Stand-up roller coaster
| Stand-up roller coaster | |
|---|---|
 The Shockwave at Drayton Manor Theme Park, the only Stand-up roller coaster to feature a zero-g roll inversion. | |
| Status | In Production |
| First manufactured | 1982 (modified), 1984 (purpose-built) |
| No. of installations | 21 |
| Manufacturers | Arrow Dynamics (modified), Bolliger & Mabillard, TOGO, and Intamin |
A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster designed to have the passengers stand through the course of the ride.
History[]
The first stand-up roller coasters in the world were originally built as sit-down roller coasters. Japanese manufacturer TOGO designed stand-up trains that were first deployed in 1982 on Momonga Standing & Loop Coaster, originally built in 1979 at Yomiuriland in Tokyo, Japan.[1] The same change was also performed on Dangai at the former Thrill Valley amusement park in Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan.[2] Both rides added stand-up trains in 1982, with Dangai opening one day before Momonga Standing & Loop Coaster.[2]
The first stand-up roller coaster in the United States was also a former sit-down model. Screamroller at Worlds of Fun was a corkscrew model built by Arrow Dynamics in 1976.[3] In 1983, Arrow designed a stand-up train for the attraction, and the ride was subsequently renamed Extremeroller after the trains were added.[3] The track and structure were not designed for stand-up trains, however, and the original sit-down trains were reinstalled in 1984. They remained in place until the attraction was removed in 1988.[3]
Two new stand-up roller coasters opened in the United States in 1984. One was another retrofit similar to Extremeroller called Rail Blazer. It was originally built by Arrow and debuted as River King Mine Train during the grand opening of Six Flags St. Louis in 1971, and the stand-up trains were added for the 1984 season when the attraction was renamed.[4] Like Extremeroller, the track wasn't intended for use with stand-up trains, and a fatal accident in 1984 involving a passenger that fell to her death prompted a recall of the trains.[5] The original trains and name were then restored.[4] The other stand-up coaster to open in 1984 was King Cobra at Kings Island, manufactured by TOGO, which was the first in the world to be designed from the ground up for standing passengers. The attraction operated from 1984 to 2001.
The last stand-up roller coaster manufactured was Georgia Scorcher, which opened at Six Flags Over Georgia in 1999. In 2005, Batman: The Escape at the now-defunct Six Flags Astroworld was disassembled and placed in storage at Six Flags Darien Lake.[6]
Design[]
Three manufacturers—TOGO, Intamin and Bolliger & Mabillard—have constructed multiple stand-up roller coasters. TOGO's stand-up models feature cars that seat four passengers in two rows of two. Models from Intamin and B&M also seat four riders per car, but in a single four-abreast row.
On a standard roller coaster, the rider is held in their seat by some form of harness, such as a lap bar or an over-the-shoulder restraint. As stand-up roller coasters, by their design, do not have "seats," the harness system must both restrain and support the rider. Typical stand-up roller coaster harnesses are mounted on vertical posts, which allow the harness to adjust to riders of different heights. At the bottom is a seat resembling that on a bicycle, while at the top is an over-the-shoulder harness. TOGO models normally use a lap bar to further secure riders, while B&M models add a seat belt to connect the bicycle seat to the shoulder harness.
With some exceptions, stand-up roller coasters normally feature at least one inversion. These inversions can include vertical loops, inclined loops, dive loops and corkscrews. Only one stand-up roller coaster, the Shockwave at Drayton Manor Theme Park in the United Kingdom, includes a zero-gravity roll.
Installations[]
Modified stand-up roller coasters[]
| Name | Park | Manufacturer | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Momonga Standing and Loop Coaster | Yomiuriland | TOGO | 1979 Stand-up trains added 1982 |
Closed 2021 |
| Dangai | Thrill Valley | TOGO | 1982 or earlier Stand-up trains added 1982 |
Closed 2002 |
| Extremeroller | Worlds of Fun | Arrow Dynamics | 1976 Stand-up trains added 1983, removed by 1984 |
Closed 1988 |
| Rail Blazer | Six Flags St. Louis | Arrow Dynamics | 1971 Stand-up trains added 1984, removed by 1985 |
Operating |
| Star Jet | Washuzan Highland | TOGO | 1986 Stand-up train added on or before 1998 |
Operating |
Purpose-built stand-up roller coasters[]
| Name | Park | Manufacturer | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Cobra | Kings Island | TOGO | 1984 | Closed 2001 |
| Standing Coaster Formerly Unknown |
Rusutsu Resort Otaru Expo |
TOGO | 1985 1984 |
Operating Closed 1984 |
| Shockwave | Kings Dominion | TOGO | 1986 | Closed 2015 |
| Milky Way | Mitsui Greenland | TOGO | 1991 | Operating |
| Vortex | California's Great America | Bolliger & Mabillard | 1991 | Closed 2016
Operating as a floorless coaster under the name of Patriot as of 2017. |
| Vortex | Carowinds | Bolliger & Mabillard | 1992 | Operating |
| Fujin Raijin II | Expoland | TOGO | 1992 | Closed 2007 |
| Batman The Escape Formerly Shockwave Formerly Shockwave |
Six Flags AstroWorld Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Magic Mountain |
Intamin | 1993 1990 1986 |
Closed 2005, in storage at Six Flags Darien Lake until it was scrapped 2018. Closed 1992 Closed 1988 |
| Shockwave | Drayton Manor Theme Park | Intamin | 1994 | Operating |
| Cobra Formerly Stand Up |
La Ronde Skara Sommarland |
Intamin | 1995 1988 |
Closed 2016 Closed 1994 |
| Mantis | Cedar Point | Bolliger & Mabillard | 1996 | Closed 2014
Operating as a floorless coaster under the name of Rougarou as of 2015. |
| Riddler's Revenge | Six Flags Magic Mountain | Bolliger & Mabillard | 1998 | Operating |
| Georgia Scorcher | Six Flags Over Georgia | Bolliger & Mabillard | 1999 | Operating |
| Green Lantern Formerly Chang |
Six Flags Great Adventure Kentucky Kingdom |
Bolliger & Mabillard | 2011 1997 |
Operating Closed 2009 |
| Apocalypse Formerly Iron Wolf |
Six Flags America Six Flags Great America |
Bolliger & Mabillard | 2012 1990 |
Closed 2018 Closed 2011 Operating as a floorless coaster under the name of Firebird as of 2019 |
| Freestyle Formerly Skyrider |
Cavallino Matto Canada's Wonderland |
TOGO | 2015 1985 |
Operating[7] Closed 2014 |
References[]
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Momonga Standing & Loop Coaster (Yomiuriland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Dangai (Thrill Valley)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "Extremeroller (Worlds of Fun)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ a b Marden, Duane. "River King Mine Train (Six Flags St. Louis)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ "July 7, 1984: Woman killed in fall from Six Flags ride".
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Unknown (Six Flags Darien Lake)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Freestyle (Cavallino Matto)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stand-up roller coasters. |
- Amusement ride models by name
- Stand-up roller coasters
- Types of roller coaster