Flying Super Saturator
Encyclopedia
Flying Super Saturator was a water ride
and suspended roller coaster
at Carowinds amusement park
, which lies on the border of North
and South Carolina
. Flying Super Saturator was the first roller coaster of its kind, allowing riders to dump 4-gallon payloads of water on those Carowinds patrons who venture underneath the coaster's track. The ride also features numerous means for the riders to get wet as well, including water curtains, geysers and numerous ground-mounted water cannons that can be aimed by park guests at passing riders on the coaster.
The coaster itself was located in the Boomerang Bay water park section of Carowinds. As such, it was only open from the end of May until the beginning of September when the waterpark itself was open.
The roller coaster was removed in August 2008. The ride is listed for sale on the website of Ital International LLC for an undisclosed price.
at Hersheypark
in Hershey
, Pennsylvania
. The two rides remain the only suspended water-coasters in the United States; although Roller Soaker
is the only one still operating.
Although it was unique in many ways, Flying Super Saturator is far from an extreme thrill ride, only reaching speeds of 30 mph. After the addition of Afterburn
in 1999, the addition of Flying Super Saturator began a several-year-long trend of family-friendly rides that were being built at Carowinds. This trend ended in 2004 with the addition of Nighthawk, and signaled a return to more dramatic thrill rides at the park.
Water ride
Water rides are amusement rides that are set over water. For instance, a log flume travels through a channel of water to move along its course...
and suspended roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
at Carowinds amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
, which lies on the border of North
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Flying Super Saturator was the first roller coaster of its kind, allowing riders to dump 4-gallon payloads of water on those Carowinds patrons who venture underneath the coaster's track. The ride also features numerous means for the riders to get wet as well, including water curtains, geysers and numerous ground-mounted water cannons that can be aimed by park guests at passing riders on the coaster.
The coaster itself was located in the Boomerang Bay water park section of Carowinds. As such, it was only open from the end of May until the beginning of September when the waterpark itself was open.
The roller coaster was removed in August 2008. The ride is listed for sale on the website of Ital International LLC for an undisclosed price.
Awards and reception
Setpoint USA, the company that designed and built Flying Super Saturator, was awarded the World Waterpark Association's industry innovation award for their design and creation of the coaster. The coaster also won an award from Screamscape for the "attraction that may not be the biggest of the best, but was made just for the fun of it." Two years after the creation of Flying Super Saturator, Setpoint built a similar water-themed roller coaster called Roller SoakerRoller Soaker
Roller Soaker is a suspended roller coaster at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It was manufactured by Setpoint USA, and was the first interactive ride built in the park. It is located in Midway America at Hersheypark, behind Tidal Force...
at Hersheypark
Hersheypark
Hersheypark is an amusement park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near the Hershey Chocolate Factory.Hersheypark was opened on April 24, 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, an American confectionery company. Later, the company decided to open the park to the...
in Hershey
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The two rides remain the only suspended water-coasters in the United States; although Roller Soaker
Roller Soaker
Roller Soaker is a suspended roller coaster at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It was manufactured by Setpoint USA, and was the first interactive ride built in the park. It is located in Midway America at Hersheypark, behind Tidal Force...
is the only one still operating.
Although it was unique in many ways, Flying Super Saturator is far from an extreme thrill ride, only reaching speeds of 30 mph. After the addition of Afterburn
Afterburn (Carowinds)
Afterburn is a steel inverted roller coaster at Carowinds. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, the roller coaster stands in height and reaches speeds of . When Afterburn opened in 1999, it was named Top Gun: The Jet Coaster.-History:...
in 1999, the addition of Flying Super Saturator began a several-year-long trend of family-friendly rides that were being built at Carowinds. This trend ended in 2004 with the addition of Nighthawk, and signaled a return to more dramatic thrill rides at the park.