AT: Tim Baldwin
ORLANDO — When Skyline Attractions was established in 2014, they set up on the IAAPA Expo floor with a goal.
“When we first exhibited at the Expo in 2014, we won an IAAPA award for Strike-U-Up, the world’s first strongman game that people could ride,” said Jeff Pike, president. “We sold several, but we wanted to challenge ourselves to do something new each year. This year we are finally bringing another new revolutionary roller coaster — this time for the kids.”
Enter P’Sghetti Bowl. The cleverly named coaster is strikingly different. The construction is made from a single rail, which Skyline Attractions feels brings multiple advantages.
“It is based on the same principles of the Titan Track developed for Great Coasters International, Inc.,” said Pike. “There is no bending, there is no welding. There is no warpage or post-weld treatment. There is no nondestructive testing required. No special welder’s certification process is required. We have a super-efficient process that allows us to create a really, really finely tuned, finely detailed track centerline.”
“We developed the Titan Track for Great Coasters,” added Chris Gray, vice president, Skyline Attractions.
“There is an advantage not only in durability but also in getting it to market. The turnaround time is going to be a lot quicker than anybody who has to weld roller coaster track together,” Pike told Amusement Today.
In addition to the structural advantages, the track also lends itself to theming. Along with themed trains or environments, the track can feature a wooden motif, snakeskin or a cosmic outer space feel with dramatic lighting. “We can theme the ride in a way that no one has been able to do,” offered Gray.
Elements include curving drops, tight helices, quick back-and-forth transitions and airtime hills. The coaster is designed to be big on thrills even with its diminutive size.
“Since announcing it, P’Sghetti Bowl is the most requested [product] we’ve put out there in its first two weeks,” said Gray. “The demand is huge.”
“Another advantage of the P’Sghetti Bowl coaster — especially for those buyers who are just dipping their toes into the “hard-ride’ market — is that the ride operates without the need for a complicated or expensive programmable logic controller (PLC),” Pike explained. “Instead, all of the ride’s critical safety functions are managed by an on-board safety circuit built into the motor controllers. This circuit is rated for the performance requirements of ASTM and EN standards and is incredibly intuitive for inexperienced technicians to quickly learn. New customers unfamiliar with the more complex ride logic systems will be able to operate and maintain the P’sghetti Bowl coaster with confidence, knowing that they don’t need a staff member with special training on PLC programming.”
Six off-the-shelf models are readily available. They range from a footprint of 80 feet by 32 feet to larger models featuring dual racing tracks in a space of 162 by 79 feet. The coasters can operate indoors or outside. Skyline Attractions is also eager to do a custom design for any customer that has something special in mind. “We thrive on that,” said Gray.
All models have a height below 25 feet making them an easy fit inside indoor family entertainment centers. Some models can be built in indoor spaces with a roof height of 20 feet.
“It’s not even just FECs,” Pike said. “There are other facilities looking at getting into amusements to augment their [offerings]. Zoos are a huge market for us. They are looking at offering fun and interesting rides.”
“A racing coaster doubles the capacity still with a single operator in the middle,” added Gray. “One operator has instant access to both trains. You’d get a pretty stunning-looking little coaster.”
Economic elements include a single operator station, tire-driven lift that doesn’t require a catwalk and the weld-free track design. Each model is available with an optional base frame, preventing the need to lay concrete or drill into existing infrastructure.
Trains are designed to accommodate an adult who wishes to ride alongside a child.
This article appears in the NOVEMBER IAAPA EXPO 2021 issue of Amusement Today.
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