Viper (Six Flags Great Adventure): Difference between revisions
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Time Warner originally wanted the new ride to be based on the 1992 [[Clint Eastwood]] film ''[[Unforgiven]]'', but the theme didn't perform well during market research.<ref name="Viper name" /> Six Flags ultimately chose the name ''Viper'' to pair its snake-like branding with the western-themed Frontiers Adventures.<ref name="Viper name" /> During construction, which began near the end of the 1994 season, officials asked TOGO to install additional steel rings on the lift hill and first drop to enhance its snake-like appearance.<ref name="Viper name" /> A remnant structure left behind from Ultra Twister was reutilized and placed near Viper's entrance.<ref name="Viper name" /> Throughout the queue, aged western props and other western-themed elements were added to give it a [[ghost town]] appearance.<ref name="Viper name" /><ref name="1995 opening">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1995-06-04-3032219-story.html.htm|title=Viper Roller Coaster Uncoils At Six Flags}}</ref> |
Time Warner originally wanted the new ride to be based on the 1992 [[Clint Eastwood]] film ''[[Unforgiven]]'', but the theme didn't perform well during market research.<ref name="Viper name" /> Six Flags ultimately chose the name ''Viper'' to pair its snake-like branding with the western-themed Frontiers Adventures.<ref name="Viper name" /> During construction, which began near the end of the 1994 season, officials asked TOGO to install additional steel rings on the lift hill and first drop to enhance its snake-like appearance.<ref name="Viper name" /> A remnant structure left behind from Ultra Twister was reutilized and placed near Viper's entrance.<ref name="Viper name" /> Throughout the queue, aged western props and other western-themed elements were added to give it a [[ghost town]] appearance.<ref name="Viper name" /><ref name="1995 opening">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1995-06-04-3032219-story.html.htm|title=Viper Roller Coaster Uncoils At Six Flags}}</ref> |
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Viper opened to the public on June 2, 1995,<ref name="1995 opening" /> and cost an estimated $4 million to construct.<ref name="Cost">{{cite news|date=October 31, 1997|title=Six Flags parks|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59039952/six-flags-parks/|url-status=live|access-date=January 7, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Despite a warm reception, it was plagued with maintenance issues and extensive downtime over the years. Coupled with ride quality issues |
Viper opened to the public on June 2, 1995,<ref name="1995 opening" /> and cost an estimated $4 million to construct.<ref name="Cost">{{cite news|date=October 31, 1997|title=Six Flags parks|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59039952/six-flags-parks/|url-status=live|access-date=January 7, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Despite a warm reception, it was plagued with maintenance issues and extensive downtime over the years. Coupled with ride quality issues, gaining a reputation for being rough, guest satisfaction quickly declined.<ref name="BlastFromThePast-NPN">{{cite web|url=http://newsplusnotes.blogspot.com/2011/09/blast-from-past-viper-at-six-flags.html|title=A Blast From The Past - Viper At Six Flags Great Adventure|publisher=NewsPlusNotes}}</ref> The hourly capacity of the ride also suffered from its confusing boarding and unloading procedure, where guests entered and exited on the same side inside the station.<ref name="Viper name" /> In addition, the restraint system also proved to be too complex and inefficient, resulting in slow loading times.<ref name="Viper name" /> |
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The overall track design was a factor in many of the ride's issues as well, with joints along the track unable to properly handle the stress from the trains.<ref name="Viper name" /> Sections of track were re-welded often and sometimes replaced altogether.<ref name="Viper name" /> In 1998, Viper was closed for most of the season, as Six Flags was having difficulty procuring replacement parts needed for maintenance.<ref name="BlastFromThePast-NPN" /> TOGO was struggling financially from the fallout of the company's highly-unsuccessful [[Windjammer Surf Racers]], which opened at [[Knott's Berry Farm]] in 1997.<ref name="BlastFromThePast-NPN" /><ref name="Windjammer">{{cite web |url=https://www.thecoasterkings.com/this-ride-got-jammed/ |title=This Ride Got Jammed - The Coaster Kings |website=The Coaster Kings |access-date=June 9, 2021 |date=}}</ref> |
The overall track design was a factor in many of the ride's issues as well, with joints along the track unable to properly handle the stress from the trains.<ref name="Viper name" /> Sections of track were re-welded often and sometimes replaced altogether.<ref name="Viper name" /> In 1998, Viper was closed for most of the season, as Six Flags was having difficulty procuring replacement parts needed for maintenance.<ref name="BlastFromThePast-NPN" /> TOGO was struggling financially from the fallout of the company's highly-unsuccessful [[Windjammer Surf Racers]], which opened at [[Knott's Berry Farm]] in 1997.<ref name="BlastFromThePast-NPN" /><ref name="Windjammer">{{cite web |url=https://www.thecoasterkings.com/this-ride-got-jammed/ |title=This Ride Got Jammed - The Coaster Kings |website=The Coaster Kings |access-date=June 9, 2021 |date=}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 23:16, 9 June 2021
| Viper | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Viper (on the right) next to Rolling Thunder in 2003 | |
| Six Flags Great Adventure | |
| Location | Six Flags Great Adventure |
| Park section | Frontier Adventures |
| Coordinates | 40°08′20″N 74°26′06″W / 40.139°N 74.435°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | June 2, 1995 |
| Closing date | September 6, 2004 |
| Cost | $4 million |
| Replaced by | El Toro |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | TOGO |
| Model | Sitdown Looping |
| Track layout | Twister |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 88.6 ft (27.0 m) |
| Length | 1,670 ft (510 m) |
| Speed | 48 mph (77 km/h) |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Duration | 2:24 |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 16 riders per train. |
| Viper at RCDB | |
Viper was a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Manufactured by TOGO at an estimated cost of $4 million, the ride opened to the public in June 1995. Viper stood nearly 89 feet (27 m) tall and reached a maximum speed of 48 mph (77 km/h). It featured two inversions including a dive loop after the first drop and a heartline roll. The roller coaster last operated in 2004 and was demolished the following year. El Toro opened in its place in 2006.
History
Following Time Warner's purchase of Six Flags in 1992, the decision was made to enhance theming within the amusement park.[1] A new section called Frontiers Adventures was among the changes, which combined the "Best of the West" and "Hernando's Hideaway" areas.[1] Prior to the change, this section of the park previously housed Ultra Twister, the first pipeline roller coaster to open in the United States, which was removed in 1989 and relocated to Six Flags AstroWorld.[2] Ultra Twister's manufacturer, TOGO, took the extraordinary step of building a full-scale prototype of a new model and premiering it at their testing facility in Ohio.[1] The prototype model introduced a new element that TOGO called the "dive loop", which contained an inline twist maneuver at the top of a vertical loop, considered unique at the time.[1] Six Flags Great Adventure bought into the concept and hired TOGO to build one in the former location of Ultra Twister.[1]
Time Warner originally wanted the new ride to be based on the 1992 Clint Eastwood film Unforgiven, but the theme didn't perform well during market research.[1] Six Flags ultimately chose the name Viper to pair its snake-like branding with the western-themed Frontiers Adventures.[1] During construction, which began near the end of the 1994 season, officials asked TOGO to install additional steel rings on the lift hill and first drop to enhance its snake-like appearance.[1] A remnant structure left behind from Ultra Twister was reutilized and placed near Viper's entrance.[1] Throughout the queue, aged western props and other western-themed elements were added to give it a ghost town appearance.[1][3]
Viper opened to the public on June 2, 1995,[3] and cost an estimated $4 million to construct.[4] Despite a warm reception, it was plagued with maintenance issues and extensive downtime over the years. Coupled with ride quality issues, gaining a reputation for being rough, guest satisfaction quickly declined.[5] The hourly capacity of the ride also suffered from its confusing boarding and unloading procedure, where guests entered and exited on the same side inside the station.[1] In addition, the restraint system also proved to be too complex and inefficient, resulting in slow loading times.[1]
The overall track design was a factor in many of the ride's issues as well, with joints along the track unable to properly handle the stress from the trains.[1] Sections of track were re-welded often and sometimes replaced altogether.[1] In 1998, Viper was closed for most of the season, as Six Flags was having difficulty procuring replacement parts needed for maintenance.[5] TOGO was struggling financially from the fallout of the company's highly-unsuccessful Windjammer Surf Racers, which opened at Knott's Berry Farm in 1997.[5][6]
Following sporadic operation, Viper closed again in 2001 and remained closed for the entire season.[7] It was subsequently removed from park promotional materials and maps.[5] Six Flags considered removing it altogether, replacing it with an attraction from another park, but they were unsuccessful finding one that would properly fit Viper's footprint.[5] They pushed forward with modifications to the trains and track, then reopened Viper in 2002.[5] The changes failed to resolve ongoing issues, however, and the coaster was down to one operating train by 2004.[5] That season would prove to be Viper's last, as the park made the decision to retire the attraction, demolishing it during the early months of the 2005 season.[1][5] Its station would remain standing and was reutilized for El Toro, which opened in 2006.[8]
Ride experience
As the train departed the station, it made a left turn and headed up a 88.6-foot (27.0 m) chain lift hill. During the first drop, the train reached a maximum speed of 48 mph (77 km/h). This was followed by a dive loop, a left turn, and a heartline roll inversion. The train then made a left turn into the final brake run before returning to the station.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Viper At Six Flags Great Adventure". www.greatadventurehistory.com. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
- ^ Martin, Mike (February 14, 2017). "A-Z Coaster of the Week: Ultra Twister". Coaster101. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Viper Roller Coaster Uncoils At Six Flags".
- ^ "Six Flags parks". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 31, 1997. Retrieved January 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h "A Blast From The Past - Viper At Six Flags Great Adventure". NewsPlusNotes.
- ^ "This Ride Got Jammed - The Coaster Kings". The Coaster Kings. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Viper (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "El Toro At Six Flags Great Adventure". www.greatadventurehistory.com. Retrieved 2017-02-10.