Kings Dominion to receive Windseeker

Why stop at five? Cedar Fair will install its sixth Windseeker model at Kings Dominion for the 2012 season, along with a Dinosaurs Alive! attraction:

“Kings Dominion has announced that it will introduce WindSeeker, a towering 30-story-tall swing ride to the park’s already world-class ride lineup next summer. WindSeeker will soar high above the Hurler and the Xtreme SkyFlyer attractions on the Grove, rising almost as high as the parks iconic Eiffel Tower.

The new WindSeeker will be a 301-foot-tall tower that will spin riders nearly 30 stories above ground. Seated in two-person swings that will allow their feet to dangle, riders will slowly begin rotating in a circular motion as the swings ascend the tower.

At the top, the swings will be reaching speeds between 25-30 mph, flaring out almost 45 degrees from the tower. WindSeeker will be able to accommodate 64 riders (32 swings) at one time.

“Spinning almost 300 feet above Kings Dominion and the adjacent countryside, it will be a very exciting ride experience for our guests,” said Pat Jones, the vice president and general manager of Kings Dominion. “During the day, or at night when the ride will be illuminated with spectacular LED lighting, WindSeeker will provide riders with dramatic views of the park and surrounding attractions. I have no doubt it will be an extremely popular addition to Kings Dominion.”

WindSeeker will be located near the present location of the Extreme Skyflyer attraction and the Juke Box Diner. For comparison purposes, WindSeeker will climb just above riders on the parks popular Drop Tower attraction. Wave Swinger, the park’s original swing ride that opened in 1975, is 31 feet tall and has a top speed of 9 mph.

WindSeeker is manufactured by Mondial, a 23-year-old Dutch-based company. WindSeeker will cost approximately $6.5 million to build. Riders must be at least 52 inches tall and will be secured with individual over-the-head lap bars with interlocking seat belt. Overall, Kings Dominion will add more than $7.5 million in capital improvements to the park for 2012. Kings Dominion will also introduce Dinosaurs Alive! a multi-sensory and interactive dinosaur walk-through attraction next year.”

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