Vekoma Rides Manufacturing

Type	Private company
Founded	1926
Founder(s)	Hendrik op het Veld
Headquarters	Vlodrop, Netherlands
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Amusement rides
Website	Official website

Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is a global roller coaster and thrill ride designer based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" (Veld Koning machine factory), and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment. In 1967, Vekoma started manufacturing amusement rides such as Ferris wheels and has, since the mid-1970s, specialized in manufacturing rides ranging from massive steel roller coasters to water rides to family-friendly attractions.

One of Vekoma's newest inventions is the Madhouse attraction. Villa Volta at the Efteling theme park is the first park to have it.

Contents 1 Roller coaster models 2 Notable installations 2.1 Ferris wheels 2.2 Roller coasters 3 Vekoma coasters in the RollerCoaster Tycoon video game series 4 Gallery 5 References 6 External links

Roller coaster models

• Boomerang - A three inversion shuttle coaster. Designed over 20 years ago, it continues to be a successful product. There are currently three variations, Invertigo, Giant Inverted Boomerang and the Family Boomerang. In 1996, Vekoma introduced an inverted upgrade to this ride called an Invertigo. Five years later, in 2001, Vekoma introduced the Giant Inverted Boomerang, which has completely vertical spikes and provides a taller and faster ride. Vekoma also introduced a Family Boomerang in 2010, which is a kiddie boomerang coaster that doesn't feature inversions.
• Family Custom Coaster - A classical roller coaster, designed to families with 6 year-old children and custom to a park's layout and needs. The Grover's Vapor Trail at Sesame Place and Muntanya Russa, at Tibidabo, Barcelona are examples of these coasters.
• Flying Dutchman - A flying roller coaster. Riders are reclined back into a lay-down position and turn around on the first drop of the ride into a prone 'flying' position. There are two models of the Flying Dutchman, the 843m Prototype, and the 1018m. There are three operating Flying Dutchmans around the world, including Nighthawk at Carowinds, Firehawk at Kings Island, and Batwing at Six Flags America.
• Hammerhead Stall - Also known as the Big Air, this shuttle type ride is designed to replicate the feeling of flying in a plane. This ride has been installed in EDA park in Taiwan.
• Junior Coaster (also known as a Roller Skater) - A small family sized roller coaster. Most installations are clones with several turns and helixes.
• Looping coaster - Vekoma provides several models of looping coasters, including custom layouts.
• Mine Train - A mine train roller coaster.
• Motorbike Coaster - A coaster that uses motorbike trains. There are two models of Motorbike Coasters, the 600m and the Custom. Three Motorbike Coasters operate around the world, including the Motorbike Coaster at Chimelong Paradise.
• Suspended Family Coaster (SFC) - A smaller version of the Suspended Looping Coaster. However, it does not have inversions.
• Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC) - An inverted roller coaster. The standard model has a roll over immediately after the initial drop, followed by a sidewinder, and finally a double inline twist before returning to its station. There are a few variations, including a longer model with an extra helix at the end of the ride. Vekoma also offers custom SLC models. There are five models of SLCs, the 662m Prototype, the 689m Standard, the 787m Extended, the 765m Extended w/ Helix, and the Custom. There are 37 operating SLCs around the world. The SLC coaster model has earned a reputation among critics for being uncomfortable while most recent installations have begun to address the issue with updated wheel assemblies and train designs. Jubilee Odyssey is a custom layout SLC, which holds the record for being the most expensive roller coaster in the UK.
• Swinging Turns - A roller coaster with vehicles below the track and allowed to swing freely. Vekoma also provided replacement trains for the Arrow Dynamics designed Vampire at Chessington World of Adventures. There are three operating Swinging Turns around the world, including the Hanging Coaster at Dream World.
• Tilt Coaster - A standard coaster with a vertical drop at the start. Trains enter the vertical drop via an unusual tilt section. After leaving the chain lift, instead of going down a first drop, the rider is held on a horizontal section of track, which then tilts forwards, to become a vertical section. This leads into the drop, then into the rest of the coaster layout. There is one operating Tilt Coaster in the world, the Gravity Max at Discovery World in Taiwan.
• Wooden Coaster - A coaster that is made of wood. There are three operating Vekoma wooden coasters around the world, including the Thundercoaster at TusenFryd, Robin Hood at Walibi Holland and Loup-Garou in Walibi Belgium.

Some other coaster models by Vekoma include Enigma, Hurricane, Illusion, LSM Coaster, and powered coasters.

Notable installations

Ferris wheels

Wheel name	Location	Opened	Status
Giant Wheel	Darien Lake, Corfu, New York, US	1982	Operating
Giant Wheel	Morey's Piers, Wildwood, New Jersey, US	1985	Operating	[1]
Navy Pier Ferris Wheel	Pier Park, Navy Pier, Chicago, US	1995	Operating	[2][3][4]
The Big Easy	Six Flags New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, US		SBNO

Roller coasters

As of 2012, Vekoma has built over 270 roller coasters around the world.^[5]

Coaster name	Location	Model	Original opening	Status
Apocalypse Formerly Corkscrew Formerly Corkscrew	Luna Park Flamingo Land Theme Park & Zoo Spanish City Amusement Park	Sitdown	2012	Operating	[6]
Aftershock Formerly Déjà Vu	Silverwood Theme Park Six Flags Great America	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2001	Operating	[7][8]
Arkham Asylum – Shock Therapy	Warner Bros. Movie World	SLC 765m Extended w/Helix	1995	Operating	[9]
Bandit Bomber	YAS Waterworld	Inverted 515m	2013	Operating	[10]
Babylon	Happylon	Indoor sitdown	2010	Operating	[11]
The Barnstormer	Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom	Junior Coaster	1996	Operating	[12]
The Bat	Canada's Wonderland	Boomerang	1987	Operating	[13]
Bat	Lagoon Amusement Park	SFC 342m	2005	Operating	[14]
Batman - The Ride	Six Flags Mexico	SLC 689m Standard	2000	Operating	[15]
Battlestar Galactica: Human or Cylon	Universal Studios Singapore	Steel/Inverted	2010	Operating	[16]
Big Air	E-DA Theme Park	Big Air	2010	Operating	[17]
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad	Disneyland Park (Paris)	Mine Train	1992	Operating	[18]
Ben 10 – Ultimate Mission	Drayton Manor Theme Park	Junior Boomerang	2011	Operating	[19]
Big Air	Drayton Manor Theme Park	Junior Boomerang	2011	Operating	[20]
Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars	Hong Kong Disneyland	Sit Down	7/13/2012	Operating	[21]
Blue Tornado	Gardaland	SLC 765m Extended w/Helix	1998	Operating	[22]
Boomerang	Knott's Berry Farm	Boomerang	1990	Operating	[23]
Boomerang	La Ronde	Boomerang	1984	Operating	[24]
Boomerang	Parc Touristique des Combes	Junior Boomerang	2011	Operating	[25]
Boomerang	Six Flags Mexico	Boomerang	1987	Operating	[26]
Boomerang Formerly Flashback	Six Flags St. Louis Six Flags Over Texas	Boomerang	1989	Under construction	[27][28]
Boomerang	Wild Adventures	Boomerang	1998	Operating	[29]
Boomerang	Worlds of Fun	Boomerang	2000	Operating	[30]
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Darien Lake	Boomerang	1998	Operating	[31]
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Elitch Gardens Theme Park	Boomerang	1999	Operating	[32]
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Great Escape	Boomerang	1997	Operating	[33]
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Six Flags Discovery Kingdom	Boomerang	1998	Operating	[34]
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Six Flags Fiesta Texas	Boomerang	1999	Operating	[35]
Booster Bike	Toverland	Motorbike	2004	Operating	[36]
Calamity Mine	Walibi Belgium	Mine Train	1992	Operating	[37]
Carolina Cobra Formerly Head Spin	Carowinds Geauga Lake	Boomerang	1996	Operating	[38][39]
Cobra	Walibi Belgium	Boomerang	2001	Operating	[40]
Ednör – L'Attaque Formerly Serial Thriller	La Ronde Six Flags Astroworld	SLC 689m Standard	1999	Operating	[41][42]
El Condor	Walibi Holland	SLC 662m Prototype	1994	Operating	[43]
Escape from Madagascar	Dreamworld	SFC 342m	2002	Operating	[44]
Expedition Everest	Disney's Animal Kingdom	SLC Custom	2006	Operating	[45]
Firehawk Formerly X-Flight	Kings Island Geauga Lake	Flying Dutchman 1020m	2001	Operating	[46][47]
Flashback Formerly Vampire Formerly Boomerang	Six Flags New England Kentucky Kingdom Nanhu Amusement Park	Boomerang	1985	Operating	[48][49][50]
Flight Deck Formerly Top Gun	Canada's Wonderland	SLC 689m Standard	1995	Operating	[51]
Flight of the Hippogriff Formerly Flying Unicorn	Islands of Adventure Island of Adventure	Junior Coaster	2000	Operating	[52]
Fly - The Great Nor'easter	Morey's Piers	SLC Custom	1995	Operating	[53]
Flying Ace Aerial Chase	Carowinds	SFC 342m	2003	Operating	[54]
Flying Ace Aerial Chase	Kings Island	SFC 342m	2001	Operating	[55]
Flying School Formerly Swamp Thing	Legoland Florida Cypress Gardens	SFC 342m	2004	Operating	[56]
Freedom Fighter	Fun Spot Action Park	SFC 395m	2013	Under Construction	[57]
Goliath Formerly Déjà Vu	Six Flags New England Six Flags Magic Mountain	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2001	Operating	[58][59]
Infusion	Blackpool Pleasure Beach	SLC 689m Standard	2007	Operating	[60]
Invertigo	Kings Island	Invertigo	1999	Operating	[61]
Jimmy Neutron's Atomic Flyer	Movie Park Germany	SFC 294m	2007	Operating	[62]
Jubilee Odyssey	Fantasy Island	SLC Custom	2002	Operating	[63]
Kong Formerly Hangman	Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Opryland USA	SLC 689m Standard	1995	Operating	[64][65]
Kvasten	Gröna Lund	SFC Custom	2007	Operating	[66]
Magic Mountain	Gardaland	Double Loop Corkscrew	1984	Operating	[67]
Mammut	Gardaland	Mine Train Custom	2008	Operating	[68]
Mountain Peak	Jinjiang Action Park	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2011	Operating	[69]
MP Xpress	Movie Park Germany	SLC 689m Standard	2001	Operating	[70]
Muntanya Russa	Tibidabo Amusement Park	Steel Sitdown	2008	Operating	[71]
Nighthawk Formerly Stealth	Carowinds California's Great America	Flying Dutchman 843m Prototype	2000	Operating	[72][73]
Python	Efteling	Double loop Corkscrew	1981	Operating	[74]
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster	Disney's Hollywood Studios	LSM Coaster	1999	Operating	[75]
Roller Skater	Kentucky Kingdom	Junior (207m)	1994	SBNO	[76]
Sea Serpent	Morey's Piers	Boomerang	1984	Operating	[77]
Shells Shuttle	Powerland (Treasure Island Pirate Kingdom)	Indoor Junior Coaster	2006	Operating	[78]
Silver Streak	Canada's Wonderland	SFC 342m	2001	Operating	[79]
Sky Mountain Formerly Déjà Vu	Mirabilandia Six Flags Over Georgia	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2001	In Storage	[80][81]
Space Mountain: Mission 2	Disneyland Park (Paris)	Steel	2005	Operating	[82]
Space Shuttle Max Formerly Cobra	Enchanted Kingdom West Midland Safari Park	Boomerang	1985	Operating	[83][84]
Speed of Sound	Walibi Holland	Boomerang	2000	Operating	[85]
Steel Lasso	Frontier City	SFC 294m	2008	Operating	[86]
Stinger Formerly Invertigo	Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom California's Great America	Invertigo	1998	Operating	[87][88]
Stress Express	Fantawild Adventure	Sitdown	2012	Operating	[89]
Stunt Fall	Parque Warner Madrid	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2002	Operating	[90]
Swamp Thing	Wild Adventures	SFC 342m	2003	Operating	[90]
T²	Kentucky Kingdom	SLC 662m Prototype	1995	SBNO	[91]
Thunderhawk Formerly Serial Thriller	Michigan's Adventure Geauga Lake	SLC 689m Standard	1998	Operating	[92][93]
Triops Formerly Tornado Formerly unknown Formerly HangOver	Bagatelle Sommerland Syd Allou Fun Park Liseberg	Invertigo	1997	Under construction	[94][95][96][97]
Two Face: The Flip Side	Six Flags America	Invertigo	1999	Defunct since 2007	[98]
Wipeout Formerly Missile Formerly Coca-Cola Roller	Pleasurewood Hills The American Adventure Theme Park Glasgow Garden Festival	Boomerang	1988	Operating	[99][100][101]
Woodstock Express	Cedar Point	Junior 335m	1999	Operating	[102]
Zoomerang Formerly The Demon Formerly Titan	Alabama Adventure Wonderland Sydney World Expo Park	Boomerang	1988	Defunct from 2011	[103][104][105]
Zoomerang	Lake Compounce	Boomerang	1997	Operating	[106]
Zydeco Scream Formerly Boomerang	Six Flags New Orleans Parc de Montjuic	Boomerang	1990	SBNO since 2005	[107][108]

Vekoma coasters in the RollerCoaster Tycoon video game series

Like most coaster manufacturers of recent years, many of Vekoma's coasters have been incorporated into the popular video game series Roller Coaster Tycoon. Coasters of Vekoma's featured in the game include the SLC, SFC, Looping coasters, wooden coasters and the mine train coasters, amongst many more. Many of the rides in the game have options for track layouts similar to ones installed in real parks and even have the same names of those in the real world.

Gallery

• 

  Suspended Looping Coaster, a popular Vekoma design.

• 

  Boomerang, another one of Vekoma's most popular ride models.

• 

  Invertigo, a variation on the common Boomerang design.

• 

  Giant Inverted Boomerang, a more extreme version of Invertigo.

• 

  Vekoma Roller Skater, a small family coaster design.

• 

  Wooden Coaster, One of Vekoma`s wooden coasters. (Thundercoaster Tusenfryd).

• 

  Motorbike roller coaster, a specially designed coaster with seats that are like motorbikes.

• 

  Suspended Family Coaster.

References

External links

• Vekoma website (official)
• Vekoma at RCDB