Leading provider of sales, operations, financial partnerships and installations to the attractions industry, Ride Entertainment is celebrating the opening of the Hydrus roller coaster at Casino Pier.
The attraction, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter, is set to become a new icon in an area devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
The pier has been rebuilt thanks to a committed and multi-million dollar effort on the part of the owners.
“Since Superstorm Sandy, our rebuilding plans were all geared towards fortifying the infrastructure to protect against any potential future loss,” explained Maria Mastoris, Marketing Manager at Casino Pier.
“We [now] have a great roller coaster to replace the JetStar and a new Ferris wheel on our expanded pier that will bring a lot of excitement to the property and springboard us into more new and exciting things in the future.”
Ride Entertainment, the sales partner of Gerstlauer, also installed the ride. The thrills start from the off with a vertical chain lift. Once the ride crests the top of the hill, the car hurtles towards the ground along a 97-degree first drop. Riders are then propelled through three inversions before the coaster returns to the station.
New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, attended the opening celebrations.
“In the same way that the JetStar was the iconic symbol of what happened here during superstorm Sandy, the Hydrus is now going to be forever the iconic symbol of the comeback of the Jersey Shore from Hurricane Sandy,” he said.
Hydrus features the newest Euro-Fighter vehicles, which Gerstlauer has been developing for some time.
“This Euro-Fighter represents the culmination of evolution for this vehicle design, ” commented Siegfried Gerstlauer. “We have been improving it for several years and it offers a more comfortable and open rider experience.”
Adam Sandy, Chief Business Development Officer at Ride Entertainment, said the ride’s position on the pier meant a number of very specific requirements on size and weight distribution had to be taken into account.
“We were thrilled with the resulting ride and working with Casino Pier was a great partnership, it was our second project with them in 24 months,” he added.
Hydra Facts
- Manufacturer: Gerstlauer Amusement Rides (Germany)
- Model: Euro-Fighter 320
- Height: 72 feet (22 metres)
- Track Length: 1,049 feet (320 metres)
- Number of Vehicles: 2
- Elements: Vertical Lift, 97-Degree Beyond-Vertical Drop, 3 Inversions: Vertical Loop, Cutback and Heartline Roll
