Giant Inverted Boomerang
Encyclopedia
A Giant Inverted Boomerang is a type of steel
shuttle roller coaster
manufactured by Vekoma
. The ride is a larger, inverted
version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang
sit down roller coasters. There are currently only 5 installations of the model worldwide.
on August 25, 2001. Déjà Vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain is now DEFUNCT and will not open again. This was followed by the opening of a further two Giant Inverted Boomerangs named Déjà Vu on September 1, 2001, at Six Flags Over Georgia
and on October 7, 2001, at Six Flags Great America
. The opening of the fourth Giant Inverted Boomerang was delayed even more after the problems were discovered with the first three. Stunt Fall opened on August 8, 2002, at Parque Warner Madrid
.
In 2007, Six Flags announced the removal of Déjà Vu from both Six Flags Over Georgia
and Six Flags Great America
. They announced that the Six Flags Over Georgia ride would be replaced with a new themed area called Thomas Town
(since rethemed to Whistlestop Park
). After Six Flags Great America ride gave its last rides on October 28, 2007, it was removed and replaced with the Buccaneer Battle ride.
In January 2008, Silverwood Theme Park
in Idaho announced on its website that it would install the Déjà Vu from Six Flags Great America
with a projected opening date of July that year. On March 26, 2008, Silverwood announced Déjà Vu would operate as Aftershock. Before opening at its new location, the ride was overhauled by Vekoma in order to make the ride more reliable. The ride officially opened July 21, 2008.
In November 2009 it was announced that Mirabilandia
in Brazil
had purchased Six Flags Over Georgia's Déjà Vu. The ride was renamed Sky Mountain and is yet to open, but remains in storage at the park.
On August 16, 2011, Masslive reported that Six Flags New England
was planning on building a Giant Inverted Boomerang for the park's 2012 season where the Shipwreck Falls
attraction is currently located. On August 18, 2011, at the Agawam
Public Library the coaster was approved by the Agawam Planning Board. On August 19, 2011, the Los Angeles Times
confirmed that Déjà Vu from Six Flags Magic Mountain would be relocated to Six Flags New England and would begin operation under a new name in 2012. An official announcement from Six Flags
representatives is expected on September 1, 2011.
Then on September 1, 2011 Six Flags New England officially announced Goliath. One day later, Six Flags Magic Mountain confirmed on Facebook
that Déjà Vu will be removed from the park soon. Six Flags New England also confirmed on Facebook on September 3, that Shipwreck Falls will be removed after September 5, 2011 (after Labor Day Weekend), to prepare for Goliath.
Later on September 13, 2011, the Six Flags Magic Mountain announce that Déjà Vu will be removed after October 16, 2011, "Déjà Vu fans, we have created some exclusive after hours ride time for you to ride it again before October 16."
's inverted roller coasters. However, the seats on Giant Inverted Boomerangs are "staggered" such that the outside seats are pushed back slightly behind the middle two seats in each row. Train caters for a total of 32 riders.
Six Flags
had originally ordered four Giant Inverted Boomerangs in 2001 (the three Déjà Vu coasters in U.S.A. and Stunt Fall at Warner Bros. Movie World
in Madrid, Spain). However, following the installation of the 3 Déjà Vu coasters and the discovery of several problems, Six Flags allowed Vekoma resolve these problems before installation of their fourth coaster, Stunt Fall. Vekoma has since upgraded the original three rides to use this system.
One problem was clearance between the riders and the track overhead. After the trains were mounted to the track, it was quickly discovered that riders could reach and touch the track while the train was in motion, posing the risk of injury. Vekoma had to improvise, adding new bars to the original shoulder restraint to prevent guests from reaching up too high.
During initial testing on Six Flags Over Georgia's Déjà Vu, the catch car (a small device that catches and holds the train) on the first tower derailed, breaking parts and destroying the components of the train beyond economical repair. The ride received a replacement train shortly after.
During tests it was discovered that trains would stall
in the middle of the cobra roll. Unplanned, the parks installed emergency unloading scaffolding in this location, similar to other Boomerang roller coasters.
Another problem of the ride is the locking mechanism for the shoulder restraints. The Giant Inverted Boomerangs require the use of a battery pack to unlock each restraint in the event of a power loss. Virtually all other roller coasters have a quick manual release system to unload in unusual locations or emergency situations.
Some riders complained that the restraints give too much room for the riders to "fall forward" during the lift. People who were barrel-chested, overweight or obese
complained of chest compressions during the moments that they were on the main lift. Another problem with the restraints was that sometimes the belt attached to the bottom of the restraint would detach from the restraint posing a greater risk that if the restraint lock would somehow malfunction there would be nothing else to keep the rider from falling out of their seat.
U.S. Representative
and S.I. Sheikh, and A.B. Singhal from the Massachusetts General Hospital
told the Boston Herald
stating “Fixed-site amusement park rides like those at Six Flags New England are exempt from federal oversight due to a 30-year-old special-interest loophole. This means that even as these rides get faster and taller, safety rules remain stuck in a state-by-state patchwork that leaves riders vulnerable.” And The jerky motions of these rides have been linked to small tears in arteries or a spike in blood pressure
, but we aren’t sure if there is necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship.”
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
shuttle roller coaster
Shuttle roller coaster
A shuttle roller coaster is any roller coaster that ultimately does not make a complete circuit, but rather reverses at some point throughout its course and traverses the same track backwards...
manufactured by Vekoma
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
. The ride is a larger, inverted
Inverted roller coaster
An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the...
version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang
Boomerang (roller coaster)
Boomerang is a model of roller coaster built by Vekoma, and named after the hunting implement based on the traditions of the Indigenous Australians...
sit down roller coasters. There are currently only 5 installations of the model worldwide.
History
Giant Inverted Boomerangs were slated to open for the start of the 2001 season at four Six Flags parks, however, sudden errors and malfunctions occurred during testing caused the openings to be delayed. The first to open was Déjà Vu at Six Flags Magic MountainSix Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
on August 25, 2001. Déjà Vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain is now DEFUNCT and will not open again. This was followed by the opening of a further two Giant Inverted Boomerangs named Déjà Vu on September 1, 2001, at Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
and on October 7, 2001, at Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
. The opening of the fourth Giant Inverted Boomerang was delayed even more after the problems were discovered with the first three. Stunt Fall opened on August 8, 2002, at Parque Warner Madrid
Parque Warner Madrid
Parque Warner Madrid is a theme park located 25 km southeast of Madrid, Spain, in the municipality of San Martín de la Vega...
.
In 2007, Six Flags announced the removal of Déjà Vu from both Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
and Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
. They announced that the Six Flags Over Georgia ride would be replaced with a new themed area called Thomas Town
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
(since rethemed to Whistlestop Park
Whistlestop Park
Whistlestop Park is a themed kid's area with various rides at several Six Flags amusement parks.-History:Before being named Whistlestop Park, these themed areas were named Thomas Town from 2007 to 2010....
). After Six Flags Great America ride gave its last rides on October 28, 2007, it was removed and replaced with the Buccaneer Battle ride.
In January 2008, Silverwood Theme Park
Silverwood
Silverwood Theme Park is an amusement park located in northern Idaho, United States, near the town of Coeur d'Alene, and just 47 miles from Spokane, Washington on U.S. Route 95...
in Idaho announced on its website that it would install the Déjà Vu from Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
with a projected opening date of July that year. On March 26, 2008, Silverwood announced Déjà Vu would operate as Aftershock. Before opening at its new location, the ride was overhauled by Vekoma in order to make the ride more reliable. The ride officially opened July 21, 2008.
In November 2009 it was announced that Mirabilandia
Mirabilandia (Brazil)
Mirabilandia is the only fixed amusement park in the Northeast.It's located between Recife and Olinda. Its area is of 57.000 m². Mirabilandia operates three traveling parks in Brazil, called Universal park, Golden park and American park.-History:...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
had purchased Six Flags Over Georgia's Déjà Vu. The ride was renamed Sky Mountain and is yet to open, but remains in storage at the park.
On August 16, 2011, Masslive reported that Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
was planning on building a Giant Inverted Boomerang for the park's 2012 season where the Shipwreck Falls
Shipwreck Falls
Shipwreck Falls is a typical "Shoot-the-Chutes" style water attraction at many Herschend, and Six Flags Theme Parks, and Water Parks in the USA. The attraction is themed to sharks and shipwrecks, and all feature an exit bridge over the ride so guests can get wet while exiting...
attraction is currently located. On August 18, 2011, at the Agawam
Agawam, Massachusetts
The Town of Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,438 at the 2010 census. Agawam sits on the western side of the Connecticut River, directly across from the City of Springfield, Massachusetts...
Public Library the coaster was approved by the Agawam Planning Board. On August 19, 2011, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
confirmed that Déjà Vu from Six Flags Magic Mountain would be relocated to Six Flags New England and would begin operation under a new name in 2012. An official announcement from Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
representatives is expected on September 1, 2011.
Then on September 1, 2011 Six Flags New England officially announced Goliath. One day later, Six Flags Magic Mountain confirmed on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
that Déjà Vu will be removed from the park soon. Six Flags New England also confirmed on Facebook on September 3, that Shipwreck Falls will be removed after September 5, 2011 (after Labor Day Weekend), to prepare for Goliath.
Later on September 13, 2011, the Six Flags Magic Mountain announce that Déjà Vu will be removed after October 16, 2011, "Déjà Vu fans, we have created some exclusive after hours ride time for you to ride it again before October 16."
Installations
| Coaster name | Amusement park | Park section | Opening date | Closing date | | Notes | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aftershock Formerly Déjà Vu |
Silverwood Theme Park Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain... |
Coaster Alley County Fair |
|
|
Relocated from Six Flags Great America | |
| Goliath Formerly Déjà Vu |
Six Flags New England Six Flags New England Six Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby... Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In... |
Crack Axle Canyon Cyclone Bay |
|
|
Relocated from Six Flags Magic Mountain | |
| Mountain Peak | Jinjiang Action Park | |||||
| Sky Mountain Formerly Déjà Vu |
Mirabilandia Mirabilandia (Brazil) Mirabilandia is the only fixed amusement park in the Northeast.It's located between Recife and Olinda. Its area is of 57.000 m². Mirabilandia operates three traveling parks in Brazil, called Universal park, Golden park and American park.-History:... Six Flags Over Georgia Six Flags Over Georgia Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas.... |
Lickskillet |
|
|
Relocated from Six Flags Over Georgia | |
| Stunt Fall | Parque Warner Madrid Parque Warner Madrid Parque Warner Madrid is a theme park located 25 km southeast of Madrid, Spain, in the municipality of San Martín de la Vega... |
Warner Bros. Studio |
Ride
Layout and design
The Giant Inverted Boomerang is a departure from Vekoma's earlier Boomerang designs. This model features a vertical cable lift hill that slowly lifts the train up a vertical spike. Also, this model is bigger than previous Boomerang designs. From above, the track layout looks like an 'X'.Train
As a Giant Inverted Boomerang is a shuttle roller coaster, each installation only operates with a single train. Each of these trains has 8 cars, each utilising 4-across seating, similar to that on Bolliger & MabillardBolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
's inverted roller coasters. However, the seats on Giant Inverted Boomerangs are "staggered" such that the outside seats are pushed back slightly behind the middle two seats in each row. Train caters for a total of 32 riders.
Experience
The ride begins when the train slowly backs out of the station and up the vertical lift hill, pulled by a catch car. Once reaching the top of the lift, with riders facing straight down, and their legs dangling in the air, the train is released and zooms through the station heading into a 110 feet (33.5 m) tall cobra roll. This element contains two of the three inversions found on the ride going forward. After twisting through the cobra roll, riders then go through a 102 feet (31.1 m) tall vertical loop which crosses the station and hit the second vertical spike of the ride. A catch car there pulls the train up the second vertical tower, this time with riders facing the sky at the top of the tower. After the train reaches the top of the tower, it is released to cycle backward through the layout. The train then goes through the station and heads up the first vertical lift hill again, where it is caught once more and then very slowly lowered back into the station.Problems
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
had originally ordered four Giant Inverted Boomerangs in 2001 (the three Déjà Vu coasters in U.S.A. and Stunt Fall at Warner Bros. Movie World
Parque Warner Madrid
Parque Warner Madrid is a theme park located 25 km southeast of Madrid, Spain, in the municipality of San Martín de la Vega...
in Madrid, Spain). However, following the installation of the 3 Déjà Vu coasters and the discovery of several problems, Six Flags allowed Vekoma resolve these problems before installation of their fourth coaster, Stunt Fall. Vekoma has since upgraded the original three rides to use this system.
One problem was clearance between the riders and the track overhead. After the trains were mounted to the track, it was quickly discovered that riders could reach and touch the track while the train was in motion, posing the risk of injury. Vekoma had to improvise, adding new bars to the original shoulder restraint to prevent guests from reaching up too high.
During initial testing on Six Flags Over Georgia's Déjà Vu, the catch car (a small device that catches and holds the train) on the first tower derailed, breaking parts and destroying the components of the train beyond economical repair. The ride received a replacement train shortly after.
Stall (roller coaster)
A roller coaster is said to have stalled, a roll back, saddle, or valleyed if it is unable to complete the course because of energy loss. This can be caused by friction between the track and wheels, or in the wheel bearings. Weather can also cause a coaster to valley...
in the middle of the cobra roll. Unplanned, the parks installed emergency unloading scaffolding in this location, similar to other Boomerang roller coasters.
Another problem of the ride is the locking mechanism for the shoulder restraints. The Giant Inverted Boomerangs require the use of a battery pack to unlock each restraint in the event of a power loss. Virtually all other roller coasters have a quick manual release system to unload in unusual locations or emergency situations.
Some riders complained that the restraints give too much room for the riders to "fall forward" during the lift. People who were barrel-chested, overweight or obese
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
complained of chest compressions during the moments that they were on the main lift. Another problem with the restraints was that sometimes the belt attached to the bottom of the restraint would detach from the restraint posing a greater risk that if the restraint lock would somehow malfunction there would be nothing else to keep the rider from falling out of their seat.
Criticism
Since the announcement of Goliath on September 1, 2011, Ed MarkeyEd Markey
Edward John "Ed" Markey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1976. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Boston's northern and western suburbs, such as Medford and Framingham. Markey is the Dean of both the Massachusetts and New England House delegations...
U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and S.I. Sheikh, and A.B. Singhal from the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
told the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
stating “Fixed-site amusement park rides like those at Six Flags New England are exempt from federal oversight due to a 30-year-old special-interest loophole. This means that even as these rides get faster and taller, safety rules remain stuck in a state-by-state patchwork that leaves riders vulnerable.” And The jerky motions of these rides have been linked to small tears in arteries or a spike in blood pressure
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
, but we aren’t sure if there is necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship.”
Rankings
All Giant Inverted Boomerang models currently hold the records for the 2nd biggest drop on an inverted roller coaster; the 3rd highest inverted roller coaster; and the 5th fastest inverted roller coaster.External links
- Official website
- Listing of Giant Inverted Boomerang roller coasters at the Roller Coaster DataBaseRoller Coaster DataBaseThe Roller Coaster DataBase is an extensive roller coaster and amusement park database. RCDB was started in 1996 by Duane Marden, who still operates the site...
- Video of Déjà Vu roller coaster
- Déjà Vu: Detailed Review