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 Swing rides have been a part of the amusement industry for about as long as anyone can remember. Kids and adults alike have enjoyed getting into their own swing seat, then rising 20 or 30 feet above the ground and rotating around and around at a leisurely pace. But this year, several parks are installing gigantic swings that rise as high as 30 stories above the ground and rotate at much faster speeds than any of their predecessors.
Six Flags St. Louis in Missouri (www.sixflags.com/stlouis) and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California (www.sixflags.com/discoverykingdom) each opened a new giant swing called “SkyScreamer” for the 2011 season. Both swings are StarFlyers, made by Funtime Handels of Dölsach, Austria, and feature 16 two-seat gondolas. The swing attraction in St. Louis is 236 feet tall, whereas the ride in Vallejo tops out at 150 feet due to a city height restriction. Riders at both parks will go in 98-foot circles at up to 43 mph.
Playland Park at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, British Columbia (www.pne.ca/playland), also opened a Funtime StarFlyer this year called “Atmosfear.” At 218 feet, the $2 million swing is the tallest ride in the park.
The unusual nature of the rides is what attracted these parks; many facilities have roller coasters, but very few have these massive swings. “We brought in ‘SkyScreamer’ this season because we liked the idea of this type of attraction providing the height, the amazing views, and the sensation of flying through the air,” notes Nancy Chan, public relations manager for Discovery Kingdom. “It is the only tower ride of its kind in Northern California and it has added a new dimension to our lineup of thrilling rides and attractions, not to mention our skyline.”
Cedar Fair installed enormous swings at four of its North American parks: Canada’s Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario; Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio; Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio; and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, are received a massive swing ride made by Mondial Rides in Terband-Heerenveen, Netherlands (www.mondialrides.com), priced at approximately $5 million apiece.
Each of these massive swings has basically the same statistical profile. They tower 30 stories above the parks—301 feet, to be exact—and seat 32 riders in 16 two-seater gondolas. The swings slowly start to rotate around the tower as they ascend its structure. At the top, the rides’ metal arms holding the swings flare out 45 degrees from the tower, and the swings travel at speeds of up to 32 mph. Each flight at the top of the tower lasts about a minute, with the swings making eight rotations.
Parks Want Something Different
Echoing Chan’s comments at Discovery Kingdom, Dave Phillips, Wonder land’s sales and marketing director (www.canadaswonderland.com), says it’s the uniqueness of the giant swing that made it appealing to his park: “Part of it is that we have 15 roller coasters already, and with ‘WindSeeker,’ it adds something else to our ride collection. It’s a very different thrill from the coasters—an open-air feeling because your feet are dangling.”
Like many of the aforementioned parks, Cedar Point already had a swing ride, the “Wave Swinger,” which opened in 1979. But at 31 feet tall and a top speed of 9 mph, it looks like a toddler next to “WindSeeker.”
Part of the thrill of the ride is certainly a feeling of vulnerability, with no track and no ride train below the guests’ seats. “I think it’s a thrill ride whenever you’re up at 300 feet,” says Don Helbig, public relations manager for Kings Island (www.visitkingsisland.com), “and you’re sitting in something like a bucket seat, with nothing off to the side of you and nothing in front of you.”
High winds would seem to be a concern with these giant swings, but Funtime engineer Hannes Lackner says that is not the case with the SkyFlyer swings, especially after a modification the company made this year. “Our seats are held by chains made of steel, and normally the chains hang straight down to the seat,” he says. “But for Six Flags we have made them cross, with one arm that goes to the back of the seat and the other arm goes to the front of the seat, with the chains crossing in the middle, and there we have a connection piece. This stops the seat from swinging back and forth. With the standard connection of the chains we can operate in winds up to 80 kph (50 mph), and though we haven’t done any tests, with the modification we think it can operate safely [in winds] up to 90 to 100 kph (56 mph to 62 mph).”
Taking in the Views
One aspect of these giant swings parks say has a huge appeal to guests is that when the swing reaches its greatest height, riders are given fantastic views of their surroundings. Unlike a tall roller coaster or tower drop ride, where riders get only a few seconds to take in the view from the top of the lift hill or tower, riders on these giant swings are afforded approximately a full minute to take in the panoramic landscape.
“It’s just amazing how far you can see when the ride is at the top,” says Chan. “On a clear day here, you can actually see the Golden Gate Bridge from the swing, which is about 50 miles away!”
At 23 stories high, “Behemoth” is the tallest of Canada Wonderland’s 15 roller coasters. It is now dwarfed by the park’s “WindSeeker” swing. “When you’re on the ride, you’re actually looking down at ‘Behemoth,’” says Phillips. “You stay up there for a long time and you get the full visual effect. You get a great view of downtown Toronto, which is probably 25 miles away.”
Chan says it also appeals to riders who do not want to experience the extreme inversions, sharp turns, and negative G’s of roller coasters and other park rides.
Of course, the real test for these giant swings will be whether they will attract as many riders as other headline attractions. Says Helbig, “It’s a different kind of thrill ride. Because guests who like thrills but don’t want all the up-and downs and the other motions of a roller coaster can enjoy this, I think it can attract a wider range of thrill seekers.”
Contact News Editor Keith Miller at kmiller@IAAPA.org.
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