Twister (Knoebels Amusement Resort)

Last updated
Twister
Twisterknoebels.JPG
Knoebels Amusement Resort
Location Knoebels Amusement Resort
Coordinates 40°52′37″N76°30′15″W / 40.877058°N 76.504094°W / 40.877058; -76.504094
StatusOperating
Opening dateJuly 24, 1999
Cost$3 million
General statistics
Type Wood
Manufacturer Knoebels Amusement Resort
DesignerJohn Fetterman, 1999;
From John Allen's 1964
"Mister Twister" design
Track layout Twister
Lift/launch systemTwo chain lift hills
Height101.5 ft (30.9 m)
Drop89.6 ft (27.3 m)
Length3,900 ft (1,200 m)
Speed51 mph (82 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration2:10
Height restriction42 in (107 cm)
Trains2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Twister at RCDB
Video

Twister is a wooden roller coaster located at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. It is a custom wooden coaster designed by John Fetterman, with heavy inspiration taken from Mister Twister at Elitch Gardens.

Contents

History

Knoebels began planning a roller coaster in 1998, following the popularity of its recent addition, Phoenix, a relocated coaster from Playland Park in San Antonio, Texas. [1] Seeking to preserve another classic ride, the park looked into acquiring the defunct "Mister Twister", which had been abandoned when the entire Elitch Gardens amusement park was relocated to Denver, Colorado. However, Mister Twister had been closed for so long that it was no longer in operating condition, and space constraints made physically relocating the ride impossible. [2] Knoebels purchased the blueprints and set out to rebuild the roller coaster from scratch, modifying the design to fit the space available. [3] A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Twister took place on November 3, 1998. [1] [4] At the time, the roller coaster was expected to cost $2 million to $3 million. [1] Knoebels president Dick Knoebels described the ride as the largest project in the park's history. [1] [4]

Twister Knoebels Twister.jpg
Twister

The ride was designed by Knoebels staff designer John Fetterman, based on John Allen's original design for Mister Twister. [2] [5] Fetterman had never ridden Mister Twister himself, but one of his friends had recommended the ride after having gone on Mister Twister. [1] Twister ultimately cost $3 million to build. [2] [5] The Adams Construction Company built the ride over a period of eight months. [3] The roller coaster opened on July 24, 1999. [3] [6] An auction for seats on Twister's inaugural ride raised $8,625 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. [7]

Characteristics

Twister is 3,900 feet (1,200 m) long. [2] [5] It measures 101 feet 7 inches (30.96 m) tall, with a first drop measuring 89 feet 7 inches (27.31 m). One cycle lasts about 2 minutes and 10 seconds. [3] [5] Throughout the course, the track crosses itself 36 times. [5] The ride originally used 12-car trains with two seats per car. [3]

For the new Twister, Fetterman created a modified mirror image of the original "Mister Twister" layout, compacting the ride but preserving the highlights of the old design and Allen's original mathematical model. These highlights include a large double helix, which now wraps around the ride's curved station, and a large swoop curve at the top of the lift hill. [2] To keep the swoop curve in the new design, Fetterman created a split lift hill. To achieve this, the train climbs halfway up the structure on one lift hill, makes a 180-degree turn and finishes the climb on a second lift hill, stacked directly above the first one. While several roller coasters use more than one lift hill in their layout, Twister's zig-zag lift hill is unique.

Ride experience

Once dispatched, the train drops out of the curved station, descends a slight lefthand turn through the structure, then makes a sweeping righthand turn and enters the lower section of the lift hill, which is stacked underneath the second lift hill. After climbing halfway up, the track leaves the first lift hill, and makes a left turn out of the structure, then slams into a 180 degree turn passing under the exit from the double helix and climbs the upper section of the lift hill. At the top of the lift hill, the track passes through the swoop curve before diving down an 89.6-foot first drop, then rising up a second hill for the first turnaround. The train dives off the turnaround in its second drop, and rises into the double helix, which goes twice around the station. After the helix, trains pass over a trimmed airtime hill and make a right turn inside the structure of the second hill. The train descends another drop, traveling within the structure, and traverses a banked right turn into an underground tunnel, the entrance into which being where the on-ride photo is taken. Exiting the tunnel, the track makes another unbanked right turn, falls down a small drop, before rising up and hitting the curved final brake run, where it reenters the station. Due to space limitations caused by the station's location in the middle of the helix, the station's track is curved, and both it and the brake run use skid brakes instead of pinch or magnetic brakes.

Statistics

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192021202220232024
Ranking15 [8] 20 [9] 22 [10] 21 [11] 25 [12] 25 [13] 29 [14] 30 [15] 32 [16] 31 [17] 32 [18] 20 [19] 33 [20] 39 [21] 40 [22] 41 [23] 47 [24] 35 [25] 50 [26] 45 (tie) [27] 32 [28] 31 (tie) [29] 27 (tie) [30] 28 [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beast (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster at Kings Island

The Beast is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio, United States. Designed and manufactured in-house for approximately $3 million, the ride opened in 1979 as the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Decades later, it is still the longest, spanning 7,361 feet (2,244 m) across 35 acres (14 ha) of hilly terrain. Two lift hills contribute to the ride's duration of more than four minutes, which also ranks as one of the longest among roller coasters. A refurbishment in 2022 increased the angle of the first drop and lengthened the ride by 2 feet (0.61 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunderbolt (Kennywood)</span> Wooden roller coaster at Kennywood

Thunderbolt, previously known as Pippin, is a wooden roller coaster located at Kennywood amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. It was originally built and designed by John A. Miller and opened in 1924. It was later renovated for the 1968 season, which involved a major track expansion designed by Andy Vettel. It reopened to the public as Thunderbolt. It is partially known for being one of the few rides at Kennywood to require a partner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raging Bull (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great America

Raging Bull is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the ride opened to the public on May 1, 1999. It features a 208-foot (63 m) first drop, a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h), and a track length of over 5,000 feet (1,524 m). It was the second B&M Hyper Coaster model to open in the United States, closely following the opening of Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpengeist</span> Roller coaster

Alpengeist is an inverted roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Alpengeist has an Alpine mountain region theme and opened in 1997 as the tallest inverted coaster in the world. The name "Alpengeist" is German for "Ghost of the Alps" or "Alpine Spirit", and the ride is themed to a runaway ski lift. It has the records for the tallest complete circuit inverted coaster in the world, tallest inverted roller coaster in the United States, and the longest complete circuit coaster drop in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Toro (Six Flags Great Adventure)</span> Wooden roller coaster

El Toro is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened to the public on June 11, 2006. Intamin subcontracted Rocky Mountain Construction to build the ride, and the coaster's track was prefabricated, allowing for quicker installation and lower construction costs. El Toro is the main attraction of the Mexican-themed section of the park, Plaza Del Carnaval. It replaced another roller coaster, Viper, which closed following the 2004 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant Dipper</span> Historic roller coaster in California

The Giant Dipper is a historic wooden roller coaster located at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. The Giant Dipper, which replaced the Thompson's Scenic Railway, took 47 days to build and opened on May 17, 1924, at a cost of $50,000. With a height of 70 feet (21 m) and a speed of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), it is one of the most popular wooden roller coasters in the world. As of 2012, over 60 million people have ridden the Giant Dipper since its opening. The ride has received several awards such as being named a National Historic Landmark, a Golden Age Coaster award, and a Coaster Landmark award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boss (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster

The Boss is a wooden roller coaster located in the Britannia section of Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri. It opened on April 29, 2000, and was manufactured by Custom Coasters International. It features a lift hill height of 122 feet (37 m) and a first drop of 150 feet (46 m). Prior to the 2018 season, it also featured a 570-degree helix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Raven (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster at Holiday World

The Raven is a wooden roller coaster at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari's Halloween section in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. It began to be designed and built in 1994 by the now-defunct roller coaster manufacturer Custom Coasters International, with the help of designers Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill. The roller coaster opened on May 6, 1995. The Raven takes its name from Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" and features sudden drops and turns which mimic the flight of a raven. From 2000 to 2003, The Raven was voted the world's "Best Wooden Roller Coaster" at the Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually by Amusement Today magazine. It was named an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark" by American Coaster Enthusiasts on June 23, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Riddler Mindbender</span> Steel roller coaster

The Riddler Mindbender, previously named Mind Bender, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta, Georgia. Billed as "the world's first triple-loop roller coaster" when it opened on March 31, 1978, Mindbender has maintained its popularity since its opening. In its 30th anniversary season in 2008, Mindbender was ranked #15 by Amusement Today magazine in its annual Golden Ticket Awards, and was one of only two roller coasters built before 1980 on the list; the other was its "fraternal twin," Shockwave, at Six Flags Over Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megafobia</span> Twister style wooden roller coaster

Megafobia is a wooden roller coaster located at Oakwood Theme Park, Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom. It opened on 30 April 1996 and was built by Custom Coasters International, who wanted a ride to showcase their company in Europe. Megafobia features a twister style layout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster in Elysburg, Pennsylvania

Phoenix is a wooden roller coaster located at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. It was moved to its current location in central Pennsylvania in 1985. Prior to its purchase and relocation to Knoebels, it operated under the name The Rocket at Playland Park in San Antonio, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Turns (Knoebels)</span> Wooden bobsled roller coaster in Pennsylvania

Flying Turns is a wooden bobsled roller coaster at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. It is modeled after a similar ride designed by John Norman Bartlett and John Miller in the 1920s. The ride concept is similar to a modern steel bobsled roller coaster; however Flying Turns is made of wood, like the original rides. The layout of the ride is most similar to the original located at Riverview Park in Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Texas Giant</span> Roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas

New Texas Giant is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. It originally opened as Texas Giant, which was the tallest wooden coaster in the world when it debuted in 1990. Manufactured by Dinn Corporation and designed by Curtis D. Summers, Texas Giant operated for nearly two decades and was highly-ranked in Amusement Today magazine's annual Golden Ticket Awards. The ride's popularity declined over the years as it gained a negative reputation for increasing roughness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunderhead (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster at Dollywood

Thunderhead is a wooden roller coaster located at Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Manufactured by Great Coasters International, the ride opened on April 3, 2004, as the anchor attraction of a new section added to the park that season called Thunderhead Gap. Thunderhead features 22 turns and 32 crossovers, and utilizes GCI's Millennium Flyer trains, which have been used on all GCI coasters since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renegade (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster at Valleyfair in Minnesota

Renegade is a wooden roller coaster at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota, that was designed by Great Coasters International. It was one of the first coasters built by Great Coasters International to use their Millennium Flyer trains, which are designed to give a smoother ride. Renegade's layout is a combination of an out-and-back and a twister roller coaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Legend (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster

The Legend is a wooden roller coaster at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. It was designed and built beginning in 1999 by the now defunct Custom Coasters International, with the help of designers Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill; it opened on May 6, 2000. The Legend is themed after Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and mimics the frightful ride Ichabod Crane took as he was chased through the woods by the Headless Horseman. The Legend has been consistently ranked among the world's top twenty-five wooden roller coasters at the Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually by Amusement Today magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornball Express</span> Roller coaster in Monticello, Indiana, US

Cornball Express is a wooden roller coaster at Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana. The ride was designed and manufactured by Custom Coasters International. It opened on May 18, 2001. The Cornball Express had gained critical acclaim among enthusiasts, being named the #1 wooden roller coaster in the world by website ThemeParkCritic.com in 2002. Cornball Express, along with 2002's Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain, were among Custom Coaster International's last roller coasters designed before closing their doors in 2002. It was their 48th roller coaster designed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shivering Timbers</span> Roller coaster at Michigans Adventure

Shivering Timbers is a wooden roller coaster located at Michigan's Adventure in Muskegon County, Michigan. It was developed and built by Custom Coasters International. Opened in May 1998, Shivering Timbers debuted for the park's 32nd year in operation and was a success. Construction for the ride began in 1997. The trains were made by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. The ride's out and back layout is 5,383 feet (1,641 m) long, making it the fourth-longest wooden roller coaster in the world. The ride has been re-tracked by Martin & Vleminckx and Great Coasters International. Shivering Timbers is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravine Flyer II</span>

Ravine Flyer II is a hybrid wooden roller coaster located at Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania. It was ranked as the Best New Ride of 2008 by Amusement Today magazine. Ravine Flyer II was built at the site of the park's old Ravine Flyer roller coaster, which was dismantled in 1938 after a man died on it. Initial concepts for the replacement ride were developed by Custom Coasters International in the early 1990s, further developed by Dennis McNulty several years later, then finalized and constructed by The Gravity Group, with Jeff Mason overseeing construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamondback (Kings Island)</span> Steel roller coaster

Diamondback is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the ride opened in 2009 as the first hypercoaster to feature a splashdown effect and the first B&M roller coaster at Kings Island. It is located in Rivertown just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower. Diamondback was the biggest investment in Kings Island’s history at the time, costing $22 million to build, but that figure was surpassed in 2014 by Banshee. The coaster features a 230-foot (70 m) lift hill with a 215-foot (66 m) drop and a maximum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). It is similar to Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland in statistics, layout, and seating.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Heintzelman, Todd (November 3, 1998). "Knoebels officials say: Let's do the Twister". The Danville News. p. 1. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kraft, Randy (August 15, 1999). "Visitors can get blown away by new Twister coaster at Knoebels". The Morning Call. p. 80. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Higgins, Debby (July 24, 1999). "'Twister' redefines thrills at its Knoebels' debut". Citizens' Voice. p. 39. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Conrad, Ed (November 4, 1998). "Knoebels planning bigger, faster, scarier coaster". Standard-Speaker. p. 20. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "They call it Twister!". Citizens' Voice. February 28, 1999. pp. 97, 99 . Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ Knoebels Amusement Resort History Archived from the original 2011-04-28
  7. ↑ Krepich, Chris (July 25, 1999). "Twister auction brings in over $8G". Press Enterprise. p. 3. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . August 2000. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 6B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 6B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 10–11B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 14–15B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 22–23B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 30–31B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 11 (6.2): 42–43. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  21. ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  22. ↑ "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  23. ↑ "2015 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 19 (6.2): 45–46. September 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  24. ↑ "2016 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  25. ↑ "2017 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  26. ↑ "2018 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  27. ↑ "2019 Top 50 Wood Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  28. ↑ "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  29. ↑ "2022 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  30. ↑ "2023 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Amusement Today . 27 (6.2): 71–72. September 2023. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  31. ↑ "2024 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2024. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2013.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.