The Demon (Six Flags Great America)
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| The Demon | |
 A train navigates the first of two vertical loops at dusk. |
|
| Location | Six Flags Great America |
|---|---|
| Type | Steel |
| Status | Open |
| Opened | May 29, 1976 |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Model | Custom Looping Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain Lift Hill |
| Height | 102 feet (31.1 m) |
| Drop | 90 feet (27.4 m) |
| Length | 2,130 feet (649.2 m) |
| Max speed | 50 mile per hour (80.5 km/h) |
| Inversions | 4 |
| Duration | 1 mins, 54 sec. |
| Max Vertical Angle | 54 degrees |
The Demon is a multi-looping roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL with an identical twin at Great America in Santa Clara, CA. Both coasters opened in 1976 as Turn of the Century and were remodeled to the Demon in 1980.
Contents |
[edit] Turn of the Century
Turn of the Century opened with Marriott's Great America in 1976 and was designed by Arrow Development of California. It was painted white and was one of the first roller coasters to feature a double corkscrew.[1] It also featured two airtime hills after the first drop. The airtime hills were well known for ejecting loose articles from the trains such as hats, sunglasses and stuffed animals.[1] The ride was custom-built for the parks.
[edit] The Demon
After the 1979 season, Turn of the Century was heavily modified. The two airtime hills were removed and replaced with back to back loops and a lighted tunnel. Fake rock formations were built around the second loop and around the first half of the lift hill, with a third formation just before the corkscrews. The entire ride was painted black and was renamed The Demon. In addition to the re-design, the theme was changed as well. Fog machines were placed in the tunnels, blood red colored water fell out of the rock formation by the corkscrews and a unique logo was unveiled. The original trains were also modified. A three-dimensional logo was attached to the front car and flames were painted on the sides of each car.
The storyline of the ride's transformation heard in The Demon soundtrack is that the park accidentally missed three payments on the roller coaster, and that the Demon has repossessed the ride.
[edit] The Demon Soundtrack
When the Demon first opened in 1980 the speakers placed throughout the ride's queue played the Demon's own soundtrack. The soundtrack included the infamous "Demon Song", which was specially written for Marriott's Great America and was also very memorable. Along with the song there were fake radio broadcasts, some about people who reported to have seen the demon, some reports about the Army bombing the ride and a few with people trying to lure the demon out of the ride.
Sometime in the 1980s and 1990s the song disappeared and was thought to have been lost forever. In mid-2005 the song resurfaced when it was posted on a Marriott's Great America fan site's discussion boards.[2] The song also resurfaced at Great America in Gurnee for the park's annual Fright Fest Halloween event. Waukegan News Sun reporter Dan Moran mentioned remembering the song back in the 1980s in an article about Fright Fest 2005. He also recalled how annoying the song would get when waiting more than an hour to ride. The soundtrack has become popular in the roller coaster enthusiast community.
The song is now playing again at the Gurnee ride's queue.
[edit] The Toning Down
Shortly after the Demon opened several religious groups began to complain about the ride's "devilish" theming and due to several complaints most of the theming on both rides was removed over the years. [verification needed] This included covering up most of the Demon sign, the removal of the fog in the tunnels, the removal of the 3D graphic on the trains as well as the flames, and the top lights in the second tunnel.
While the Gurnee ride retained most of its theming, the Santa Clara ride continued to lose theming over the years. Today the rocks by the loops have been removed, there are no lights at all in the tunnels, and the entire sign was replaced. Most of the theming on the trains remains on the Santa Clara ride.
[edit] The Gurnee Accident
A major incident on the roller coaster occurred on Saturday, April 18, 1998. Twenty-three riders were left stranded upside-down after the train in which they were riding came to an unexpected halt in the middle of a vertical loop. Firefighters used a cherry picker to bring the passengers to safety. Some riders were stuck for nearly three hours. Four passengers were taken to local hospitals out of precaution but released that afternoon.
Investigators concluded that the incident was caused by mechanical failure. A guide wheel that runs along the inside of the track separated from the axle of the last car. A mechanical safety system built into the wheel assembly engaged, preventing the train from derailing.
The roller coaster reopened shortly after the conclusion of the investigation and continues to operate at its original location.
[edit] Return of the Demon Theming
For Six Flags Great America's Fright Fest event in 2005 almost all of the Demon's old theming returned. The original logo was placed back on the trains (although it was just a decal instead of the 3D logo), the fog returned in the tunnels, the Demon Song played in the queue again, red lights shined around the ride, and tiki torches were placed all around the ride.
A re-creation of the original sign was present at Fright Fest. Built from an oil barrel with red lights and fog, it was placed in the flower bed in front of the original sign.
On Great America's 2006 opening day, the Demon song was playing in the queue, the logo was still on the front of the trains, and the flames were still painted on the station. The mini drain pipe with the red eyes was not seen, though.
[edit] Current rides
Today both Demons continue to operate and are still very popular rides among families. Gurnee's version still runs three trains (however, the red train is being overhauled and will be running soon) while California's version only runs two.
It is apparent that, after 30 years, the Gurnee Demon is starting to show age problems. The waterfall in the rocks by the Demon's mouth has been turned off due to the rock frame not being able to support the weight of the water anymore. Also, the water was found to be corroding the track. The tunnel of lights that the Demon enters after the two loops has been on and off since the beginning of the 2006 season and for Fright Fest 2006. The track could use some new paint, and the artificial rocks are rotting away.
[edit] External links
- Turn of the Century Info
- Photo of the original Demon sign
- Demon info on SFGAm World
- Demon History on GREAT AMERICA parks
- Visit the Demon on Myspace
