Two of the biggest roller coaster projects that opened this past year were not new rides, but re-openings of once popular wooden coasters. GhostRider at Knott’s Berry Farm and The Legend at Holiday World both received major refurbishment this offseason to bring...
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Review: Revamped Legend at Holiday World
Holiday World’s late president Will Koch reviewed more than 200 suggestions from roller coaster enthusiasts in the late 1990s during the design phase of the park’s now iconic Legend wooden coaster. In fact, he posted initial design plans for the coaster online and...
Continue reading...Mystic Timbers Wooden Coaster Coming to Kings Island in 2017
Kings Island today announced Mystic Timbers, a Great Coasters International wooden coaster that will open spring 2017. Mystic Timbers will stand 109 feet tall with a 97-foot-tall drop, reaching a top speed of 53 mph during its 3,265-foot-long course. It will also contain...
Continue reading...Alton Towers to “Launch” New Wood Coaster in 2018
Alton Towers has submitted a planning application to their local government to build a new wooden roller coaster scheduled to open in 2018. Code-named “Secret Weapon 8”, the plans show what appears to be a Great Coasters International terrain-hugging, twisted...
Continue reading...Busch Gardens to Add Great Coasters International Wooden Coaster in 2017
There has been much speculation about what exactly #Project2017 would be for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Many people (including the guys at BGCabana) speculated that the project would turn out to be a new coaster, and today, we have an answer....
Continue reading...Ozark Wildcat Wooden Roller Coaster Torn Down
In a controlled collapse, the Ozark Wildcat wooden roller coaster at the defunct Celebration City amusement park in Branson, MO, met its demise over the weekend. Branson local media reported the looming deconstruction in October. Hershcend Family Entertainment (HFE), which...
Continue reading...We Say Farewell to Roar on National Roller Coaster Day
August 16th was the final day of operation for Roar, the Great Coasters International wooden coaster that has carried over 11 million riders at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom since it’s opening on May 15, 1999. While it doesn’t have quite...
Continue reading...How to make a Great Coaster – Q&A with Adam House of Great Coasters International, Inc.
I’ve long been a fan of Great Coasters International Inc. (GCII), known for their twisting, fast, wooden coasters. I considered myself incredibly lucky when they built Gold Striker in 2013 at California’s Great America, one of my local parks, and that...
Continue reading...Skyline Attractions Teasing New Rides
Early last month, three former Great Coasters International employees announced the formation of Skyline Attractions, which will produce “new and innovative attractions for fixed-site and traveling facilities every year.” Today, the group began teasing one of its first new products,...
Continue reading...Former GCI members found Skyline Attractions
In a surprising move, Jeff Pike, Chris Gray, and Evan Souliere have announced they have the left the renown wood coaster builder Great Coasters International to join with Bill Wydra in forming a new company, called Skyline Attractions. They issued a press...
Continue reading...A-Z Coaster of the Week: Thunderhead
This week’s A-Z Coaster is none other than Thunderhead at Dollywood — which is celebrating its 10th year of operation in 2014. Opened in 2004, The twisted wooden coaster is a product of Great Coasters International (GCI). Thunderhead’s debut marked...
Continue reading...Hurler at Carowinds Receiving Off-Season Repair
Great Coasters International (GCI) recently shared some interesting photos of the coaster company’s off-season work on Carowind’s Hurler wooden coaster. The coaster opened in 1994, along with its sister coaster of the same name and design at Kings Dominion. “The...
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