If the 325-foot-tall Fury 325 coaster wasn’t enough to please thrill seekers, Carowinds is adding a second thrill ride for the 2015 season: Sling Shot.
A pair of cables will catapult the two-person capsule nearly 300-feet into the air – nearly as high as the Statue of Liberty – at speeds up to 60 mph. After some brief weightlessness, riders will zoom back toward the ground, often rotating head-over-heels and bouncing up and down until they come to rest at the launch point.
“Carowinds will be a destination for thrill-seekers,” says Mike Fehnel, Carowinds’ vice president and general manager. “We’ll have two of the 10 tallest rollercoasters in North America, a total of 14 roller coasters – which is something that only three parks worldwide can top – and now we’ll have two new ways for riders to scream with joy at roughly 300 feet in the air.”
Like Fury 325, the SlingShot will be visible from uptown Charlotte, renewing the park’s skyline along Interstate 77 and serving as a symbol of changes to come.
SlingShot is scheduled to open spring of 2015 and will be an up-charge attraction. The exact cost to ride is to be determined.
This addition is another part of Carowinds’ planned $50 million multi-year investment plan to bring new life to founder Pat Hall’s original vision for Carowinds. The park is being revamped from top to bottom to celebrate Carolina culture, including new rides, attractions and food from different regions.
To learn more about what Carowinds has planned for 2015, visit the park’s website.
Looks like the same ride that Cedar Point got as an addition in 2014, but a smaller version. I’m not a big fan of adding pay-per-ride attractions personally, but if that will draw fans from the good rides, it’s fine with me.