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Wicked Cyclone

Coordinates: 42°2′25″N 72°36′56″W / 42.04028°N 72.61556°W / 42.04028; -72.61556
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wicked Cyclone
Previously known as Cyclone (1983–2014)
Six Flags New England
LocationSix Flags New England
Park sectionNorth End
Coordinates42°2′25″N 72°36′56″W / 42.04028°N 72.61556°W / 42.04028; -72.61556
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 24, 2015 (2015-05-24)
CostUS$10 million
ReplacedCyclone
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerRocky Mountain Construction
DesignerAlan Schilke
ModelI-Box
Track layoutTwister
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height109 ft (33 m)
Length3,320 ft (1,010 m)
Speed55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions3
Max vertical angle78°
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Wicked Cyclone at RCDB

Wicked Cyclone (formerly Cyclone) is a hybrid roller coaster located at the Six Flags New England amusement park in Agawam, Massachusetts. The ride originally opened as a wooden roller coaster named Cyclone on June 24, 1983. Its name and design were inspired by the historic 1927 Coney Island Cyclone in Brooklyn, New York. In 2014, after 32 seasons, Cyclone was closed while being re-tracked with steel. It reopened as Wicked Cyclone on May 24, 2015.

History

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Original Cyclone

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In 1983, Riverside Amusement Park decided to open a wooden roller coaster named the Riverside Cyclone.[1] The ride was the second full-sized roller coaster to open at the park since its re-opening in 1940, following the installation of Thunderbolt in 1941.[2] The $2.5 million Riverside Cyclone was designed by William Cobb & Associates and built by the Frontier Construction Company. The ride officially opened to the public on June 25, 1983, with Cobb as well as Norm Howells from Frontier Construction in attendance. The opening of Riverside Cyclone was expected to increase park attendance by more than 10% to 1 million annual visitors.[3]

During its first season of operation, Riverside Cyclone featured two trains from Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) where riders were restrained via a lap bar. Part-way through the first season, shoulder belts were added; however, these were removed prior to its second season. During its second season, the ride's trains were damaged, forcing the park to combine parts from both trains to form a single operational train. Two new replacement trains were purchased from D. H. Morgan Manufacturing in 1985.[1]

A view of the original Cyclone from inside its footprint

In the late 1990s, Premier Parks (later Six Flags) purchased Riverside Amusement Park. Over a period of four years, approximately $100 million was invested in the renovation and expansion of the park, culminating in its rebranding to Six Flags New England in 2000.[4] As a result, the Riverside branding was dropped, with the ride being renamed to the Cyclone. The D.H. Morgan Manufacturing trains were replaced with two PTC trains.[1] The new operators made modifications to the track in 2001, shortening the first drop by between 15 and 20 feet (4.6 and 6.1 m).[1]

A refurbishment of the Cyclone in 2011 saw Topper Track from Rocky Mountain Construction added to sections of the ride.[5] Topper Track is steel plating that replaces the upper layers of laminated wooden track. This track style is designed to reduce the maintenance typically required for a wooden roller coaster and provide a smoother ride experience.[6][7]

Conversion to steel track

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Over the years, the popularity of Cyclone began to decline.[8] In June 2014, Six Flags New England announced that the ride would close permanently on July 20, 2014.[9] A closing ceremony and farewell celebration was held on its last day of operation.[10] Enthusiasts, including members of American Coaster Enthusiasts, were onboard for the media shoot, as John Winkler and the mayor of Agawam hosted a small ceremony to cut the cake.[10] Fireworks were set off that night during the last ride, with wait times to ride reaching 90 minutes long.[10] After the last rides were given, Six Flags showcased a future announcement scheduled in August using construction signs and a sandwich board near Cyclone's entrance.[10] During its 31 seasons in operation as a wooden coaster, Cyclone was ridden by more than 15 million riders.[11] The decision to close the ride was made over a period of one and half years.[11][12]

On August 28, 2014, it was announced that Cyclone would undergo a transformation into Wicked Cyclone, converting its wooden track to steel. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction and designed by Alan Schilke, it features a 10-story drop, a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h), and the world's first "double-reversing bank airtime hill" element. Dubbed a hybrid coaster, it is the first hybrid on the East Coast, and the only one to feature a 200-degree stall and two Zero G Rolls. The ride reopened as Wicked Cyclone in May 2015.[13]

Characteristics

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Statistic Cyclone[1] Wicked Cyclone[14]
Years 1983–2014 2015–
Manufacturer Frontier Construction Company Rocky Mountain Construction
Designer William Cobb & Associates Alan Schilke
Track Wood Steel
Height 112 ft or 34 m 109 ft or 33 m
Length 3,600 ft or 1,100 m 3,320 ft or 1,010 m
Speed 45 mph or 72 km/h 55 mph or 89 km/h
Max vertical angle 54° 78°
Trains Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) Rocky Mountain Construction

Reception

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Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride for 2015
Ranking
2[15]
Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022
Ranking 23[16] 18[17] 14 (tie)[18] 33[19] 39[20] 42 (tie)[21] 45[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Marden, Duane. "Cyclone  (Six Flags New England)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  2. ^ Marden, Duane. "Six Flags New England". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  3. ^ Powell, Tom (July 9, 1983). "Cyclone coaster expected to blow Riverside gate to 1 mil". Amusement Business.
  4. ^ O'Brien, Tim (January 3, 2000). "Premier parks flags 4 more; invests millions". Amusement Business. 112 (1): 1.
  5. ^ "Two Six Flags Rides Receive "Topper Track" for 2011". News Plus Notes. March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  6. ^ "Georgia Cyclone: A Classic "Woodie"". Six Flags. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  7. ^ "Rocky Mountain Construction Company". Coaster-Net. February 16, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  8. ^ "Cyclone at Six Flags New England is closing - SFNE Online".
  9. ^ "Cyclone at Six Flags to close next month". WWLP.com. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d "Farewell Cyclone - SFNE Online".
  11. ^ a b Zeitlin, Hugh (20 July 2014). "After three decades, Six Flags New England retires Cyclone". CBS3Springfield.com. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  12. ^ Warner, Dan (18 July 2014). "Last chance to ride Cyclone after 30 years of memories". MassLive.com. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  13. ^ "Hybrid Coaster "Wicked Cyclone" is Coming to Six Flags New England in 2015" (Press release). Six Flags. August 28, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  14. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wicked Cyclone  (Six Flags New England)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  15. ^ "Park and ride winners". Amusement Today. September 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  16. ^ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  17. ^ "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  18. ^ "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  19. ^ "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  20. ^ "2019 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  21. ^ "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  22. ^ "2022 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
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