Half Pipe (roller coaster)

Half Pipe is a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado. The launched roller coaster was manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel. It opened to the public on May 27, 2004. An identical installation opened a year earlier at Särkänniemi in Tampere, Finland, but was closed in 2019. It features an 80-foot (24 m) drop height and a maximum speed of 43.5 mph (70.0 km/h).

Half Pipe
Half Pipe at Elitch Gardens
Särkänniemi
Coordinates61°30′14″N 23°44′27″E / 61.503832°N 23.740832°E / 61.503832; 23.740832
StatusRemoved
Opening dateApril 30, 2003 (2003-04-30)
Closing date2019
Half Pipe at Särkänniemi at RCDB
Elitch Gardens
Coordinates39°44′53″N 105°00′53″W / 39.748027°N 105.014654°W / 39.748027; -105.014654
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 27, 2004 (2004-05-27)
Half Pipe at Elitch Gardens at RCDB
General statistics
TypeSteel – Launched – Shuttle
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelHalf Pipe Coaster (30m)
Track layoutHalf pipe coaster
Lift/launch systemLIM
Height98.4 ft (30.0 m)
Length229.7 ft (70.0 m)
Speed43.5 mph (70.0 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration2:00
G-force4.5
Height restriction52 in (132 cm)
TrainsSingle train with 2 cars, each seating 8 riders

Riders are placed in one of two cars on the train which is made to resemble a giant skateboard. Each car is a free-spinning circle that holds eight people. The track is in the shape of an upright "U", and riders board at the base of the track. LIM engines accelerate the train up both sides of the track. A ride cycle consists of approximately five to six cycles of the train traveling through the track.[1]

A third Half Pipe installation, identical to the others, was built on top of the Don Quijote store in Roppongi, Tokyo. It was completed in December 2005 but never opened, and it remained standing until its removal in 2017–2018.[2]

On November 13, 2019, the Särkänniemi version was reported as not reopening for the 2020 season. [3]

References

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  1. ^ "Half Pipe, Elitch Gardens". March 14, 2011.
  2. ^ Marden, Duane. "Half Pipe  (Don Quijote)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  3. ^ "Uutiset". www.yle.fi. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
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