Alpine Bobsled
Alpine Bobsled (formerly known as Sarajevo Bobsled and Rolling Thunder) was a steel bobsled roller coaster at Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor amusement park in Queensbury, New York. Manufactured by Intamin and Giovanola, the roller coaster first opened to the public in 1984 at Six Flags Great Adventure. It was later relocated to Six Flags Great America in 1989, then to Six Flags Great Escape in 1998. Alpine Bobsled closed permanently on September 4, 2023, to make room for The Bobcat.
History
The coaster was originally built in 1984 as Sarajevo Bobsled at Six Flags Great Adventure to commemorate the 1984 Olympics. The coaster was well received by the public.[1]
Sarajevo Bobsled was part of Six Flags' ride rotation program, and was moved between parks multiple times.[2] In 1988, Sarajevo Bobsled was dismantled to make room for Great American Scream Machine, which would open the next year.[3] Sarajevo Bobsled was moved to Six Flags Great America for the 1989 season, where it reopened as Rolling Thunder.[4]
In 1995, the ride was dismantled once more to make way for the construction of the Southwest Territory themed area. The ride remained in storage until 1997, when it was relocated for a final time to Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor, where it would reopen in 1998.[4]
In August 2023, the park announced Alpine Bobsled would close on September 4, 2023, citing the ride's sensitivity to "small amounts of rain and high humidity".[5] The park later revealed that Alpine Bobsled was being dismantled to make room for The Bobcat, a new roller coaster that would debut in 2024.[6] On September 4, 2023, members of the American Coaster Enthusiasts gathered at the park to take their final rides on the Alpine Bobsled, which closed for good at the end of the day.[7] Following its removal, a monument to the coaster displaying one of the ride's cars was placed where its queue entrance was previously.[8]
Characteristics
Alpine Bobsled featured 1,490 feet (450 m) of steel track, painted white on the inside and white and purple on the outside. The coaster reached a maximum height of 64 feet (20 m) and top speeds of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h). After ascending a chain lift hill, the trains traversed a series of turns on trough-like track throughout the ride, which lasted approximately one minute and 40 seconds.
The alpine theme of the coaster was inspired by the park's close proximity to Lake Placid, New York, where the 1980 and 1932 Winter Olympics, both of which included bobsled races, were held.[9][10][11] The ride had six single-car trains, all themed to different countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Jamaica, Canada, and Switzerland.[9]
References
- ^ Applegate, Harry; Benton, Thomas (May 2, 2016). Six Flags Great Adventure. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4396-5613-6. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ Phillips, Stephen W. (August 22, 2016). Opryland USA. Arcadia Publishing. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-4396-5740-9. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ Futrell, Jim (2004). Amusement Parks of New Jersey. Stackpole Books. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-8117-2973-4. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Rolling Thunder (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ Moore, Kathleen (August 5, 2023). "Great Escape's Alpine Bobsled retiring Sept. 4". Times Union. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ "The All-New Bobcat Coaster Pounces into Six Flags Great Escape in 2024". The Business Wire. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ Schneider, Rose (September 4, 2023). "One last ride on Six Flags Great Escape's Alpine Bobsled". Times Union.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Alpine Bobsled (Six Flags Great Escape)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Hawkins, Rachel (August 7, 2023). "August 4, 2023 - Great Escape". Six Flags. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ "Alpine Bobsled - Great Escape". Six Flags. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ "Small-Town Lake Placid Set For Big-City Olympics". The Evening Independent. Retrieved December 28, 2024.