Windjammer Surf Racers
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) |
| Windjammer Surf Racers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||||
| Knott's Berry Farm | ||||||
| Park section |
Coordinates | 33°50′45″N 118°00′03″W / 33.84583°N 118.00083°W | ||||
| Status | Removed | |||||
| Opening date | March 26, 1997 | |||||
| Closing date | March 2, 2000 | |||||
| Cost | $6,200,000 | |||||
| Replaced | Wacky Soap Box Racers | |||||
| Replaced by | Xcelerator | |||||
| General Statistics | ||||||
| Type |
Racing | |||||
| Manufacturer | TOGO | |||||
| Designer | TOGO | |||||
| Model | Looping Mouse | |||||
| Track layout | Custom | |||||
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill | |||||
| Red | Yellow | |||||
| Height | 69 ft (21.0 m) | 69 ft (21.0 m) | ||||
| Drop | 54 ft (16.5 m) | 31 ft (9.4 m) | ||||
| Length | 1,851 ft (564.2 m) | 1,839 ft (560.5 m) | ||||
| Speed | 40 mph (64.4 km/h) | 40 mph (64.4 km/h) | ||||
| Inversions | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Duration | 1:30 | 1:30 | ||||
| Max vertical angle | 42° | 42° | ||||
| Capacity | 1400 riders per hour | |||||
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) | |||||
| Trains | 10 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train. | |||||
|
Windjammer Surf Racers at RCDB Pictures of Windjammer Surf Racers at RCDB | ||||||
Windjammer Surf Racers was a steel
History
On September 26, 1996, Knott's Berry Farm announced a new roller coaster for the 1997 season called Windjammer Surf Racers.[2] It opened to the public on March 26, 1997.[3] Windjammer experienced mechanical issues early on.[4] Within a few weeks of operation, the ride needed several major repairs costing over $2 million.[4] It also quickly gained a negative reputation for being rough, as the over-the-shoulder restraints lacked padding. The racing coaster would also frequently stall in reportedly "slight breezes".[4]
In 1999, an apparel company challenged the coaster's name, which was temporarily changed to Jammer until the dispute was resolved.
In June 2001, the park erected construction walls surrounding Windjammer Surf Racers, and the nearby Headspin scrambler ride was relocated.[8] Windjammer was demolished the following month in July 2001.[3] A hydraulically-launched roller coaster, Xcelerator, was built in its place for the following season.[9]
The ride remained closed during the lawsuit as evidence. When Knott's was unable to complete a sale of the ride, it was dismantled in July 2001. In November 2003, the jury rejected Knott's lawsuit in favor of TOGO International.
Ride experience
.jpg)
Windjammer Surf Racers was a unique coaster; it involved small
The ride was dressed as a tribute to the fabled Southern California beach and surf culture, complete with towering palm trees, beach sand, a miniature lagoon, a scaled-down lifeguard watch tower, and other beach-worthy props. The on-ride photograph sales booth was built into the side of a scaled-down replica of a yacht.
The attraction featured a unique interactive element built into the center of the helix finale, known as the “spiral cone.” The spiral cone consisted of motorized fans semi-enclosed within a steel conical housing structure. The mechanism was designed to simulate a wind effect - giving riders the sensation of being caught in the eye of a Pacific storm. However, the special effect failed to work as intended, and remained inoperable for most of the ride’s service life.
Layout
After both trains exited the station, they headed up a 69-foot (21 m) chain lift hill. A right turn led into a drop on both tracks. After reaching the bottom of each drop, both sides reached a maximum speed of 40 mph (64 km/h) before entering a vertical loop. The trains went through several turns and drops and a helix finale before stopping on the final brake run and returning to the station.
References
- ^ "10 former Knott's rides and attractions we miss the most". 21 August 2019.
- ^ Dickson, Marla (September 27, 1996). "Knott's Plans Double-Barrel Roller Coaster". The Los Angeles Times. Times Staff Writer. Retrieved November 17, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "Windjammer Surf Racers (Knott's Berry Farm)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
- ^ a b c "This Ride Got Jammed - The Coaster Kings".
- ^ "Jury Rejects Knott's Suit Over Design of Coaster". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ "Windjammer Surf Racers". Thrill Network. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
- ^ "Business notebook: Bankruptcies". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 11, 2001. Retrieved November 17, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Construction Walls Up Around Windjammer at Knott's". Ultimate Rollercoaster.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Xcelerator (Knott's Berry Farm)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
External links
- Windjammer Surf Racers at Thrill Network
- Pictures/Ride History
- Deconstruction Photos at Westcoaster.