Pipeline - SWO Surf Coaster (Spring 2023) | Page 18 | Inside Universal Forums

Pipeline - SWO Surf Coaster (Spring 2023)

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Hopefully, they plant some bamboo/trees in between the ride area and the parking lot. It's a pretty tight space and a parking lot isn't a cool backdrop for a surf coaster lol.
From the concept art, we'll be getting some new planting

GPOQOKRBCJD2JL7UYF5WLX24AA.jpg
 
I think this is going to be a fantastic addition. I was initially underwhelmed, but the track looks fantastic and we’ve maybe underplayed the feeling of launching at 60mph whilst standing. Love the swooping design…I think this will be a hit.

Shame it looks like a surf coaster, in Seaworld, without much use of…erm water, though. A few additional features would have been nice.
 
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SeaWorld's VP of rides and engineering Jonathan Smith was very insistent when he talked to me and other reporters at IAAPA that the movement in the restraints sets this apart from stand-ups that B&M used to make. Here's his exact quote:

“This is not a stand-up roller coaster, it is a surfing coaster. So there’s a lot of differences between the two. There is some movement on the restraint system, so you’re going to experience wave jumping motions as you’re maneuvering these elements. If you think about surfing, you never stand erect, or straight up, you always kind of bend your knees and control your center of gravity, and that’s what you’re going to be able to do here on Pipeline.”

SeaWorld and B&M very clearly do not want this ride associated with the older stand-up models. Whether this makes a big difference or is just PR spin will be determined once we're on the ride. Unlike some other coaster trains, the media did not get the chance to test out these seats at the expo.
 
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SeaWorld's VP of rides and engineering Jonathan Smith was very insistent when he talked to me and other reporters at IAAPA that the movement in the restraints sets this apart from stand-ups that B&M used to make. Here's his exact quote:

“This is not a stand-up roller coaster, it is a surfing coaster. So there’s a lot of differences between the two. There is some movement on the restraint system, so you’re going to experience wave jumping motions as you’re maneuvering these elements. If you think about surfing, you never stand erect, or straight up, you always kind of bend your knees and control your center of gravity, and that’s what you’re going to be able to do here on Pipeline.”

SeaWorld and B&M very clearly do not want this ride associated with the older stand-up models. Whether this makes a big difference or is just PR spin will be determined once we're on the ride. Unlike some other coaster trains, the media did not get the chance to test out these seats at the expo.
I would say layout alone already differentiates this from previous B&M stand ups

They used to just design a Kumba/Kraken style layout and throw stand-up trains on them...didn't work (obvi)

I still think this will have a "jumping when a fast elevator starts" type of feeling to it, and very very light on the positive Gs
 
Interesting there seems to be a set of boosters along the track:

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So I wonder if they serve as trim brakes or boosters or both? I'm not sure of the mechanics of launched coasters but I assume the idea is they can speed up or slow down the coaster depending on the speed to keep the ride more consistent?
 
Interesting there seems to be a set of boosters along the track:

316167635_500550015442617_4978426398835420621_n.jpg


So I wonder if they serve as trim brakes or boosters or both? I'm not sure of the mechanics of launched coasters but I assume the idea is they can speed up or slow down the coaster depending on the speed to keep the ride more consistent?

I would think trims but I have no idea. Three segments of a launch motors wouldn't seem to be enough to do much but coming at the bottom of a hill would make sense for trims before the coaster gets into the curving sections.
 
Construction is progressing along pretty rapidly, I believe the track should be complete in a month or two

It's fascinating how they things are just giant erector sets

I'm still slotting this into the "sleeper hit" category, I think it will be a fun, re-rideable, and unique coaster

 
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I think they will probably have the circuit complete the first week of January. Then wiring, testing, and open in time for Spring Break around the first week of April if all goes well. The launch system may need extra time for test and adjust, so worst case scenario I'd think would be a May opening, but B&M coasters usually have a very short period between completion and opening.
 
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