Wipeout (Dreamworld)
Encyclopedia
The Wipeout is a Vekoma
Waikiki Wave Super Flip at Dreamworld
on the Gold Coast
, Queensland
, Australia
. The opening of this ride in 1993 caused part of Country Fair to be rethemed to Ocean Parade.
The ride experience has been modified several times throughout its lifetime. The most major modifications occurred in the latter half of 2007. Due to water restrictions and the deterioration of the ride, the original lagoon was drained. Previously the lagoon featured water jets and a robotic shark, named Fluffy, that would circle underneath.
. In actual fact, the ride is based on the top spin style of ride but features a main difference. One of the arms can bend allowing for diagonal twists and turns rather than only horizontal. The bending arm allows for one side of the ride to travel in a clockwise direction, with the other in an anti-clockwise direction.
The ride first starts off by going straight up and down giving you butterfly feelings, then swings at the top 3 times then goes back down straight and up again. Then it locks into position. After 10 nail biting seconds the wipeout powers up and the 2 arms start to move and go in the opposite direction to each other and the gondala goes up side down and back up another 2 times, on the 3rd time it does it, and it flips all the way round twice once or sometimes not at all. Then the ride goes in everyway possible swinging you around (but not up side down) and keeps going and then it slows down at the front of the ride and the left arm stops while the right arm goes around and then the other starts to go again and goes around once and stops at the wave and locks. This is when everyone thinks finally its over! After 10 seconds the gondola locks and both arms go very slowly in the same direction all the way to the way to the top very slowly locked up side down and then releases and does another backflip, and swings back and forth till it gets to the top. Once at the top on good days it will lock up side down and on other days it does 2 big swings and then both arms go in the same direction all the way and the breaks are applied and goes back and docks.
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
Waikiki Wave Super Flip at Dreamworld
Dreamworld
Dreamworld is a large theme park situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is currently Australia's largest theme park with over 27 rides including 4 roller coasters. The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, Kid's World, Wiggles World, Gold Rush Country, Rocky Hollow, Tiger...
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The opening of this ride in 1993 caused part of Country Fair to be rethemed to Ocean Parade.
History
The Wipeout was opened in 1993. It is the only Wakiki Wave Super Flip in the world, and was constructed by Vekoma specifically for the park.The ride experience has been modified several times throughout its lifetime. The most major modifications occurred in the latter half of 2007. Due to water restrictions and the deterioration of the ride, the original lagoon was drained. Previously the lagoon featured water jets and a robotic shark, named Fluffy, that would circle underneath.
Ride
By first looks, the ride is an ordinary top spinTop Spin (ride)
The Top Spin is a thrill ride developed by HUSS Maschinenfabrik, and is the generic name for a series of rides from other manufacturers that follow the same principle. The ride consists of a passenger platform suspended between two counterweighted arms...
. In actual fact, the ride is based on the top spin style of ride but features a main difference. One of the arms can bend allowing for diagonal twists and turns rather than only horizontal. The bending arm allows for one side of the ride to travel in a clockwise direction, with the other in an anti-clockwise direction.
The ride first starts off by going straight up and down giving you butterfly feelings, then swings at the top 3 times then goes back down straight and up again. Then it locks into position. After 10 nail biting seconds the wipeout powers up and the 2 arms start to move and go in the opposite direction to each other and the gondala goes up side down and back up another 2 times, on the 3rd time it does it, and it flips all the way round twice once or sometimes not at all. Then the ride goes in everyway possible swinging you around (but not up side down) and keeps going and then it slows down at the front of the ride and the left arm stops while the right arm goes around and then the other starts to go again and goes around once and stops at the wave and locks. This is when everyone thinks finally its over! After 10 seconds the gondola locks and both arms go very slowly in the same direction all the way to the way to the top very slowly locked up side down and then releases and does another backflip, and swings back and forth till it gets to the top. Once at the top on good days it will lock up side down and on other days it does 2 big swings and then both arms go in the same direction all the way and the breaks are applied and goes back and docks.
External links
- Footage of the ride operating on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. - A bit of Wipeout operating on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.