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Windjammer Surf Racers was a steel looping racing roller coaster that operated in The Boardwalk area of Knott's Berry Farm from 1997 to 2000.
History[]
The coaster was manufactured by TOGO and opened at the park on March 26, 1997, replacing the aging Wacky Soap Box Racers. Plagued by operational problems, the ride was closed on March 2, 2000. Its failure led to a lawsuit and the eventual demise of TOGO's American operations. Xcelerator now occupies the spot Windjammer was in.[1]
Design[]
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Elements |
Windjammer Surf Racers was a dueling roller coaster with Wild Mouse-like trains. The ride's first drop led into a vertical loop. After the loop, the ride continued over multiple hills, including multiple brake runs.
Trains[]
10 trains with 2 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows in each car for a total of 8 riders per train.
Ride[]
Windjammer Surf Racers was a unique coaster that involved small Wild Mouse-like trains running on a full size track. There were two independent tracks (red and yellow) that were constructed parallel to one other, in which the purpose of the ride was to pit both tracks in a race against each other. The coaster's rider load/unloading platform did not have an airgate system to keep queuing guests clear from advancing vehicles within the station. The ride quality was also known to be very poor with hard pads used on the over-the-shoulder restraints. Some guests complained of headaches due to the harsh ride.
The ride was dressed as a tribute to the fabled Southern California beach culture, complete with towering palms trees, beach sand, a miniature lagoon, a scaled-down lifeguard watch tower, and other beach-worthy props. The on-ride photograph sales booth was built into the side of a scaled-down replica of a yacht.
Lawsuit[]
Windjammer Surf Racers did not run frequently because it was plagued with mechanical problems. Just a few weeks into operation, several parts had to be replaced. Knott's Berry Farm spent about $2 million on repairs and inspections alone. Because of these problems, Knott's filed suit against TOGO seeking $17 million in damages, claiming that TOGO poorly designed and engineered the coaster which prevented successful operation during its three years. They reported problems such as misaligned tracks, defective safety restraints, and wrinkles in the main frame of the trains. The park also claimed that the ride's design flaws prevented operation during medium winds, sometimes stalling even during slight breezes, which Knott's called an "embarrassment."
The ride remained closed during the lawsuit as evidence. When Knott's was unable to complete a sale of the ride, it was dismantled in July 2001. In November 2003, the jury rejected Knott's lawsuit in favor of TOGO International.
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ The Failure Of Windjammer Surf Racers: The End Of TOGO International by Expedition Theme Park, YouTube. 2020-08-01.
External links[]
- The Boardwalk Rides at Knott's Berry Farm (archived 2000-10-18, 1998-01-16, 1997-04-09)
- Windjammer Surf Racers at the Roller Coaster DataBase
- Windjammer Surf Racers at the Six Flags Wiki
- Windjammer Surf Racers at Wikipedia
| Knott's Berry Farm Roller Coasters | |
| Operating | Coast Rider • GhostRider • HangTime • Jaguar! • Montezooma's Revenge • Pony Express • Sierra Sidewinder • Silver Bullet • Snoopy's Tenderpaw Twister Coaster • Xcelerator |
| Former | Boomerang • Corkscrew • Timberline Twister • Wacky Soap Box Racers • Windjammer Surf Racers |