? Most of the wooden coasters now days(as good as they are) seem to be stuck between the 100-150 ft range. That seems to be the standard most companies shoot for. With all the technology today compared to back then, I would think if somebody did want to build a mammoth SoB type coaster today, it could be reliable and even somewhat smooth. I imagine it's only a matter of time.

[SonODiamondback]

I imagine it might happen one day . Just need a crazy Park owner willing to take a chance. But I don't think it would ever be a true woodie. It would be an RMC or something like that.

Another question is why are there only 5 Giga coasters in the world I why hasn't SF or anybody else besides the Spaland in Japan ever builded one

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[The Interpreter]

Money, money, money.

Risk, risk, risk.

Better ROI spending on lesser rides or other things.

[Rustbucket]

Well, Steel Dragon was $38 million in cost in 2000. In Japan, earthquake proof construction is required so that the coasters are far more costly.

As for Six Flags, they had financial problems which resulted in bankruptcy. Kingda Ka really did not have the financial windfall they were hoping for either. Frankly, Cedar Fair hoped for more from Fury 325 but Giga coasters really cater to a small group of people. Park industry is there to make money, not just build coasters.

[KI Guy]

When you get near 200 feet the cost goes up, not only to cover that height but also in track length if you want a decent ride time for the coaster.

A hyper is usually over 5000 feet, a giga, 6000 ft.

It's not about height. That was another time and even then it only affected a small number of parks and a small number of coasters. Ghostrider, Thunderhead, The Legend and Cornball Express are much smaller and far better than SOB was. SOB was a marketer's dream and a rider's nightmare. It's about how enjoyable the ride is not how marketable it is.

[silver2005]

I'm a subscriber to the John Allen line of thought that traditional wooden coasters shouldn't go above 125-135 ft or so unless accompanied by some terrain or tunnels to extend drops, or smaller hills after the big hill to burn momentum and take stress off of the taller elements.  

 

RMC looks like they're not too far from going 200 ft themselves.  I imagine if Intamin, if they backed up their products, would go 200 ft seeing as they have the current height record for woodies (Colossos at Heide Park at 196.8 ft). 

[KI Guy]

Yeah, I was going to mention that as well. I'd be curious to see if GCI could do it. The problems with the Voyage for instance are partially because of its PTC trains, (and possibly the steel structure).

If anyone can do it and do it reliably, it's GCI.

[Zayzayd13]

Technically, RMC has. Isn't Lightning Rod 206 ft?

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[KI Guy]

Lightning Rod is as wooden as Adventure Express.

[MantisMan]

Technically, RMC has. Isn't Lightning Rod 206 ft?

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Lift hill height is 206 ft. which is 80 ft. above lift hill crest.

[Zayzayd13]

Technically, RMC has. Isn't Lightning Rod 206 ft?

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Lift hill height is 206 ft. which is 80 ft. above lift hill crest.

Okay. Thanks for the clarity.

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[ethancoaster]

Frankly, Cedar Fair hoped for more from Fury 325 but Giga coasters really cater to a small group of people.

Did it really not have that high of a return on investment? I thought it broke attendance records for the park.

[freaks76]

When I was at Carowinds earlier this year, Fury had a constant hour and a half wait.

[sikkinixx99]

For a steel coaster I want height,speed,air time. If the steel coaster is a hyper or giga.

Other steel coasters I prefer something like Maverick that's my fave steel coaster that's not a hyper or giga. Think B&M could or would make anything like that? Have they?

[KIBeast]

I liked Son of Beast, personally. Would I like to see a wooden coaster that large again, but built more successfully? Absolutely. However, I think as coaster enthusiasts, we are in the minority on that one. And as a few others have said ROI combined with cost are the two largest factors.

[CP Maverick]

So Colossos isn't a hyper coaster because of the metric system?

[bkroz]

Well, it doesn't break 200... except in inches, centimeters, millimeters, etc.

 

Would a rose by another 4 feet not smell as sweet? It's all arbitrary anyway.

[sikkinixx99]

How tall is Colossus?

[bkroz]

196 feet and change height; drop significantly shorter.

 

Guess it depends on if you arbitrarily decide that height or drop length is what matters.

 

bkroz, wondering why the American system was arbitrarily chosen to delineate these arbitrary titles, anyway. Aren't these companies largely based in Europe?

[sikkinixx99]

Right on,is the drop over 200 ft?

Is this at a SF park? Thx for the info

[bkroz]

196 foot height; drop is shorter. Something like 155.

 

...

 

~160 foot drop: http://rcdb.com/988.htm

[sikkinixx99]

I wouldn't call it a hyper

[CP Maverick]

60m is a pretty good round number to start a new class, just like 200 was a round number for the US.

Also, which is a "hyper coaster" between:

Magnum 204 tall, 194 drop

Phantom 160 tall, 230 drop

In Europe, saying something is 60m tall is just as special as saying 200ft here. It's really just imaginary lines that we say are special because of the nice round number.

[dragsterguy21]

In reality its just a number. Maverick at Cedar Point is awful according to the numbers, but it's the best ride in the park. Millennium Force has the numbers, but it is really boring in my opinion. I wish somehow they would re profile the airtime hills so you actually get some nice Fury 325 like airtime. I would rather ride Magnum than Millennium since I am addicted to airtime.

[Rustbucket]

In reality its just a number. Maverick at Cedar Point is awful according to the numbers, but it's the best ride in the park. Millennium Force has the numbers, but it is really boring in my opinion. I wish somehow they would re profile the airtime hills so you actually get some nice Fury 325 like airtime. I would rather ride Magnum than Millennium since I am addicted to airtime.

This is the exact sentiment I have. My favorite at CP is Magnum followed by Maverick. To me, the golden standard for Intamin coaster is Bizarro (Superman Ride of Steel) at SFNE. This coaster is 221 feet tall but has far more airtime, lateral and intensity than MF. Many people were hoping MF was a taller version of the best coaster at that time. Frankly, many coaster enthusiasts were somewhat disappointed. MF has a great first drop with very good view. Rest of the ride does not do much. Only if MF and Maverick can be combined....

[CP Maverick]

Millennium Force does exactly what I want it to do. Go fast.

[Underdogwastaken]

Gentlemen, start your engine!

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[CP Maverick]

There's a different between sustained speed and acceleration. See: NHRA vs NASCAR.

[freaks76]

But with NASCAR, sometimes you gotta slow down to go fast.

[KIBeast]

Millennium Force does exactly what I want it to do. Go fast.

I love the speed, the airtime on the subsequent hills, and the overbanked turns have really phenomenal forces. Plus, I love the fact that on the last overbanked turn, you're still going like 65mph.