In one of the most last-minute roller coaster announcements I’ve ever seen, Busch Gardens Williamsburg finally acknowledged the giant mass of blue and orange steel rising into the Virginia theme park’s skyline. Yesterday, the park announced that Tempesto, a Premier launched coaster, will open to guests in late April 2015 (next month).
Although Tempesto’s track has already been completed, the coaster was announced yesterday to coaster fans gathered for the park’s annual season passholder preview day.
So what about the name? It comes from the fictional Italian daredevil, Tempesto:
In the rich tradition of the classic Italian daredevils, no single man wowed the crowds like Tempesto. Busch Gardens’ daring new roller coaster, Tempesto, lets riders take center stage and recreate his signature stunt.
Shoehorned into the park’s Festa Italia section, Tempesto is nearly shadowed by Apollo’s Chariot’s lift hill (seen in the top left corner in the above photo).
The announcement was confirmed on the park’s Facebook page and website:
Catch a glimpse of the coaster testing in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgTaXC1wTMY
The coaster uses a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) system to propel the 18-seat train through the twisted course.
The coaster reaches a maximum speed of 63 mph and includes three “launch experiences.”
All Photos © Busch Gardens Williamsburg
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