Frisbee 34 Picture: Huss

ABC Engineering B&M Funtime Gerstlauer Huss Intamin KMG Mack Maurer Söhne Pax SBF-Visa Vekoma Zamperla

In 1919 Huss was founded in Bremen as a manufacturer of ship equipment and started producing amusement rides 50 years later. Since then Huss regularly developed successful modern classics like the Break Dance or the Top Spin. Right now they try to fill the gap between "regular" flat rides and huge roller coasters with their series of Giant Rides.

The Giant Top Spin debuted in 2002 at the US amusement park Paramount´s Kings Island, the impressive Jump2 opened in April 2003 at Paramount Canada´s Wonderland as Sledge Hammer. The Giant Frisbee, also located at Paramount´s Kings Island, will get three siblings at Tokio, Osaka and Belgian Bobbejaanland in April this year. This first European version will get a theming similar to that of Sledge Hammer.

At the Euroshow 2004 the youngest descendants of the Frisbee family were presented. Regarding its dimensions Frisbee34 matches the classic variant, but the seats are facing outwards. Due to this configuration the capacity is reduced to 34 seats and the gondola speed had to be limited from 17 to 12 rotations per minute. The prototype of this ride is located at the amusement park Tongdo Fantasia in Korea.

Left: Giant Frisbee - Right: Jump2 Pictures: Huss

Between this version and the Giant Frisbee the Frisbee XL is placed. It offers 40 suspended seats facing outwards. At full swing angle of 130 degrees the gondola reaches a height of 36 meters and a maximum speed of 94 kilometers per hour at the zero-crossing. It will be launched in 2005 just like the top model Giant Frisbee XL. Similar to the Giant Frisbee its gondola can accommodate 50 people, but it reaches a height of more than 50 meters and a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour.

The Top Spin, too, experiences some major changes. Placing the two rows back to back the head is closer to the pivotal point, significantly reducing the forces on the passengers. At the same time the ride experience is further increased by using the popular suspended seats. The first version is already operating at Samsung Everland, the second one will open at Knott´s Berry Farm in February, fully themed in beach style. The list of sales for 2004 is completed by a Sky Tower for Cantusa Island in Singapore which is supposed to have had its opening when this article is published.

Halfpipe

Compared to last year news at Intamin AG are pretty rare. After a wave of huge roller coasters during the last five years right now the focus pans to the small and middle segment in which Intamin is scarcely represented. Next to the hydraulic launch coaster Storm Runner for Hershey Park in the US, a ride that will - compared to Xcelerator and Top Thrill Dragster - include inversions and a twin loading station with a track switch, the only other larger attraction for 2004 is a halfpipe. This ride will open up in the US park Elitch Gardens in June. The concept has already been presented by coastersandmore within the scope of last year´s EAS and became very popular among the visitors of Särkänniemi park in Finnland since its opening in May 2003. The 30 meters high U-shaped track profile fits into a very small footprint, but obtains an exciting and so far unknown ride sensation. The two round gondolas, each carrying eight passengers, are mounted slighty excentric, so the random rotation guarantees that no ride is like to other.

The aspiring tendency for 2005 can already be seen now: First of all a Gyro Swing could be sold to the Australian Dreamworld. This attraction is a giant swing with seats arranged ring-shapedly and facing outwards. The suspended seats add to the thrill as well as the remarkable maximum swing angle. The two rides delivered so far - a small version can be found in Drayton Manor, UK since 2002 - have been adopted very well by the visitors.

But the biggest news for 2005 is supposedly the water coaster for the German Heide Park in Soltau. The prototype of this ride system called Aquatrax enthuses the visitors of Lotte World in South Korea since October 2003. Unlike other rides of a similar type, the trait of this attraction isn´t a mixture of a pure roller coaster part and a pure water part with a huge splash, but the interaction between the media water and roller coaster. The track will make contact with the wet element quite often at high speeds, and additional special effects will be installed along the ride. Another novelty is the seating position of the ten passengers which is similar to that on a jet ski. The prototype Atlantis Adventure, which is partly housed in a gigantic temple, only rudimantarily implements the ride concept, the pure roller coaster part clearly dominates there. Next to a LIM catapult launch the heavily themed ride includes a top hat, helices, two drops into the water and a banked curve above the water surface.