Boomerang (roller coaster)

Boomerang
A standard Boomerang
Location	45 in total
Type	Steel roller coaster
Manufacturer	Vekoma (some trains built by Arrow)
Model	Shuttle roller coaster
Height	116 feet 6 inches (35.51 m)
Length	935 ft (285 m)
Max speed	47 mp/h (75.6 km/h)
Inversions	3 (traversed twice)
Duration	1 min 48 s
Capacity	760 riders per hour
Amusement Parks Portal

For a roller coaster inversion called Boomerang, see Cobra roll

Boomerang is a model of roller coaster built by Vekoma, and named after the hunting implement based on the traditions of the Indigenous Australians. The first Boomerang began operation in 1984 at Rafaela Padilla in Puebla, México (which has since been moved to Six Flags México as Boomerang), and it has become one of the most repeated roller coaster designs in the world, with 45 Boomerangs operating as of 2011, and one "Standing But Not Operating". An additional 9 amusement parks have operated this design, but the roller coaster has since been demolished or dismantled and sold to another park.

Design and Ride Experience

The Boomerang consists of a single train with seven cars, capable of carrying 28 passengers. The ride begins when the train is pulled backwards from the station and up the first lift hill by a catchcar. After being released, the train passes through the station, enters a Cobra roll element (referred to as a boomerang by the designers), and then travels through a vertical loop. After being pulled up a second lift hill, the train is released to head backwards through each inversion once more, making the total amount of inversions per ride six. The train slows down as is passes through the station backwards, and then comes to a complete stop in the station. This coaster model is popular among Six Flags and PARC Management amusement parks in the United States, but it has appeared at amusement parks around the world.

Boomerang coasters have occasionally stalled, often in the Cobra Roll element. As a precaution, many Boomerang coasters, are built with an access platform just under the Cobra Roll/Boomerang element.

Variant designs

There are three main design variants based on the Boomerang layout, all of which are produced by Vekoma.

Stinger when it was known as Invertigo at California's Great America

Invertigo

The first variant of the Boomerang is the Invertigo. While retaining the same layout as the Boomerang, the Invertigo has inverted track, turning it into an inverted roller coaster. Each car has two rows of seats that are back-to-back, so the riders in the back row of each car would be facing those in the front of the trailing car. The first Invertigo, HangOver at Liseberg, was supposed to open in 1996 with a new linear induction motor (LIM) or LSM lift. However, development problems delayed the ride's opening to 1997, and the design was remade to include a traditional chain lift like the original Boomerang. Only four Invertigo versions were ever built, all but one still operate today.

Giant Inverted Boomerang

Stunt Fall at Parque Warner Madrid is one of five Giant Inverted Boomerangs built

Main article: Giant Inverted Boomerang

The second design is known as both the Giant Inverted Boomerang and the Super Invertigo. While maintaining a similar layout to the Boomerang, the track is again inverted, and the size of the ride is increased. The track is 270 feet (82 m) longer, the two lift hills are almost 80 feet (24 m) taller, and both hills are vertical. The track also crosses over, with the station underneath the vertical loop. The train has 8 cars, with the four seats of each car arranged in a chevron. As of 2011, four Giant Inverted Boomerangs operate, and one is currently under construction. The ones that operate currently are Goliath at Six Flags New England (Previously located at Six Flags Magic Mountain as Déjà Vu), Aftershock at Silverwood Theme Park (Previously located at Six Flags Great America as Déjà Vu), and Stunt Fall at Parque Warner Madrid. Sky Mountain at Mirabalandia (Previously located at Six Flags Over Georgia as Déjà Vu) is currently in storage. In late 2011, the first Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang to have been built brand new in about ten years opened. It resides at Jinjiang Action Park under the name Mountain Peak.

Junior Boomerang

In late 2010, Vekoma announced that they would be manufacturing a Junior Boomerang. The prototype opened in Drayton Manor Theme Park as Ben 10 - Ultimate Mission in April 2011. Unlike the other Boomerang roller coasters a Junior Boomerang does not feature any inversions but it still has a similar shuttle design. The ride has two end spikes and generally a figure-8 design in the layout.

Layouts

Layouts of the different variations

Boomerang

Invertigo

Giant Inverted Boomerang

Ride locations

Coaster name	Amusement park	Variant	Original opening	Status
Aftershock Formerly Déjà Vu	Silverwood Theme Park Six Flags Great America	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2001	Operating
The Bat	Canada's Wonderland	Boomerang	1987	Operating
Ben 10 – Ultimate Mission	Drayton Manor Theme Park	Junior Boomerang	2011	Operating
Boomerang	Knott's Berry Farm	Boomerang	1990	Operating
Boomerang	Parc Touristique des Combes	Junior Boomerang	2011	Operating
Boomerang	Worlds of Fun	Boomerang	2000	Operating
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Darien Lake	Boomerang	1998	Operating
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Elitch Gardens Theme Park	Boomerang	1999	Operating
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Great Escape	Boomerang	1997	Operating
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Six Flags Discovery Kingdom	Boomerang	1998	Operating
Boomerang: Coast to Coaster	Six Flags Fiesta Texas	Boomerang	1999	Operating
Carolina Cobra Formerly Head Spin	Carowinds Geauga Lake	Boomerang	1996	Operating
Flashback Formerly Vampire Formerly Boomerang	Six Flags New England Kentucky Kingdom Nanhu Amusement Park	Boomerang	1985	Operating
Flashback	Six Flags Over Texas	Boomerang	1989	Operating
Goliath Formerly Déjà Vu	Six Flags New England Six Flags Magic Mountain	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2001	Under construction
Invertigo	Kings Island	Invertigo	1999	Operating
Mountain Peak	Jinjiang Action Park	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2011	Operating
Sea Serpent	Morey's Piers	Boomerang	1984	Operating
Sidewinder	Hersheypark	Boomerang	1991	Operating
Sky Mountain Formerly Déjà Vu	Mirabilandia Six Flags Over Georgia	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2001	In Storage
Space Shuttle Max Formerly Cobra	Enchanted Kingdom West Midland Safari Park	Boomerang	1985	Operating
Speed of Sound Formerly La Via Volta	Walibi Holland	Boomerang	2000	Operating
Stinger Formerly Invertigo	Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom California's Great America	Invertigo	1998	Under construction
Stunt Fall	Parque Warner Madrid	Giant Inverted Boomerang	2002	Operating
Triops Formerly Tornado Formerly unknown Formerly HangOver	Bagatelle Sommerland Syd Allou Fun Park Liseberg	Invertigo	1997	Under construction
Two Face: The Flip Side	Six Flags America	Invertigo	1999	Defunct since 2007
Wipeout Formerly Missile Formerly Coca-Cola Roller	Pleasurewood Hills The American Adventure Theme Park Glasgow Garden Festival	Boomerang	1988	Operating
Zoomerang Formerly The Demon Formerly Titan	Alabama Adventure Wonderland Sydney World Expo Park	Boomerang	1988	Operating
Zoomerang	Lake Compounce	Boomerang	1997	Operating
Zydeco Scream Formerly Boomerang	Six Flags New Orleans Parc de Montjuic	Boomerang	1990	SBNO since Hurricane Katrina in 2005

External links

• Listing of Boomerang roller coasters at RCDB
• Listing of Invertigo roller coasters at RCDB
• Listing of Giant Inverted Boomerang roller coasters at RCDB
• Detailed Technical Article about Boomerang Roller Coasters