Medusa Steel Coaster

Medusa Steel Coaster
Previously known as Medusa
Six Flags México
Park section Pueblo Vaquero
Coordinates 19°17′40″N 99°12′40″W / 19.294535°N 99.211230°W / 19.294535; -99.211230Coordinates: 19°17′40″N 99°12′40″W / 19.294535°N 99.211230°W / 19.294535; -99.211230
Status Operating
Opening date June 14, 2014 (2014-06-14)
Replaced Medusa
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction
Designer Alan Schilke
Model I-Box
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 118 ft (36 m)
Length 3,000 ft (910 m)
Speed 58 mph (93 km/h)
Inversions 3
Height restriction 51 in (130 cm)
Trains 2 Rocky Mountain Construction trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Flash Pass available
Medusa Steel Coaster at RCDB
Pictures of Medusa Steel Coaster at RCDB

Medusa Steel Coaster is a steel roller coaster from Six Flags México. The ride was manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction and features three inversions.

The ride was originally a wooden roller coaster manufactured by Custom Coasters International. Upon opening in 2000, it was known for being one of the only wooden coasters in Latin America.[1] The ride closed in 2013 to make way for its steel counterpart.

History

Medusa lift hill in 2013.

On May 5, 1999, Premier Parks (later renamed Six Flags) announced the acquisition of Reino Aventura in Mexico.[2] On December 8, 1999, it was announced Reino Aventura would be rebranded Six Flags México in time for the 2000 season. As part of this process Premier Parks would add 13 new rides, including a wooden roller coaster named Medusa.[3] On June 2, 2000, Medusa officially opened to the public along with the refurbished and rebranded park.[4]

In late 2009, Six Flags Over Texas closed their Texas Giant wooden roller coaster for a $10 million renovation which took more than a year to complete.[5] Idaho-firm Rocky Mountain Construction replaced the wooden track with a new steel I-Box track, retaining a wooden support structure. The refurbishment was ultimately a success with "resoundingly positive reviews from riders". The park's parent company, Six Flags, immediately began looking for other rides in its chain which would benefit from a similar overhaul.[6]

For the 2012 season parts of the Medusa's track was covered with Rocky Mountain Construction Topper Track.[7]

On July 1, 2013, Six Flags México announced that Medusa would be closing on August 18, 2013,[8] leading to speculation that the ride may be next to receive a transformation from wood to I-Box steel track by Rocky Mountain Construction. Following the ride's closure, work began on removing the wooden roller coaster track.[9]

On August 29, 2013, Six Flags officially announced that Rocky Mountain Construction would be converting the wooden roller coaster to a steel track, in a similar style to that done on the New Texas Giant and Iron Rattler. The refurbished attraction opened on June 14, 2014.[10][11]

On September 1, 2016, it was announced that Medusa Steel Coaster would receive the New Revolution virtual reality upgrade in 2017. Many other Six Flags coasters received this in 2016.

Characteristics

Medusa Steel Coaster features overbanked turns and steel track similar to that on the Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas (pictured)

Medusa Steel Coaster is located in the Pueblo Vaquero area of Six Flags México. It is Rocky Mountain Construction's third installation of I-Box track, and the second to feature an inversion. It operates with two trains manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction. Each train is made up of six cars which seat riders in two rows of two.[4] Riders are restrained through the use of a lap bar.

The table below compares the original Medusa, with the updated Medusa Steel Coaster ride.[4][12]

Statistic Medusa[4] Medusa Steel Coaster[12][13]
Years 2000–2013 2014-present
Manufacturer Custom Coasters International Rocky Mountain Construction
Designer Custom Coasters International Alan Schilke
Track Wood Steel
Height 32 m or 105 ft 36 m or 118 ft
Length 955.8 m or 3,136 ft 914.4 m or 3,000 ft
Speed 88.5 km/h or 55.0 mph 93.3 km/h or 58.0 mph
Inversions 0 3
Max vertical angle 50° 50°
Restraints Lapbar Lapbar

Ride experience

Once the train departs from the station, riders would travel to the left leading to the chain lift hill. Once climbing the 36-metre-tall (118 ft) hill, the train would make a right down the first inversion zero-g roll heading down the first hill at an angle of 50°. After the main drop the riders would experience going through several drops, helices, and two more zero-g rolls, until the train returns to the station.[1][11]

Reception

Medusa Steel Coaster has generally been well received by riders across the world. Eugenio Derbez, Danna Paola, Drake Bell, and several other celebrities of Mexico all took part of the opening celebration on 14 June 2014 and gave positive reviews of the steel roller coaster.[14][15]

Before Medusa Steel Coaster's debut year, Medusa was never ranked in the Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards for Top Wooden Coasters in the world, since the creation of the award in 1998. After the renovation in 2014, unlike the Texas Giant and Iron Rattler in Texas, Medusa Steel Coaster was not mentioned in the awards for Top Steel Coaster of 2014 or best new ride.[16] In 2015 Medusa Steel Coaster made its first ever debut in the rankings a year after the renovation at a tie at 49 of the Top 50 Steel Coasters.[17]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year2015
Ranking 49[17]

References

  1. 1 2 "Medusa". Coaster-Net. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Premier Parks Announces Three Park Acquisitions" (Press release). Premier Parks. May 5, 1999. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Premier Announces Four New Six Flags Parks" (Press release). Premier Parks. December 8, 1999. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Marden, Duane. "Medusa  (Six Flags Mexico)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  5. ↑ Moiser, Jeff (16 March 2009). "Six Flags Over Texas to close Texas Giant for renovations in 2010". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  6. ↑ Miller, Keith (2013). "New Rides & Attractions 2013 - Wooden Coasters". Funworld Magazine. IAAPA. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  7. ↑ "Medusa's Topper Track". MontanaRusa. February 15, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Medusa leaving". ParquePlaza. June 30, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Rocky Mountain hará remake de Medusa de Six Flags México" (in Spanish). MontanaRusa. August 25, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Six Flags Mexico Announces Medusa Steel Coaster Opening Date". June 8, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "New for 2014". August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Medusa Steel Coaster  (Six Flags Mexico)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  13. ↑ Official Statistics - http://www.sixflags.com.mx/juegos/xtremos.asp?SecID=juegos&OpcID=msc. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Casi 2 minutos de adrenalina y velocidad en Medusa Steel Coaster". June 15, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Celebs inaugurate the "Medusa Steel Coaster"". June 16, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Amusement Today 2014 Golden Ticket Awards" (PDF). Amusement Today. September 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  17. 1 2 "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
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