Super Wirbel

Roller coaster in Germany
Watch the on-ride POV
Super Wirbel
Holiday Park
Location Haßloch, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Coordinates 49°19′09″N 8°17′35″E / 49.319086°N 8.292969°E / 49.319086; 8.292969
Status Defunct
Operated July 1979 to 31 October 2013
Cost DM 3,500,000
Rider height
  • Minimum: 120 cm
  • Min. unaccompanied: 140 cm
Replaced by Sky Scream
Statistics
Manufacturer Vekoma
Product Corkscrew with bayerncurve
Designer / calculations Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Type Steel
Propulsion Chain lift hill
Height 22.9 metres
Drop 20.7 metres
Top speed 64.4 km/h
Length 731 metres
Inversions 2
Duration 1:25
Rolling stock
Manufacturer Vekoma (2003-2013)
Arrow Dynamics (1979-2002)
Riders per train 24
HELP
Sign on the ride's station.

Super Wirbel (Super Vortex) was a steel roller coaster located at Holiday Park in Hassloch, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was the first roller coaster built by Vekoma, and the first inverting roller coaster in Germany when it opened in 1979. In mid-2013, the ride was listed for sale. It closed on 31 October 2013 and was later scrapped.

History

The Super Wirbel opened in July 1979 as the first inverting roller coaster in Germany. It was also the first roller coaster built by Vekoma. Two of the first riders were Formula 1 drivers Rolf Stommelen and Harald Ertl.

In August 1982, Richard Rodriguez of New York rode the Super Wirbel for a record 16 days and 16 nights (384 hours).

For the 2003 season, Super Wirbel received new trains from Vekoma to replace the original ones from Arrow Dynamics.

In mid-2013, the ride was listed for sale on the Intermark Ride Group website for €420,000 Euro. It closed on 31 October 2013. Attempts to sell the ride appear to have been unsuccessful, as the corkscrew section now serves as a monument and the rest of the track has been scrapped. This is similar to Alton Towers' Corkscrew whose corkscrew element was preserved and now resides at the entrance of the park.

A new roller coaster, Sky Scream opened in April 2014 on the spot of the former Super Wirbel.

Design

Elements

The layout consisted of a double corkscrew and a "bayerncurve" element. The ride also had a transfer track.

Colour scheme

Yellow track and green supports

Trains

2 trains with 6 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 24 riders per train. For the 2003 season, the original Arrow Dynamics trains were replaced with trains from Vekoma. In 2011, one of the trains was removed.

References

External links