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| Overview of ShockWave in 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics | ||||||||||||||||||
| Product | Custom Looping Coaster | ||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Steel | ||||||||||||||||||
| Riders per train | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hourly capacity | 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | Chain lift hill | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 170 feet | ||||||||||||||||||
| Drop | 155 feet | ||||||||||||||||||
| Top speed | 65 mph | ||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3900 feet | ||||||||||||||||||
| Inversions | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2:20 | ||||||||||||||||||
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ShockWave was a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, USA. The ride first opened on June 3, 1988 and was built by Arrow Dynamics. At 170 feet tall and reaching speeds of 65 mph, it was the tallest and fastest inverting roller coaster in the world, and surpassed Vortex at Kings Island (which opened the year before) with the most inversions in the world, at seven.
History
Early history
ShockWave opened on June 3, 1988. When it opened, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster with inversions, and had the most inversions on a roller coaster. It was manufactured by Arrow Dynamics and built by McHenry Construction. The foundations were built by Camosy Inc.
Operational Issues
ShockWave had many problems with maintenance and operation. It was an overly intense ride, as evidenced by postings in roller coaster forums and enthusiast newsgroups.
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In 1991, a fracture in the track of the first loop developed. It was caused by the speed and stress from the train negotiating this part of the ride and needed attention on a regular basis in order to remain safe for operation. The wheels for the ride were quite expensive and, according to some ride operators, wore out quickly, which required a vigilant crew and frequent closures for a period of ten to fifteen minutes for maintenance staff to be dispatched to fit new ones.[1] ShockWave even gained a reputation as a rough and painful ride experience. The most infamous part of the ride was the turn after the third loop. Passengers had to remove their earrings before boarding the train because of this.[2]
Finally, a rumored accident involving a wheel separation in August 2002 was coupled with these issues.[citation needed] On September 24, 2002, Six Flags Great America announced that ShockWave would not reopen for the 2003 season in order to make way for Superman Ultimate Flight.[3]
Superman was originally planned to replace the smaller Whizzer roller coaster. Since Whizzer was far more popular than ShockWave (at least to the general public), the decision was made to keep Whizzer and dismantle ShockWave instead. The ride was put in storage, as at the time the park planned to relocate the roller coaster.[4] It was dismantled by the same company who put it together, McHenry Construction.
Fate
The park initially stated that ShockWave would be reassembled at another park and was likely to remain in the Six Flags chain.[3] However, this never happened and the coaster was scrapped in fall 2004.
The yellow and blue trains were sent to Six Flags Magic Mountain, and the red train was sent to Six Flags Great Adventure, as part donors for Viper and Great American Scream Machine respectively.
Remains of ShockWave
- The ride's entrance sign was donated to the National Roller Coaster Museum.[5]
- A small scrap of the ride consisting of a rail and rail tie was taken from the junkyard by a roller coaster enthusiast.[6]
Design
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Color scheme
Blue track and white supports.
Trains
3 trains with 7 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 28 riders per train. The trains were built by Arrow Dynamics and were coloured red, yellow and blue. Riders were held in by over-the-shoulder restraints.
Ride experience
ShockWave started by rolling over the transfer track, and entered a short drop before making a tight un-banked U-turn toward the lift hill. Once at the top of the lift, the riders entered the 150° approximately left twisting drop, speeding down to the ground. Riders then climbed up to the first vertical loop at 130 feet, high above the queue line. A 90° left turn followed, and then the two consecutive vertical loops, one being 116 feet and the other being 106 feet.[7][8] Next, the train rose up and negotiated a very tight left turn into the mid-course block brake run. After slowing down to almost a complete stop, riders went through a zig-zag turn and drop and entered the batwing element, getting their pictures taken between the two inversions. Upon exiting the element, the train made an approximately 180° turn to the right and entered the clockwise-turning double corkscrew. Finally, riders went over a small bunny hill and made a roughly 210° turn to the left, entering the long brake run leading to the station.
Similar rides
A year after ShockWave opened, Great American Scream Machine debuted at Six Flags Great Adventure; this coaster had almost exactly the same layout as ShockWave, but was three feet taller and had a top speed of 68 mph, and had its camera at the double corkscrew element, instead of the batwing. Both records, like those of ShockWave before it, lasted only one year: Viper opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1990 and set the records for tallest (188 feet tall) and fastest (70 mph) inverting roller coaster. All three roller coasters were designed and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, and all three had the same inversions in the same order: three vertical loops, a batwing, and a double corkscrew. Viper is nearly identical to the former Shockwave and Great American Scream Machine but has a slightly different ending, different transition between the first two vertical loops, and differently angled corners, creating a more compact ride footprint to fit the park. Currently, Viper is the only one of these three coasters still operating, as Great American Scream Machine closed on July 18, 2010, and has since been demolished.
References
- ↑ "• View topic - All Things Shockwave". Greatamericaparks.com. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
- ↑ "Remembering ShockWave at Six Flags Great America - Coaster Critic".
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "6F Great America dismantling Shockwave". Amusement Today. 2002-09-25. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
- ↑ "6F Great America dismantling Shockwave - Amusement Today". amusementtoday.com.
- ↑ "Worlds of Fun dot Org tweet". Twitter. 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
- ↑ http://flickr.com/photos/jonrev/2769431215/
- ↑ "Arrow Promotional Video (1989)".
- ↑ "Midwest rides can stand hair on end".
External links
- ShockWave on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
| Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster June 1988 - April 1989 | ||
| Preceded by Bandit |
Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster June 1988 - April 1989 |
Succeeded by Great American Scream Machine |
| Tallest roller coaster drop tied with Great American Scream Machine June 1988 - April 1989 | ||
| Preceded by American Eagle |
Tallest roller coaster drop tied with Great American Scream Machine June 1988 - April 1989 |
Succeeded by Magnum XL-200 |
| Most inversions on a roller coaster (7) tied with Goudurix Great American Scream Machine Kumba Viper June 1988 - May 1995 | ||
| Preceded by Vortex |
Most inversions on a roller coaster (7) tied with Goudurix Great American Scream Machine Kumba Viper June 1988 - May 1995 |
Succeeded by Dragon Khan |
