Skyline Attractions is thrilled to usher in the next evolution of its compact steel roller coasters: Skywarp II, Horizon II, and Orbit II. The trio of small footprint, big thrill attractions is the successor to the original Skywarp family of rides and each model has been completely redesigned and reengineered to offer an improved ride experience and increased reliability.
“Skyline Attractions first unveiled the Skywarp roller coaster in November 2016 ahead of the IAAPA Expo,” Skyline President Jeff Pike said. “The idea behind the unique ride was to offer big roller coaster thrills in a compact footprint and for a fraction of the cost of the competition. We wanted to make a family-friendly thrill ride that was accessible to any park or family entertainment center, whether it was a destination resort or a local, family-owned location. The next iteration of these rides maintains that same goal, enabling a more diverse range of parks to build their own roller coaster that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.”
The first generation of the Skywarp family of rides saw two installations: Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California, USA, and Tidal Twister at SeaWorld San Diego in San Diego, California, USA.
“Looking toward the future, we’re excited to take the experience gained on our first two steel roller coasters, as well as the wealth of knowledge and experience from our design and engineering work on a series of world-class wooden roller coasters, and apply it to our line of compact steel roller coasters,” Pike said.
Improvements applied to the Skywarp II, Horizon II, and Orbit II roller coasters over their original incarnations include:
- Modified drive systems to more efficiently, smoothly propel the train
- Updated control systems to reduce installation costs and reduce unexpected downtime
- Modified seats and restraints to more comfortably secure a wider range of passengers
- Reduced number of operators to lower operational costs
- Modified centerline for better “dueling” visuals on two train variants
- New track design for more efficient installation and smoother ride experience
- Improved train design for easy maintenance inspections
“We’re thrilled to introduce this next generation of our compact steel roller coasters,” Pike said. “Making these improvements not only creates a better, more enjoyable ride experience, but also helps us achieve our original goal of making a thrilling, budget-friendly ride that’s accessible to parks of all sizes.”
More info on the improvements and modifications for the Horizon II, Skywarp II, and Orbit II will be released soon.
At the same time, Skyline Attractions also unveiled an updated website, teasing more new concepts from the company, as well as highlighting the many projects they have worked on, including the new Infinity Flyer trains for Great Coasters International.
These trains were tested at Skyline’s Central Florida facility before actually being tested on White Lightning at Fun Spot America!
Several new ride concepts are already being teased on the new website. In the Thrill Rides section of the website are listings for “Hydra Tower” and “The Juggler”, the Family Rides section includes “Boston Tea Party” and “Eazy Breezy”, and the Children’s Rides section lists the new “P’Sghetti Bowl.” Both Easy Breezy and P’Sghetti Bowl are considered roller coasters by Skyline Attractions! Each of the five rides includes a short description, hinting at what the attraction will be like.
“We’ll be rolling out our new ride concepts ahead of the IAAPA Expo in November,” Pike said. “When we unveil each new concept, we’ll share it across all of our social media channels and in our monthly newsletter. We want to make sure that no one misses any of these exciting new products.”
For more information, be sure to check out the new Skyline Attractions website and be sure to subscribe to their newsletter when you’re there!
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