n
/019
The four
to try
1
Rutschebanen⁄
TivoliGardens
Onehundred yearsold
this year, it’soneof few
coasters toemploya
brakemananduse side
friction–but it’s Tivoli’s
most-visitedattraction
because it’s so fun.
tivoli.dk
2
Colossos⁄
HeidePark
The tallestwooden
coaster in theworld
is thismonster in
Germany’sHeidePark,
45minutes southof
Hamburg. It’s 60m
tall and reaches over
100kph for almost
1.5kmof track.
heide-park.de
3
Balder⁄
Liseberg
Balder, inGothenburg’s
charmingLisebergPark,
cost SEK100million
(NOK93m)when itwas
built in2003– roller
coaster geeks love it
for itshighpercentage
of “airtime”,with
nineopportunities to
experience zerogravity.
liseberg.com
4
El Toro⁄
SixFlags
GreatAdventure
The55m-highEl Toro is
oneof the starsof this
NewJersey themepark,
just over twohours from
NewYork. But even
thatwill beput in the
shade this yearbynew
boyGoliath,with the
world’s fastest speed
(116kph) and tallest,
steepest drop (55mat
85degrees).
sixflags.com
According toJonathanGressWright,
senior architect at Tivoli, only “about
five to 10per cent of thewoodon
Rutschebanen is actually 100 yearsold.We
refurbish 10-15per cent of the rideevery
yearwithnewwood. In theolddays they
usedfir, but nowweuseoak. Itwasbarely
built to last 10 years, but Tivoli just kept it
going–evennow, it’soneof the smoothest
wooden roller coasters in theworld.”
Rutschebanen is part of a renaissance
forwooden roller coasters, whichhad
their golden age in the 1920s but fell
out of favour throughfirst theGreat
Depression in theUS and then the advent
of steel coasters in the late 1950s. Several
newones havepoppedup in thepast 15
years, from the giant, circular Troy in the
Netherlands’ Toverpark toColossos, the
world’s tallest, atGermany’sHeidePark,
and thedenseWodan TimburCoaster
at southernGermany’s Europa-Park,
whichwas built in2012. This year, Six
Flags Adventure inNew Jerseywill open
Goliath, themost extremewooden roller
coaster ever, with the fastest speed
(116kph) and tallest, steepest drop (55m
at 85degrees).
But it’snot about records says
AndyHine, the founder andchairman
of theRollerCoasterClubofGreat
Britain,whogotmarriedon the
GrandNationalwooden roller
coaster atBlackpool Pleasure
Beach in theUK. “Youcan’t do
loops and youcan’t go 160kph
onawooden roller coaster, but
youdoget this shake, rattleand
roll adrenaline rush that feels
moreprimal thanaclinical,
controlled steel coaster.
Once youget to the topof the lift hill,with
all that tensionbuilding, the ‘k-k-k’ noise
as it goesup, then it’s all released, and the
train’scompletelyout of control – it’s just
pure fun. Thekey thingcoaster enthusiasts
like is ‘airtime’ – thatweightless feelingof
beingpushedout of your seat.”
Gothenburg’sLisebergamusement
park’sBalder coaster,whichopened in
2003, has twicebeen voted theworld’s
bestwoodencoaster, notbecauseof its
height or speed, butbecauseof thehigh
percentageof airtimeon the ride. AndHine
says that theRutschebanencancompete.
“Take theback seat, and there’sone
particularhill that really gives youa
lot of airtime,which youwouldn’t
expect of a 100-year-old ride.”
NorwegianfliestoCopenhagen,
Hamburg,Gothenburgand
NewYork.Bookflights,a
hotelandarentalcarat
norwegian.com
4
ALAMY
