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Posts Tagged ‘Scream Zone’

Coney Island’s New Coaster: First Piece of Track Put in Place

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged Coney Island, Eric Kowalsky, Photography, roller coaster, Scream Zone, Zamperla on February 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »

First Track: Zamperla coaster under construction at Scream Zone. February 4, 2011. Photo © Eric Kowalsky

On Friday, Coney Island photographer Eric Kowalsky captured the moment when workers secured the first piece of track to the steel supports of Zamperla’s flying coaster. The Soaring Eagle-themed Volare flying coaster is one of four thrill rides in Coney Island’s new Scream Zone, slated to open on April 16. The photo reminds us of the excitement in Coney Island last May, when workers put the giant pinwheels and crescent moons into place on Luna Park’s gate.

Photo of the Day: The Scream Zone’s Rising Skyline

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged Coney Island, Eric Kowalsky, Photography, roller coaster, Scream Zone, Zamperla on February 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »

On Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island, Zamperla Coaster Rises on Skyline. January 31, 2011. Photo © Eric Kowalsky

Coney Island photographer Eric Kowalsky, who valiantly documented Thor Equities’ demolition of the Henderson Music Hall and the Bank of Coney, finally got to take some photos of construction on Coney Island’s Stillwell Avenue on Monday. Amid the snow, sleet and ice pellets, construction crews for Central Amusement International are putting up Zamperla’s flying coaster. The blue steel supports for the Scream Zone’s Soaring Eagle joined Deno’s Wonder Wheel, the Astrotower and the Cyclone on the skyline.

Back in October, ATZ got a first look at renderings of the four rides set to open at Luna Park’s new Scream Zone in April. Two of the rides are Zamperla coasters: the American Eagle-themed Volare flying coaster and the Steeplechase horse-themed MotoCoaster (ATZ: Coney Island 2011: Zamperla Adding Steeplechase Cavalry Coaster to Scream Zone, October 4, 2010)

Scream Zone will also feature Zamperla’s Turbo Force and a SlingShot high thrill ride from Funtime. The newly re-themed Soaring Eagle was relocated from Denver’s Elitch Gardens, where it made its debut as the Volare, which means “to fly” in Italian, in 2002. The supports and track for the flying coaster arrived in Coney Island in November. New cars and a new computer operating system are being manufactured for the ride by Zamperla. Ride experts say the two coasters will go up very quickly, but the other two rides require deep foundation work. This year Palm Sunday, Coney Island’s traditional opening day of the season, falls on April 17. The date is just 75 days away!

Zamperla/CAI has a ten-year lease to operate amusements on the 6.9 acres the City bought for $95.6 million from Thor Equities. Zamperla’s Scream Zone will be located on City-owned parcels at Stillwell and the Boardwalk.

First Pieces of Zamperla Flying Coaster Arrive at Coney Island’s Future Scream Zone

Posted in Amusement ride, Redevelopment, tagged American Eagle, amusement park, Coney Island, flying coaster, Luna Park, Scream Zone, Volare, Zamperla on November 11, 2010| 3 Comments »

Just Arrived: Supports for Zamperla's Volare Flying Coaster in Coney Island. November 7, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

Over the weekend, the supports for Zamperla’s Flying Coaster (aka Volare) arrived in Coney Island and were unloaded on the lot behind Beer Island. The supports were the first pieces of equipment to arrive at the future Scream Zone, which will be built on City-owned parcels on Stillwell Avenue. As ATZ reported last month, the Flying Coaster from Denver’s Elitch Gardens was bought back by Zamperla with the intention of refurbishing it and installing it in Coney Island in 2011.

The Flying Coaster along with a Steeplechase-themed Moto Coaster, Sling Shot and Turbo Force will be set up on the east side of Stillwell behind the Boardwalk buildings occupied by Nathan’s, Cha Cha’s and Ruby’s. The entrance to Scream Zone is expected to be where Shoot the Freak is now.

Just Arrived: Supports for Zamperla's Volare Flying Coaster in Coney Island. November 7, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

In September, ATZ attended a panel discussion in which Zamperla USA’s CEO Valerio Ferrari unveiled a rendering of the flying coaster “American Eagle” aka the Volare in a presentation about new rides slated for Coney Island’s Scream Zone. On Zamperla’s website, the coaster is called Volare, which means “to fly” in Italian. You can watch a YouTube video of the coaster in action here.

Zamperla's American Eagle Coaster aka The Volare will be the second coaster in Coney Island's Scream Zone. Photo © Jim McDonnell via smugmug

The Elitch Gardens Flying Coaster was a prototype that made its debut in May 2002 and has been SBNO (standing but not operating) since 2008. The Coney Island Rumor Mill had been speculating for months that the Elitch Gardens coaster would come to Coney. Zamperla flying coasters can also be found at Rye Playland (“Super Flight”), Canada’s Wonderland (“Time Warp”), Vienna’s Wiener Prater, Genting Theme Park in Malaysia and Kaeson Youth Park in North Korea, among others.