Windjammer Surf Racers
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| Manufacturer | Togo | ||||||||||||||||
| Type | Steel - Twin | ||||||||||||||||
| Model / product | Looping Mouse | ||||||||||||||||
| Riders per train | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | Chain lift hill | ||||||||||||||||
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Windjammer Surf Racers, or Windjammer, was a short-lived Togo twin looping wild mouse coaster located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, USA. It opened on March 26, 1997. The attraction was located in the park's Boardwalk section. The failure led to a lawsuit and Togo's eventual demise. The ride closed on March 2, 2000. Xcelerator now occupies the spot that Windjammer formerly occupied.
History
On September 26, 1996, Windjammer Surf Racers was announced. The ride debuted on March 26, 1997.[1]
On March 10, 2000, the park launched a lawsuit against Togo, alleging that Windjammer Surf Racers had major manufacturing defects which led to regular breakdowns and prevented the ride's operation during low winds. The defects included misaligned track, flawed safety mechanisms, defective restraints, fatigue, and wrinkles in the metal mainframes of the trains. Windjammer Surf Racers ceased its racing feature in Jack Falfas' first year as general manager of Cedar Fair, and the yellow track was also deemed unfunctional in 1999. The lawsuit also claimed that Windjammer Surf Racers could not run at wind levels as low as 3 mph. Knott's also claimed to have spent over $2 million on repairs and inspections and was seeking damages of $16 million.[2]
In June 2001, the surrounding area was walled off.[3] Windjammer Surf Racers was demolished in July 2001.
On June 22, 2002, Xcelerator opened where Windjammer Surf Racers previously stood.
The lawsuit was rejected in October 2003. Even though Knott's fumed that the jury failed to examine numerous pieces of evidence, Togo's attorney, Jim Yukevich, said that Knott's just wanted money to pay for a better attraction.[4]
Design
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Windjammer Surf Racers was a twin racing looping wild mouse roller coaster. The ride's first drop led into a vertical loop. After the loop, the ride continued over multiple hills, including multiple brake runs. The station did not have an air gate system to keep queuing guests clear from advancing vehicles within the station. The ride was dressed as a tribute to the fabled Southern California beach culture, complete with towering palms trees, beach sand, a small lagoon, a scaled-down lifeguard watchtower, and other beach-worthy props. The on-ride photograph sales booth was built into the side of a scaled-down replica of a yacht.
Trains
10 trains with 2 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train.
References
- ↑ "Knott's Gets the Drop on Its Customers With New Coaster", The Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Knott's Suing Windjammer Ride’s Maker". The Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-mar-15-me-8979-story.html.
- ↑ "Construction Walls Up Around Windjammer at Knott's". Ultimate Rollercoaster. https://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/news/archives/june01/stories/062701_06.shtml.
- ↑ "Jury Rejects Knott's Lawsuit Against Coaster Designer", The Los Angeles Times.
External links
- Windjammer Surf Racers on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
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