Kumba (roller coaster)

Kumba is a Bolliger & Mabillard sit down roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, in Tampa, Florida. Built in 1993, it stands 143 feet (44 m) tall and has a top speed of 60 mph.^[1] Kumba is one of the first in a line of multi-inversion coasters (that is, those having six or more inversions) built by B&M, and featured B&M's first ever diving loop and interlocking corkscrews. It has seven inversions which, in order, are:

• A 114-foot-tall (35 m) vertical loop, which wraps around the lift hill
• B&M's first-ever diving loop
• Zero-G roll
• Cobra roll (two inversions that go over the Congo River Rapids bridge)
• 2 Interlocking corkscrews (also a first for B&M) immediately after the midcourse block brake

Kumba had the most inversions of any coaster by B&M until the opening of Dragon Khan at PortAventura in 1995.

Ride experience

The ride starts when the trains make a right-hand, 90-degree turn out of the station. Then, the riders climb the 143-foot-tall (44 m) lift hill. At the top, the 32 passenger trains pass through Bolliger & Mabillard's signature pre-drop element before making a swooping 135-foot (41 m) drop to the left, leading right into a 114-foot-tall (35 m) vertical loop, which wraps around the lift hill. After leaving the vertical loop, riders rise up into Bolliger & Mabillard's first ever Diving loop. Following this, trains rise up into a Zero-G roll, before dropping to the ground. After speeding along a short straight section of track and small hill, trains pass through a Cobra roll, flipping riders upside down twice. A footbridge crosses over the entrance and exit to the Cobra roll. Leaving the cobra roll, the trains rise up into the midcourse brake run.

The second half of Kumba begins as riders dive off the midcourse brake run and enter a pair of interlocking corkscrews (another first for a Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster). After the corkscrews, trains travel through a tunnel. The ride ends with trains passing through an upward helix before hitting the final brake run, before making a right hand turn back into the station.

The name "Kumba"

“Kumba” means “Roar” in the African Kongo Language.^[1] The coaster itself mimics this definition with a distinctive roar that the train produces as it traverses the track. It is not known if this was a design feature or an incidental though appropriate aspect of the ride. Most likely, the cause of this roar is due to the track design. Similar to other Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters, the track contains a hollow spine and rails, which are known to produce a roaring sound.

Drachen Fire

Initially, it is said, Kumba was to be part of a two-coaster project for Busch Entertainment. The company had contacted B&M to build two sit-down coasters at its Busch Gardens parks, one in Florida (which became Kumba), the other in Williamsburg, Virginia. B&M, a young company at the time, could deliver on the one for the Florida park but not the Williamsburg park. Busch understood and handed the contract for the Williamsburg coaster to Arrow Dynamics. In 1992, a year before Kumba opened at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg unveiled its Arrow creation, the ill-fated Drachen Fire, which closed in 1998 and was demolished in 2002.

Kumba, at the time of its opening, was said to have "set the industry standards".

When it opened, it had the record of the longest roller coaster in Florida, until 1996, when Bolliger & Mabillard constructed Montu in the Egypt section of the park.

Other roller coasters with the same name

There is another roller coaster called "Kumba" at the 'Superland Park' in Israel. However, this roller coaster is a Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster .

Additional information

• Kumba was delivered with four trains, but in regular operation, can only run three. A fourth train is always in storage, and used to allow three train operation when another train is taken out of service, allowing one as a spare.^[2]
• Kumba is one of two Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters to feature a vertical loop that wraps around the lift hill. The other roller coaster with such a vertical loop is Riddler's Revenge, a Stand-up roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
• This was the first ride to feature a number of now-common Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster elements, including interlocking corkscrews and a diving loop.
• Riders must be 54 inches (1.4 m) tall to ride Kumba.
• The tracks were repainted in 2011.

Awards

See also

• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
• Busch Gardens Williamsburg
• Drachen Fire

References

External links

• Kumba entry at RCDB
• Kumba Photos