Ring of Fire / Larson Fireball
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Larson International's older Ring of Fire, and their newer version called Fireball are both amusement rides that take the shape of a huge circle that is upright. It is similar to a roller coaster's loop, thus giving the name Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is generally black, whereas the Fireball is blue. Lights illuminate the rides at night time. Riders generally are required to be 48 inches tall or more.
Contents |
[edit] Duration of Ride
Both these rides operate the same way. The riders circle around the entire circular structure. They will start slow, and then make their way around the entire loop/ring until the passengers are completely upside-down. Considering that this is a manual ride, the employee needs to move the ride by control. Thus, they can literally keep the riders inverted for a short time, or a long time.
[edit] The Trains
The Ring of Fire, and Fireball both have trains similar to roller coasters. However, there are some differences. The Ring of Fire has lap bar restraints with a metal structure enclosing the riders, and the Fireball has over the head harnesses with enclosing steel structure. Each train carries up to 20 passengers.
[edit] Super Loops
Before the Ring of Fire and Fireball, there was another ride known as Super Loops. The design as in the train is similar to the Ring of Fire. It even resembles the two other rides, but it is white, and there are lights in the shape of triangles around the loop instead of individual lights like the Ring of Fire and the Fireball.
This ride was also built by Larson International. The Murphy Brothers still own a Super Loop, and another is operated by Mahons Amusements in New Zealand.
[edit] The Other Fireball
There is another ride called the Fireball in the United States. This ride is completely different than the Larson Fireball. This ride is a KMG Fireball, or Afterburner. This is a pendulum ride that swings back and forth while spinning. The Chicago Loop is a Fireball inspired ride run by the Tom Evans United Shows that travel the US