A hypercoaster is a roller coaster with a height or drop measuring at least 200 feet (61 m).[1][2]
The term was first coined by Arrow Dynamics and Cedar Point in 1989 with the opening of the world's first hypercoaster, Magnum XL-200, featuring a height of 205 feet (62 meters). It was followed by Pepsi Max Big One five years later featuring a height of 213 feet (65 m). Other roller coaster manufacturers developed models with custom names, including Mega Coasters from Intamin, Hyper Coasters from Bolliger & Mabillard, and Hyper-Hybrid Coasters from Rocky Mountain Construction.[3] The competition between amusement parks to build increasingly taller roller coasters eventually led to giga coasters, which are roller coasters with a height or drop between 300 and 399 feet (91 and 122 meters), and strata coasters, which are roller coasters with a height or drop above 400 feet (120 meters).
Historyedit
The world's first hypercoaster was Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point, which cost $8 million to construct. Cedar Point hired Arrow Dynamics for the design and construction began in 1988. Since its debut on May 6, 1989, Magnum XL-200 has accommodated over 36 million riders.[4] Cedar Point's official blog states that after building the ride, "...discussion was focused on just what a roller coaster such as Magnum should be called. After all, it had no loops like most of the other large steel coasters of the time and was so much bigger and faster than its non-looping brethren. After a couple of years, the name everyone agreed upon was hypercoaster."[5]
Descriptionedit
Hypercoasters were originally built for speed and airtime, to counter the trend of constructing bigger and bigger looping coasters. To accomplish this the elements of a hypercoaster often include a large first drop, several additional drops of declining height, a large turn or helix, and then many airtime-inducing hills. Hypercoasters are commonly designed with an out and back layout, although there are occasionally hypercoasters that use a twisted layout, such as Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, and others that combine both, such as Diamondback at Kings Island.
Hypercoasters are highly-ranked in the annual Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards. In 2006, Six Flags New England's Superman: Ride of Steel (later named Bizarro and Superman The Ride) was ranked first place. Others such as Magnum XL-200 (third), Nitro (fourth), and Apollo's Chariot (fifth) followed closely behind in the top five, with hypercoasters making up the majority of the Top 10 Steel Coasters.[6] By 2010, hypercoasters completely filled the top 10, as well as 16 of the top 20.[7]
Though hypercoasters are typically steel roller coasters, Son of Beast at Kings Island was the first and only wooden hypercoaster. Due to a number of issues, the ride was eventually demolished in 2012.[8][9]
Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) has produced 18 models over 21 years of production of hyper coasters, making it one of the more successful models manufactured by the company.[12]
The typical design of B&M's hyper coaster model includes a large lift hill then a large drop with a steep angle of descent, and typically includes airtime hills. One exception, Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America does not have this standard "out-and-back" layout, but rather features a "twister" layout.[16]
The trains feature seven to nine cars of one row with four seats, resulting in each train seating 28 to 36 riders. Depending on the dispatch time and the number of trains, the coasters typically have a capacity of 1,200 to 1,500 riders per hour. Each seat features a unique clamshell restraint. Some trains used on B&M Hyper Coasters feature staggered seats, where the two outer seats are located farther back than the two center seats, creating a more open experience. Currently, this staggered seating arrangement is only featured on four coasters: Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland, Diamondback at Kings Island, Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Shambhala at PortAventura Park.
Golden Ticket Awardsedit
The B&M Hyper Coaster has been the most successful model in the Golden Ticket Awards.[citation needed]
B&M Hyper Coasters in the Top 15 Steel Coasters at the Golden Ticket Awards
The following is a list of roller coasters with a height of at least 200 feet (61 m). Shuttle roller coasters are typically not classified as hypercoasters and are therefore listed separately.[28]
^"When Brain Trauma Is at the Other End Of the Thrill Ride". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
^"Millennium Force: The Hypercoaster Rules No More". Thrillride.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-10. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
^"Steel Vengeance | Hyper-Hybrid Record-Breaking Coaster | Cedar Point". Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
^"CP Mobile". Cedarpoint.com. Archived from the original on 2010-12-26. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
^"More Thoughts on Magnum". Cedarpoint.com. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
^"The List: 2006 Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. September 2006. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
^"The List: 2010 Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. September 11, 2010. p. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
^"What's next for Son of Beast? Future of Kings Island roller coaster unclear". Cincinnati.com. 2011-04-23. Archived from the original on 2011-04-27. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^"Son of Beast roller coaster to be removed to make room for future park expansion". Kings Island. July 27, 2012. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
^"Steel Vengeance is Cedar Point's record-breaking replacement for Mean Streak roller coaster (Video) | cleveland.com". 16 August 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
^Marden, Duane. "Goliath (Six Flags Over Georgia)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
^"Bolliger & Mabillard – Products". Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
^Backmann, Dave (October 22, 1998). "Six Flags' new ride will offer 'hyper-twister' thrills". Kenosha News. Retrieved July 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^"2009 Golden Ticket Awards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-19.
^"2010 Golden Ticket Awards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-19.
^"2011 Golden Ticket Awards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-19.