Hybrid roller coaster
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A hybrid roller coaster is a type of roller coaster where the track is made out of one material, either steel or wood, and the support structure is made from another. Early hybrid coasters include mine train roller coasters from Arrow Development, which feature steel track with a wooden support structure. Becoming increasingly more common are hybrids with wooden tracks and steel supports, such as The Voyage at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.
Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) is well-known for their I-Box track design, commonly used to retrofit existing wooden coasters with a new steel track. Such designs provide several benefits, offering smoother rides and reducing maintenance costs. Hybrid coasters can also add inversions, as seen in Mean Streak's conversion into Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point in 2018. Newer steel-tracked hybrids also tend to be taller, faster, and feature steeper drops than their wooden counterparts.[citation needed]
History
Two main components of roller coaster design are their track and support structure. In most cases, both are made of the same material, either wood or steel. Occasionally, they are designed to feature a steel track with a wooden structure, or vice versa, which classifies a ride as a hybrid coaster. Hybrid coasters have existed for a long time, with one of the oldest being the Coney Island Cyclone at Luna Park, which opened in 1927. Its track is made from wood, while its support structure is made of steel. Arrow Development built a vast amount of mine train roller coasters beginning in the 1960s, featuring tubular steel track and wooden supports. One of their last such installations is Adventure Express at Kings Island, which opened in 1991.
The term "hybrid roller coaster" was introduced when New Texas Giant opened in 2011 and Six Flags classified the roller coaster as wood, despite having steel tracks. In response to the confusion over this ride classification, Six Flags reclassified the roller coaster as a "hybrid", which has since been used to refer to many other coasters that incorporate both steel and wood. Hybrid coasters are still typically classified as steel or wood based on what their track material is made from.
RMC and The Gravity Group are at the forefront of modern hybrid coaster construction. RMC is most well-known for refurbishing old wooden roller coasters by converting them into hybrids with steel track, beginning with New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas in 2011. One of their most popular conversions is Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point, which has been consistently ranked as one of the best steel coasters in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards. The Gravity Group designs coasters with wooden track and steel support structures, such as Mine Blower at Fun Spot America Kissimmee and Kentucky Flyer at Kentucky Kingdom.
Examples of hybrid roller coasters
| Name | Park | Opened | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyclone | Luna Park | 1927 | United States | Wooden-tracked. One of the oldest hybrid coasters in the world. |
| Runaway Mine Train | Six Flags Over Texas | 1966 | United States | Steel-tracked. First mine train coaster. |
| Gemini | Cedar Point | 1978 | United States | Steel-tracked racing coaster. |
| Silver Comet | Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World | 1999 | United States | Wooden-tracked. Inspired by Crystal Beach Park's The Comet. |
| The Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | 2006 | United States | Wooden-tracked. Most airtime on any wooden coaster in the world. |
| Ravine Flyer II | Waldameer & Water World | 2008 | United States | Wooden-tracked. Only coaster to cross overtop a four-lane highway. |
| New Texas Giant | Six Flags Over Texas | 2011 | United States | Steel-tracked. First RMC conversion. Originally opened in 1990 as Texas Giant. |
| Hades 360 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | 2013 | United States | Wooden-tracked. Originally opened as Hades in 2005. Was modified in 2013 to feature an inversion, a rarity on wooden-tracked coasters. |
| Steel Vengeance | Cedar Point | 2018 | United States | Steel-tracked. First hybrid hypercoaster. Most airtime on any coaster in the world. |
| Untamed | Walibi Holland | 2019 | Netherlands | Steel-tracked. First RMC conversion in Europe. |
| Zadra | Energylandia | 2019 | Poland | Steel-tracked. First hybrid hypercoaster in Europe. Tied with Iron Gwazi for the title of tallest hybrid coaster in the world. |
| Hakugei | Nagashima Spa Land | 2019 | Japan | Steel-tracked. First RMC conversion in Asia. |
| Iron Gwazi | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | 2022 | United States | Steel-tracked. Fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world. Tied with Zadra for the title of tallest hybrid coaster in the world. |
| Wildcat's Revenge | Hersheypark | 2023 | United States | Steel-tracked. World's largest underflip inversion. |
Further reading
- Bennett, David (1998). Roller Coaster: Wooden and Steel Coasters, Twisters and Corkscrews. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books. 9. ISBN 0-7865-0885-X.
- Cartmell, Robert (1987). (Paperback). Amusement Park Books. ISBN 9780879723422.
- Coker, Robert (2002). Roller Coasters: A Thrill Seeker's Guide to the Ultimate Scream Machines. New York: Metrobooks. 14. ISBN 1-58663-172-1.
- Francis, David W.; Francis, Diane DeMali (2002). (Paperback). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738519975.
- Rutherford, Scott (2004). The American Roller Coaster (Paperback). Motorbooks International. ISBN 9780760319291.
- Urbanowicz, Steven J. (2002). (Paperback). Kensington Publishing Corporation. ISBN 9780806523095.
- Urbanowicz, Steven J. (2002). The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion; Kensington, New YorK: Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-2309-3.
- Weisenberger, Nick (2 September 2014). The 50 Most Terrifying Roller Coasters Ever Built (Paperback). Createspace Independent Publishing. ISBN 9781500699963.