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Posts Tagged ‘Zamperla’

Steeplechase Express: Will Zamperla MotoCoaster Pony Up for Coney Island?

Posted in amusement park, tagged Coney Island, MotoCoaster, Pony Express, roller coaster, Steeplechase Park, Steeplechase Ride, Zamperla on February 15, 2010| 6 Comments »

Pony Express Horse at Knott's Berry Farm. Photo © bayareabrats via flickr

Back in the summer of ’08, we had a chance to ask a visiting Zamperla ride rep if his company could rebuild Coney Island’s legendary Steeplechase Ride, which closed in 1964. His reply was to whip out his cellphone and show us a vid of the Pony Express-themed MotoCoaster. It had just opened at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., on Memorial Day Weekend in 2008.

Zamperla, which won a 10 year contract to build a new Luna Park on the City-owned former Astroland site and Stillwell parcels, is expected to announce their ride line up this week. Now that Zamperla is New York City’s new Coney Island Amusement Operator, we think there’s a pretty good chance the Pony Express will become the Steeplechase Express, perhaps in 2011 or 2012. Here’s a look at the Pony Express courtesy of a vid by Ryan Childers via YouTube…

According to Zamperla’s website:

The Pony Express comes with two trains, each accommodating up to 16 rides in an innovative pedestal seating design that maximizes safety, comfort and ride freedom. Using the time tested flywheel and clutch launch system, the PONY EXPRESS delivers a high energy ride with low energy costs. Seated two abreast on their own horses, 16 riders are treated to an exhilarating launch from 0–60 km/h (0-37 mph) in 2.5 seconds. The horses then race to the finish line along a 450 meter (1476 ft) track reaching heights of 14.7mt (48 ft.) through a breathtaking series of exciting 65 degree banked turns. Like the MotoCoaster, the PONY EXPRESS can be adapted to any theme. Let Zamperla design a custom layout and specialized theme for your venue.

The Zamperla Pony Express pays homage to the Steeplechase Ride, but it does differ quite a bit in design. Most notably, the horses are part of a single train instead of racing against each other on multiple tracks. Another big difference: The ride’s seating design and restraint system are new and improved to comply with current-day safety standards.

Park World correspondent and coaster aficionado Paul Ruben recalls the dangerous thrill of riding Coney Island’s Steeplechase Ride:

It was back in 1959 that I learned what it was that has two heads, four eyes, six legs and a tail. Do you know? A horse and rider. It was then I rode my first sit-astride coaster, the original Steeplechase horseback ride at Coney Island. Remember that this was the same park that featured the human roulette wheel, which you rode at your own risk. Back then the only seat belts were on race cars, and they weren’t always effective, either.

On the Steeplechase, the restraint system was a bar to hold. Since then I’ve ridden the Steeplechase at Blackpool, the old Cycle Chase at Knott’s Berry Farm, and now Darien Lake’s MotoCoaster. Most impressive on these newer rides is the progress made improving the restraint systems.

Vintage postcard of Coney Island’s original Steeplechase Ride (1898-1907), George C. Tilyou’s first Steeplechase Park. Photo via Tricia Vita/me-myself-i’s flickr

Traveler: North American Midway’s Giant Vertical Swing at Super Bowl!

Posted in Amusement ride, Travel, tagged Miami, North American Midway Entertainment, Super Bowl XLIV, thrill ride, Vertical Swing, Zamperla on February 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

If you’re in Miami on Super Bowl Sunday, go for a post-game spin on North American Midway Entertainment’s Giant Vertical Swing. You can’t miss it—the Zamperla swing is 100 feet tall and illuminated in red, white and blue!

We learned about the thrill ride’s Super Bowl XLIV gig via an email from Amber Swedgan, NAME’s Director of Media and Communications…

Just when you thought your fantasy football season was over, ours at North American Midway is just getting started. NAME will kick-off our Twenty Ten season featuring the Zamperla “Swing Tower” at the NFL Pro Bowl at Landshark Stadium in Miami, FL on January 31st and at the XLIV Super Bowl on February 7th, 2010.

After Super Bowl we will head to Cajun Field for Le Festival de Mardi Gras in Lafayette, LA. North American Midway and Le Festival de Mardi Gras re-signed a new multi-year partnership. Mardi Gras features the best in local, regional and national live music, talents, food and parades. See you at Mardi Gras, February 12-16th.

Last year North American Midway Entertainment once again made the CarnivalWarehouse.com list of carnivals playing North America’s Top 50 fairs. NAME topped the list at #1 with attendance of 8,161,095 at ten top 50 events: CNE (Canadian National Exhibition), Calgary Stampede, Big E (Eastern States Exposition), Indiana State Fair, Illinois State Fair, Edmonton’s Capital EX, Miami Dade County Fair, Mississippi State Fair, Kentucky State Fair and South Carolina State Fair.

The Zamperla manufactured Vertical Swing is of course on ATZ’s radar because it’s one of the thrill rides that Zamperla will bring to their new Luna Park set to open in Coney Island on Memorial Day Weekend 2010. See you in the sky!

Scoop: Zamperla’s $24M Coney Island Park to be Named Luna Park!

Posted in amusement park, News, tagged Alberto Zamperla, Brooklyn, Coney Island, Luna Park, New York City, Redevelopment, Zamperla on January 26, 2010| 5 Comments »

Luna Park at Night. Coney Island History Project Collection

In a Jan 23 interview with his hometown newspaper, Zamperla President and CEO Alberto Zamperla revealed the previously undisclosed name and numbers of his soon-to-be built amusement park in Coney Island. “The park will be called, Luna Park, like the first, the only, the inimitable one, the one created by Frederic Thompson and Elmer ‘Skip’ Dundy,” according to an article in the Italian newspaper Il Giornale di Vicenza.

The original Luna Park (1903-1946), one of Coney Island’s four historic amusement parks, inspired Luna Parks throughout the country and round the world. In many countries, including Italy, “Luna Park” is a generic term for amusement park. The article mentions bringing a smile back to the lips of Manhattan director Woody Allen and millions of Americans who return to play in the real and only Luna Park.

Now for the numbers: “For the first season we have estimated the presence of 400 thousand visitors and we are confident it will grow in the future,” Zamperla told the paper. “In terms of investment, we are talking about $24 million over three years. For us it is a great satisfaction as well as a great opportunity.”

The CEO said he was flying to New York the next day and characterized the next few months as “a race against time.” The amusement operator has only six weeks from the site turnover date of April 15 until the park’s opening on Memorial Day weekend to produce the new rides and assemble the new park.

Last week NY1 leaked the news that the City had selected Zamperla USA to be the new amusement park operator for Coney Island. The news is absolutely thrilling, though not at all surprising, to those of us who work in Coney. Zamperla was considered the front runner because they operate Victorian Gardens for the City and the CEO of Zamperla USA joined the CIDC’s Amusement Advisory Board in March 2009. We look forward to the official press conference where Zamperla unveils their designs and ride line-up for the future Luna Park. An announcement is expected as early as this week. But we can’t wait any longer to say Congratulazioni a Zamperla! Welcome to Coney Island!