USA: Rowdy Bear Ridge Adventure Park Opened World's First CoasterKart Attraction

Visitors to the Rowdy Bear Ridge Adventure Park in Pigeon Forge (Tennessee), which is owned and managed by Lisa and Mark Williford, are now able to experience the new CoasterKart, the world’s first installation of this attraction type developed by Germany‘s Josef Wiegand company (cf. EAP 5/2020). The track system of the CoasterKart is similar to that of the AlpineCoaster, one of the most popular family rides from the German supplier’s portfolio. The difference lies in the electromagnet mounted underneath the CoasterKart’s two-seater vehicles, which glides tightly over metal plates via its own rail and thus drives the respective vehicle in a contactless way, what allows for a weather-independent and quiet operation.

The CoasterKart installation in Pigeon Forge comprises a 620-metre-long track built on a terrain with a gradient of over 15 percent. In the two-person karts, whose speed can be interactively controlled by riders via a joystick, guests rush along the track passing through two tunnels. At the end, a kind of final launch section makes for a surprising element. Currently, the attraction operates with seven karts; in the long term, a capacity increase to a total of twelve karts is planned.

Mark Williford is excited about this new attraction: “The CoasterKart brings a new type of interactive experience to the market. Almost like a ‘turbo’ throttle, the Kart can accelerate without the need for downhill gravity. The coaster is appealing to a wide demographic as the customer can control the speed and accelerate. And with the user control variable, the customers want to ride over and over.”

In Europe, there are also first CoasterKart projects underway, with one currently under construction in Wales. In addition, an installation on the roof of a football stadium is being planned, according to the manufacturer. (eap)