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Twisted Timbers

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Twisted Timbers
Twisted Timbers' lift hill and sign
Kings Dominion
LocationKings Dominion
Park sectionCandy Apple Grove
Coordinates37°50′10.81″N 77°26′44.29″W / 37.8363361°N 77.4456361°W / 37.8363361; -77.4456361
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateMarch 23, 2018 (2018-03-23)
Opening dateMarch 24, 2018 (2018-03-24)
ReplacedHurler
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerRocky Mountain Construction
DesignerAlan Schilke
ModelI-Box
Track layoutTriple out and back
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height111 ft (34 m)
Drop109 ft (33 m)
Length3,351 ft (1,021 m)
Speed54 mph (87 km/h)
Inversions3
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
WebsiteOfficial website
Fast Lane Plus only available
Disabled access Wheelchair accessible
Must transfer from wheelchair
Twisted Timbers at RCDB

Twisted Timbers is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. It originally opened as a wooden coaster named Hurler in 1994, designed and manufactured by International Coasters, Inc., with a name and layout that matched an identical installation at Carowinds. The ride closed for extensive maintenance in 2015 according to the park, which later teased in 2016 that Hurler was being replaced.

They hired Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) to revamp the aging roller coaster, and in the process, the track was redesigned and converted from wood to steel. The updated track utilizes the company's I-Box track technology, which allows for more aggressive elements and inversions. The roller coaster reemerged as Twisted Timbers on March 24, 2018, featuring three overbanked turns, three inversions, and twenty airtime moments. Twisted Timbers is also faster than its predecessor, reaching a maximum speed of 54 mph (87 km/h). It ranked third among new rides in 2018 in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today.

History

In 2016, Kings Dominion began to tease that Hurler, a roller coaster which had been closed since 2015, would reopen in 2018. The park also alluded to an upcoming renovation and conversion by Rocky Mountain Construction with the message, "There's really more coming.".[1] On August 16, 2017, Kings Dominion confirmed Hurler would reemerge as Twisted Timbers and open to the public in 2018.[2][3] The official announcement came in a press release that featured promotional artwork for the ride as well as ride specifications.[4]

The park scheduled a soft opening on March 22, 2018, for media and members of the enthusiast group American Coaster Enthusiasts,[5] with a second soft opening scheduled the following day for season ticket holders. However, due to inclement weather on March 21, both planned soft openings were held on March 23.[6] The grand opening to the public was held on March 24, 2018.[7]

For the 2019 season, metal detectors were added to the queue. The trains also received zipper pouches.[8]

Construction

When Hurler closed in fall 2015, no signs of renovation were detected. However, on March 25, 2017, Rocky Mountain Construction track was spotted in a storage yard at the park.[9] Amateur drone footage taken four days later revealed that track removal on the old structure had begun.[10] On May 20, new wood and steel supports appeared on the old structure for the first time.[11] Exactly one month later, the park tweeted the first in a series of teasers which set the ride's announcement date for August 16.[12] On August 8, slightly over a week before the formal announcement and three days before ride details leaked onto social media,[13] the ride's lift hill, its highest point, was topped off.[14]

After a winter hiatus, the final track pieces and two custom trains were installed on February 17, 2018, with the signatures of the park's full-time employees placed on the final piece as an "Easter egg".[15] Kings Dominion tested the completed attraction for the first time on February 21.[16] On March 20, four days before the ride's scheduled grand opening, its two trains, one with a blue paint scheme and the other green, tested together.[17]

Theme

The ride takes place in the fictional Hanover Hill Orchard, a rustic apple orchard named after Hanover County, Virginia, where Kings Dominion is located. The coaster's backstory explains that, in 1950, a mysterious force destroyed the orchard and froze it in time, and in the present day a local businessman has ignored legends surrounding the orchard to reopen it to the public, as it appeared in the 1950s.[18]

Guests are meant to be touring the abandoned orchard, with the queue line weaving through the orchard as mangled trees, flipped vehicles, and other theming evidence the orchard's destruction. The station itself is themed to an apple shipping warehouse which has been partially destroyed, and the trains themselves embody 1937 Ford pickup trucks, which riders board to continue their tour.

The surrounding area of the Candy Apple Grove section of the park was also rethemed to carry Twisted Timbers' 1950s orchard theme.[19]

Characteristics

Twisted Timbers, previously known as Hurler, is located in the Candy Apple Grove section of Kings Dominion. The roller coaster takes riders to a height of 111 feet (34 m) before entering a barrel roll inversion and dropping them 109 feet (33 m) down the first hill. It reaches a maximum speed of 54 mph (87 km/h), features twenty airtime moments with three overbanked turns, and takes riders through two additional inversions including a cutback and zero-g roll.[20][21]

Statistic Hurler[22] Twisted Timbers[20]
Years 1994–2015 2018–present
Manufacturer International Coasters, Inc. Rocky Mountain Construction
Track Wood Steel
Height 83 ft (25 m) 111 ft (34 m)
Length 3,157 ft (962 m) 3,351 ft (1,021 m)[23]
Speed 50 mph (80 km/h) 54 mph (87 km/h)
Inversions 0 3

Reception

In its debut year, Twisted Timbers placed third in the category of "Best New Ride for 2018" in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today, a trade newspaper that focuses on the amusement park industry.[24] In the same publication, it also ranked 38th in the top 50 steel roller coasters,[25] with Amusement Today complimenting the characteristics of the newly-revamped coaster, saying it "features dramatic maneuvers, an abundance of airtime, inversions and a remarkable smoothness compared to its former life".[24]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 2018 2019
Ranking 38[26] 37[25]

Incidents

See also: Incidents at Cedar Fair parks

In June 2018, a woman was hit in the forehead by a mobile phone while riding Twisted Timbers. She was later taken to the hospital and received three stitches.[27]

See also

  • Hurler – a roller coaster at sister park Carowinds that shared the same former name
  • Steel Vengeance – a roller coaster at Cedar Point that underwent a similar conversion

References

  1. ^ https://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-tr-rocky-mountain-cedar-point-kings-dominion-20161027-story.html
  2. ^ Hylton, David. "Kings Dominion plans new coaster, winter event for 2018". Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  3. ^ "Twisted Timbers | New Wooden Coaster | Kings Dominion". www.kingsdominion.com. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  4. ^ "New "Hybrid" Roller Coaster and Winterfest Holiday Event Coming to Kings Dominion in 2018". Cedar Fair. August 16, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  5. ^ "Twisted Timbers Media Day - ACE Registration Kings Dominion". www.kingsdominion.com. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  6. ^ "Watch Twisted Timbers Opening Ceremony". Facebook. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  7. ^ "Opening Day 2018". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  8. ^ "Twisted Timbers Update". Kings Dominion.
  9. ^ Blanchard, Carter (2017-03-25). "Rocky Mountain Construction Track Spotted at Kings Dominion". Coaster Hub. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  10. ^ John Kleindl (2017-03-29), RMC Hurler Update #2, retrieved 2017-08-16
  11. ^ "KDFans.com". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  12. ^ Dominion, Kings (2017-06-20). "816. Just remember... things aren't always what they seem.pic.twitter.com/L3tne13Mf1". @KingsDominionVA. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  13. ^ "[SPOILERS] Possible Kings Dominion 2018 Leak • r/rollercoasters". reddit. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  14. ^ Schnizer, Chris (2017-08-08). "Hurler is now topped off". Facebook. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  15. ^ "Kings Dominion - It's official..." Facebook. 2018-02-17. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  16. ^ "Twisted Timbers Test Run". Facebook. 2018-02-21. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  17. ^ John Kleindl (2018-03-20), Multiple Test Runs on Kings Dominion's Twisted Timbers, retrieved 2018-03-22
  18. ^ https://www.kingsdominion.com/play/rides/twisted-timbers
  19. ^ https://www.kingsdominion.com/blog/big-changes-coming-to-candy-apple-grove
  20. ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Twisted Timbers  (Kings Dominion)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  21. ^ Coming to Kings Dominion in 2018 -- Twisted Timbers. Kings Dominion. August 17, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  22. ^ Marden, Duane. "Hurler  (Kings Dominion)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  23. ^ "What's New for 2018!". Kings Dominion. 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  24. ^ a b "Golden Ticket Issue 2018" (PDF). Amusement Today. 22 (6.2): 10, 34. September 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  25. ^ a b "2019 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  26. ^ "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  27. ^ "Woman injured by flying cell phone on roller coaster". Kmov St. Louis. June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
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