Wicked Cyclone
Wicked Cyclone | |
---|---|
Previously known as Cyclone (1983–2014) | |
Chain lift hill | |
Height | 109 ft (33 m) |
Length | 3,320 ft (1,010 m) |
Speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
Inversions | 3 |
Max vertical angle | 78° |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
Trains | 2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
Wicked Cyclone at RCDB |
Wicked Cyclone (formerly Cyclone) is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags New England amusement park. The ride originally opened as a wooden roller coaster named Cyclone on June 24, 1983. Its name and design were inspired by the historic 1927 Cyclone roller coaster located at Coney Island. In 2014, after 32 seasons, Cyclone was closed while being re-tracked with steel. It reopened as Wicked Cyclone on May 24, 2015.
History
In 1983, Riverside Amusement Park decided to open a wooden roller coaster named the Riverside Cyclone.
During its first season of operation, Riverside Cyclone featured two
In the late 1990s, Premier Parks (later Six Flags) purchased Riverside Amusement Park. Over a period of four years, approximately $100 million was invested in the renovation and expansion of the park, culminating in its rebranding to Six Flags New England in 2000.[4] As a result, the Riverside branding was dropped, with the ride being renamed to the Cyclone. The D.H. Morgan Manufacturing trains were replaced with two PTC trains.[1] The new operators made modifications to the track in 2001, shortening the first drop by between 15 and 20 feet (4.6 and 6.1 m).[1]
A refurbishment of the Cyclone in 2011 saw
Conversion to steel track
Over the years, the popularity of Cyclone began to decline.[8] In June 2014, Six Flags New England announced that the ride would close permanently on July 20, 2014.[9] A closing ceremony and farewell celebration was held on its last day of operation.[10] Enthusiasts, including members of American Coaster Enthusiasts, were onboard for the media shoot, as John Winkler and the mayor of Agawam hosted a small ceremony to cut the cake.[10] Fireworks were set off that night during the last ride, with wait times to ride reaching 90 minutes long.[10] After the last rides were given, Six Flags showcased a future announcement scheduled in August using construction signs and a sandwich board near Cyclone's entrance.[10] During its 31 seasons in operation as a wooden coaster, Cyclone was ridden by more than 15 million riders.[11] The decision to close the ride was made over a period of one and half years.[11][12]
On August 28, 2014, it was announced that Cyclone would undergo a transformation into Wicked Cyclone, converting its wooden track to steel. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction and designed by Alan Schilke, it features a 10-story drop, a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h), and the world's first "double-reversing bank airtime hill" element. Dubbed a hybrid coaster, it is the first hybrid on the East Coast, and the only one to feature a 200-degree stall and two Zero G Rolls. The ride reopened as Wicked Cyclone in May 2015.[13]
Characteristics
Statistic | Cyclone[1] | Wicked Cyclone[14] |
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Years | 1983–2014 | 2015– |
Manufacturer | Frontier Construction Company | Rocky Mountain Construction |
Designer | William Cobb & Associates |
Alan Schilke |
Track | Wood | Steel |
Height | 112 ft or 34 m | 109 ft or 33 m |
Length | 3,600 ft or 1,100 m | 3,320 ft or 1,010 m |
Speed | 45 mph or 72 km/h | 55 mph or 89 km/h |
Max vertical angle | 54° | 78° |
Trains | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) | Rocky Mountain Construction |
Reception
Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride for 2015
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Ranking | 2[15]
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Year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 |
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Ranking | 23[16] | 18[17] | 14 (tie)[18] | 33[19] | 39[20] | 42 (tie)[21] | 45[22] |
References
- ^ a b c d e Marden, Duane. "Cyclone (Six Flags New England)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Six Flags New England". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^ Powell, Tom (July 9, 1983). "Cyclone coaster expected to blow Riverside gate to 1 mil". Amusement Business.
- ^ O'Brien, Tim (January 3, 2000). "Premier parks flags 4 more; invests millions". Amusement Business. 112 (1): 1.
- ^ "Two Six Flags Rides Receive "Topper Track" for 2011". News Plus Notes. March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ "Georgia Cyclone: A Classic "Woodie"". Six Flags. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- ^ "Rocky Mountain Construction Company". Coaster-Net. February 16, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
- ^ "Cyclone at Six Flags New England is closing - SFNE Online".
- ^ "Cyclone at Six Flags to close next month". WWLP.com. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Farewell Cyclone - SFNE Online".
- ^ a b Zeitlin, Hugh (20 July 2014). "After three decades, Six Flags New England retires Cyclone". CBS3Springfield.com. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ^ Warner, Dan (18 July 2014). "Last chance to ride Cyclone after 30 years of memories". MassLive.com. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ "Hybrid Coaster "Wicked Cyclone" is Coming to Six Flags New England in 2015" (Press release). Six Flags. August 28, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Wicked Cyclone (Six Flags New England)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
- ^ "Park and ride winners". Amusement Today. September 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archivedfrom the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archivedfrom the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2016.