All photos: courtesy Vekoma. View full-sized image.
In the mid-1980s, the Vekoma boomerang was causing a stir. Loops were still en vogue, so a compact ride that delivered six inversions on a small footprint was heavily sought after. In all, Vekoma went on to sell more than 50. It was popular for multiple reasons.
Even enthusiasts clamored to them when they first opened. Sure, they were a bit aggressive, but not much more than the standard looping fare of the era. They provided big thrills! It was the proliferation of them virtually everywhere that led to enthusiast apathy. “Oh, another boomerang.” Needless to say, the amusement industry bought them. They filled a need.
Someone smart at Vekoma came up with a brilliant idea 15 years ago. “How about we make a family shuttle coaster?” Or something like that. And the family boomerang coaster was born.
The first appeared at Drayton Manor (Staffordshire, England), called Ben 10 at the time. Two opened in 2011. The public and enthusiasts were quite pleased with them. Since then, in just a decade and a half, the “new” Vekoma has more than 40 on the books.
Like the high-intensity version, riders travel forward and backward. However, there are no inversions, making it a great for families. The concept thrived in Europe and other countries. The U.S. seemed oblivious to the family trend until 2024, when Kings Island (Mason, Ohio) and Holiday World (Santa Claus, Indiana) finally brought the genre stateside.
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Now North America has another, this time in Mexico. Speedway Stunt Coaster opened on January 31 at Six Flags Mexico (Mexico City). Sporting a race car motif, it added a needed family ride to the coaster arsenal.
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Black supports and red track make use of an area previously housing carnival games, which have since been relocated. By using the manufacturer’s standard 208m Rebound layout, it was an ideal fit. This model is a best seller in terms of the family boomerang option; some installations are custom-designed for a park.
Now with Speedway Stunt Coaster in the lineup, Six Flags Mexico boasts a coaster count in the double digits. Bravo!
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News
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