 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founder | Hendrik op het Veld |
| Headquarters | , The Netherlands |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Anne-Mart Agerbeek (CEO) [1] |
| Products | Amusement rides |
| Parent | Sansei Technologies |
| Website | www |
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is an amusement ride manufacturer. Vekoma is a syllabic abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek (Veld Koning Machine Factory) which was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld.
The company originally manufactured farm equipment and later made steel constructions for the coal mining industry in the 1950s. [2] As business shifted from farming equipment to steel construction, Veld Koning Machinefabriek was shortened to Vekoma. After the closure of Dutch mines in 1965, Vekoma manufactured steel pipes for the petrochemical industry. [3] In the 1970s Vekoma was contracted by U.S. amusement ride manufacturer Arrow Development to build the steel structure for its roller coasters in Europe. As demand increased, Arrow instructed Vekoma in track building techniques and eventually licensed its coaster-building technology. In 1979 Vekoma entered the market on its own, opening three coasters in Europe under the name Vekoma Rides Manufacturing BV. [3]
On 23 August 2001, Vekoma filed for bankruptcy. [4]
In 2006, Vekoma formed an alliance with U.S.-based manufacturer Chance Morgan. [5] Chance Rides represented Vekoma in North America and Chance Morgan manufactured the steel track for select projects. During this agreement, Chance built four Vekoma-designed family coasters. [6]
In 2008, Vekoma Rides Manufacturing acquired the Wheels of Excellence range of Ferris wheels from Ronald Bussink. Under the agreement, Bussink continued to supply wheels 100 meters and taller. Smaller wheels in the 40- to 80-meter range transitioned to a new manufacturing division of Vekoma, Dutch Wheels BV. [7]
On 17 October 2012, Chance Rides and Vekoma discontinued the agreement to produce rides together for the North American market. [8] However, shortly after terminating that agreement, Chance Rides was given an exclusive license from Dutch Wheels BV to manufacture and sell R60 wheels in the North American market under a new affiliate, Chance American Wheels. [9]
On 30 March 2018, Vekoma was acquired by Sansei Technologies, the parent company of American ride manufacturer S&S Sansei. The conditions stipulated that Vekoma's business model remain unchanged after the acquisition. Vekoma continues to manufacture and market rides as a separate entity. [10]
As of May 2018 [update] , there are over 387 roller coasters around the world from Vekoma, some of which are either under construction or have been removed. [11]
| Model | First produced | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bermuda Blitz | 2017 | A sit down multi-inversion roller coaster with new generation trains and restraints. An off the shelf layout is available replicating Lech Coaster, which is the only installation of the model that currently exists. Lech Coaster is in Legendia in Poland. [12] |
| Big Air | 2010 | Formerly known as a hammerhead stall due to the spinning function it previously possessed. There is only one installation of this roller coaster, It is in E-DA Theme Park in Taiwan. [13] |
| Boomerang | 1984 | a type of Shuttle roller coaster with three inversions, height of 117 feet (35.66 m), and speed of 47 mph (76 km/h). |
| Corkscrew with Bayerncurve (discontinued) | 1979 | An adaptation of the standard Arrow Development corkscrew roller coaster. |
| Dive Pretzel Coaster [14] [15] | 2014 [16] | A roller coaster with a 90 degree climb and several pretzel loop elements. |
| Double Loop-Corkscrew | 1981 | A modified version of the MK-1200, it consisted of four inversions (two vertical loopings and two corkscrews and a standard track. |
| Flying Dutchman | 2000 | First large-scale flying roller coaster built. There is only one of these coasters still in operation. |
| Giant Inverted Boomerang | 2001 | Like Invertigo but with vertical lift hills and slightly different layout. |
| Hurricane | 1989 | Has a vertical loop and a double corkscrew. There were only 2 installations ever. [17] |
| Invertigo | 1996 | An inverted model of the Boomerang. |
| Motorbike roller coaster | 2004 | Vekoma-launched roller coaster with trains like motorbikes. |
| LSM Launch coaster | 1999 | Roller coaster with three inversions. Launched around 55 mph (89 km/h) using LSM technology. Only three installations of this model exists. |
| Space Warp Launch coaster | 2016 | A sit down LSM launch coaster built with new-generation track and trains in a layout with multiple inversions. Only one installation of this model exists. [18] |
| Splash Party | 2013 | An inverted slower-paced roller coaster that is designed with several water gun and water bomb placements. Only one installation of this model exists. [19] |
| Stingray | 2009 | A compact flying roller coaster designed as the successor to the Flying Dutchman. Only one example has been installed, being Stingray at Giant Wheel Park of Suzhou. [20] |
| Suspended Family Coaster | 2001 | Inverted family coaster very similar to the Suspended Looping Coaster |
| Suspended Looping Coaster | 1994 | Inverted coaster with several different models. |
| Suspended Thrill Coaster | 2020 | The successor to the Suspended Looping Coaster which features a different track style and layout. [21] Debuted with Hals-über-Kopf at Erlebnispark Tripsdrill. |
| Loop-Corkscrew | 1986 | A modified version of the MK-1200, it consisted of two inversions (a vertical looping and a corkscrew) and a standard track. [22] Three installations exist in the world and are all still operating. |
| Mine train coaster | 1992 | A roller coaster with a Western, mountain or mine themed style. 785 m (2,575 ft) and MK-900 M models. |
| Junior coaster | 1990 | Roller coaster aimed at children. 207 and 335 m (679 and 1,099 ft) models. |
| Shockwave coaster | 2019 | A sit down LSM launch coaster built with new-generation track and trains with multiple inversions and features sometimes tunnels. 1095m and 1320m models. |
| Top Gun Launch coaster | 2020 | A sit down LSM launch coaster built with new-generation track and trains but with a different layout and multiple inversions. |
| Wooden roller coaster | 2000 | Classic wooden coaster produced by Vekoma. There are two examples: the Thundercoaster at TusenFryd, and Loup-Garou at Walibi Belgium. Previously, there was one of these models at Walibi Holland called Robin Hood, however, it became an RMC hybrid coaster called Untamed in 2019. |
Other Vekoma coaster models include Wild Mouse, Hyper Space Warp, Firestorm, Swinging Turns, Enigma, Illusion, Family Boomerang, Tilt Coaster, Energy Storm and Powered Coasters.[ citation needed ]
In 2013, Vekoma signed a deal with Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction. The agreement allows Vekoma to sell Rocky Mountain Construction's roller coasters outside the North American market. [23]
Vekoma is also the constructor of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT in Walt Disney World, designing innovative new "omni-coaster" cars with the capability for controlled turns and spins.
The Dutch Wheels product range includes the R40, R50, and R60 models, each available in three different types. [24]
| Ferris wheel name | Location | Opened | Status | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Wheel | Six Flags Darien Lake, Darien, New York, US | 1983-2019 | Closed | [25] [26] |
| Giant Wheel | Morey's Piers, Wildwood, New Jersey, US | 1985 | Operating | [27] |
| Navy Pier Ferris Wheel | Pier Park, Navy Pier, Chicago, US | 1995 | Relocated | [28] [29] [30] |
| Delhi Eye (R50) | Kalindi Kunj Park, Okhla, Delhi, India | 2014 | [31] [32] | |
| Hong Kong Observation Wheel | Central, Hong Kong | 2014 | Operating | [33] |
| Branson Ferris Wheel (former Navy Pier Wheel) | Branson, Missouri | 2016 | Operating | [34] |
| Grande roue de Montréal | Montreal, Canada | 2017 | Operating | [35] |
A madhouse is a flat ride that gives the impression that the rider is upside-down, when in reality the room they are in rotates around them.
 | This section contains an unencyclopedic or excessive gallery of images. |
Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world. Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B. Auchy and Chester Albright under the name Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The company manufactured carousels, wooden roller coasters, toboggans and later, roller coaster trains.
A flying roller coaster is a type of roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track.
Custom Coasters International (CCI) was one of the premier wooden roller coaster manufacturers in the world and produced 34 wooden coasters in eleven years — more than any other company in recent times. It was located in West Chester, Ohio.
Anton Schwarzkopf was a German engineer who founded Schwarzkopf Industries GmbH, a German manufacturer of roller coasters and other amusement rides that were sold to amusement parks and travelling funfairs around the world.
S&S – Sansei Technologies is an American company known for its pneumatically powered amusement rides and roller coaster designing.
Boomerang is a model of roller coaster manufactured and designed by Vekoma, a Dutch manufacturer. The roller coaster model name is from the hunting implement based on the traditions of the Indigenous Australians. As of January 2023, there are 55 Boomerangs operating around the world.
A Giant Inverted Boomerang is a type of steel shuttle roller coaster manufactured by the Dutch firm Vekoma. The ride is a larger, inverted version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang sit down roller coasters. As of January 2025, four installations of the model are operating.
The Suspended Looping Coaster is a model of steel inverted roller coaster built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma. There are at least 39 different installations across the world. The minimum rider height requirement is 130 centimetres. Vekoma is now marketing a Suspended Thrill Coaster as a successor to the Suspended Looping Coaster. The Odyssey is the largest, fastest and tallest SLC ever built at Fantasy Island in the UK.
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster is a steel shuttle roller coaster currently at several parks in North America. The roller coaster was designed and manufactured by Vekoma, and is considered as one of its boomerang models. At the time of installation in the late 1990s, the coaster was built at parks operated by Six Flags. All five coasters were originally known as Boomerang: Coast to Coaster, although three have since been renamed.
Chance Rides is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. Originally founded in 1961, the current company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wichita, Kansas.
Maurer AG, formerly known as Maurer Söhne GmbH & Co. KG, is a steel construction company and roller coaster manufacturer. Founded in 1876 in Munich, Germany, the company has built many styles of steel buildings, ranging from bridges, industrial buildings, and even art structures. While known for building a variety of wild mouse coasters, its subsidiary Maurer Rides GmbH has branched out into spinning, looping, and launching coasters. The company also produces a free-fall tower ride. On December 15, 2014, the company changed its name to Maurer AG.
Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH is a German manufacturer of stationary and transportable amusement rides and roller coasters, located in Münsterhausen, Germany. As of May 2024, all 113 Gerstlauer-made rollercoasters are still in operation and at their original park, apart from Seifenkiste at Trampolino Familien- und Freizeitpark, which is currently in storage, and Pandemonium at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, which now operates at Six Flags Mexico under the name of Joker.
Ronald A. Bussink has been a leading designer of giant Ferris wheels and similar structures for over 25 years. Bussink entered the amusement industry market in 1985 and designed, manufactured, and delivered more than 60 giant observation wheels between 1990 and 2005.
Accelerator is a steel Family Boomerang roller coaster at Drayton Manor Resort.
Kumbak is a Dutch amusement ride manufacturing company. In addition to manufacturing its own rides, the company primarily specialises in changing existing rides and attractions, originally made by other manufacturers.
Batgirl is a shuttle roller coaster operating at Six Flags México since 1988. Originally built by Vekoma in 1984, it was the first of the company's Boomerang model.
Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. It is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters. Founded by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon in 2001, it has built over 20 roller coasters. In 2023, amusement ride manufacturer Larson International merged with it.
Sansei Technologies, Inc. is a Japanese manufacturing firm based in Osaka, Japan. The company specialises in the manufacturing of amusement rides, stage equipment, and elevators.
Martin & Vleminckx Ltd. is a thrill ride and roller coaster manufacturing and construction company headquartered in Montreal, Québec, Canada with an affiliated office in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a manufacturing facility in Orlando, Florida, United States, and two subsidiaries, including a warehouse in China.
Goliath was a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Manufactured by Vekoma, the ride originally opened as Déjà Vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2001. The ride was a larger, inverted version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang sit-down roller coasters. In 2021, the park removed the ride from its map indicating it would not reopen for the remainder of the season. In late 2021, demolition of the coaster began.
