SkyRider (roller coaster)
| SkyRider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Canada's Wonderland | |
| Park section | Action Zone |
| Coordinates | 43°50′25″N 79°32′34″W / 43.840209°N 79.542890°WCoordinates: 43°50′25″N 79°32′34″W / 43.840209°N 79.542890°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Opening date | 1985 |
| Closing date | September 1, 2014 |
| Cost | $5,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Stand-up |
| Manufacturer | TOGO |
| Model | Stand Up |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 88 ft (27 m) |
| Drop | 84 ft (26 m) |
| Length | 2,210 ft (670 m) |
| Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Inversions | 1 |
| Duration | 1:32 |
 Fast Lane available | |
|
SkyRider at RCDB Pictures of SkyRider at RCDB | |
SkyRider was a roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland, which opened in May 1985. It was the park's fifth coaster, and the first one built since the park's opening in 1981.[1] Built by TOGO, it was the first of two stand-up roller coasters built in Canada, and the fifth stand-up roller coaster in the world. It was also the second in North America (along with the second designed specifically to be stand-up as well as the second with a loop).
It opened only a year after King Cobra at Kings Island, which was North America's first stand-up roller coaster; SkyRider's track was an exact duplicate.[1] SkyRider's location used to be in the Action Zone, across from the Splash Works entrance.
On August 6, 2014, Canada's Wonderland announced that the ride would close permanently on September 1, 2014 for future expansions.[2] Nearly 23 million guests had the chance to ride SkyRider over the three decades it was in operation. In the Fall of 2014, SkyRider was sold, dismantled and relocated overseas to its new home in Italy. It will be reassembled and open in 2015 at Cavallino Matto amusement park under the new name "Freestyle". [3][4]
SkyRider Memories Contest
In August 2014, Canada's Wonderland announced it would be holding a special contest for thrill seekers before the ride's official retirement. The contest was held on Canada's Wonderland official Twitter page under the banner "SkyRiderMemories", where 24 lucky winners were invited to have the final ride on SkyRider before its official closing on September 1, 2014 at 8pm. The winners were also given one of SkyRider's roller coaster wheels to keep as a souvenir.[5]
Similar rides
While SkyRider closed in 2014, King Cobra was removed from sister park Kings Island before the start of the 2002 season. SkyRider was the second oldest stand-up roller coaster in operation.[6] Shockwave at Kings Dominion has a similar track layout until the second camelback hill, where instead of a trick track and a turn to the right, the ride immediately turns to the left and goes over one bunny hill before entering the brake run.
In Japan, the Star Jet roller coaster at Washuzan Highland also has a similar layout to SkyRider until after the second camelback hill, where the trip back to the brake run is shorter and does not feature a banked section of straight track.[7] Unlike SkyRider, only one of the two trains used on Star Jet has rider's standing up. The second train is a standard TOGO sit-down train that has rider's facing backwards throughout the ride.
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to SkyRider. |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Paramount Canada's Wonderland SkyRider, PCW Junkies
- ↑ "Canada's Wonderland Retires Iconic Stand-Up Roller Coaster SkyRider After 29 Years". CNW Group. PR Newswire. August 6, 2014. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ↑ "After 29 years, SkyRider’s ride comes to an end".
- ↑ "Freestyle". rcdb.
- ↑ "Share your #SkyRiderMemories Contest".
- ↑ , RCDB
- ↑ http://rcdb.com/1432.htm?p=15067. Retrieved 16 May 2013. Missing or empty
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