Zamperla, a leading ride manufacturer, has confirmed its work on a major new coaster project for a leading Canadian amusement park.
The owners of Playland Amusement Park, Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), have announced it has purchased Canada’s fastest launch coaster, which has been supplied by Zamperla.
Since the Thunderbolt debuted, Zamperla has grown significantly and this $9 million CDN project continues to demonstrate that expansion. The firm has a specialised staff of engineers and its own steel production plant for track pieces and columns.
“This is an incredibly exciting day,” says Shelley Frost, PNE President and CEO of PNE. “Despite the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PNE has displayed its resiliency and innovation by not only surviving the pandemic but by pivoting our business throughout it to emerge in a place to invest in this spectacular ride and into Playland’s future. We know that the new coaster will be an impressive addition to Playland’s ride roster, and we look forward to introducing it to our guests in 2024.”
High expectations
The brand-new LSM launch coaster will complement the park’s current lineup of rides and attractions. The ride will be taking over a space formerly occupied by the defunct Corkscrew coaster, which famously featured in the supernatural horror film Final Destination 3.
The distinctly different Zamperla coaster will launch visitors across 380 metres of track at speeds up to 72 kilometres per hour using a 1.3G Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) launch. The coaster will also hit a top height of 18 metres (59 feet).
Additionally, the project will utilise Zamperla’s brand-new Lightning trains for the project, supplying one train of 8.2-metre length. The train features three vehicles, holding twelve passengers in total.
“Best roller coaster train”
Zamperla’s North American sales manager, Michael Coleman says that Zamperla are very excited to work with the Pacific National Exhibition on one of the company’s largest investments:
“This LSM coaster will be the fastest launch coaster in Canada. Playland and Zamperla have a long partnership, and their team started discussions with us over a year ago about their long-term planning and helping them grow the park’s offerings. This year we opened a Gryphon (Skybender at the park), which was a huge success and allowed Playland to market the first ride of its type in the world.”
Adam Sandy, roller coaster sales and marketing director at Zamperla, adds: “The Lightning represents the next step of roller coaster design and we will unveil the vehicle at IAAPA Expo in Orlando, the most important trade show for the attractions industry.”
“Our engineers have worked to make sure this is the best roller coaster train in the world. We thought about every square centimetre of the Lightning, from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the seat. The Zamperla engineering team kept our core design values at the forefront: safety, ergonomics, the total cost of ownership, and of course, pure fun for thrillseekers!”
Zamperla has also announced two new Junior Shuttle coaster models for families, with traditional and rotating vehicle versions available.
