Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park to Add Defiance Coaster in 2022

© Glenwood Caverns / Gerstlauer

Back in April we heard from Gerstlauer that they had secured a contract to build a record breaking new roller coaster at a park in the U.S. that would open in May of 2022.  Flash forward to last week when Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park gave USA Today the exclusive story of their announcement of Defiance, a brand new mountain top custom-designed Euro-Fighter roller coaster.

The ride is a major addition for Glenwood Caverns, which does already feature several thrill rides but is not at all a typical amusement park.  They have some very unique rides, such as the S&S swing ride that goes out over a canyon, and the drop ride dug into a hole on the side of the mountain.

© Glenwood Caverns / Gerstlauer

Defiance will start as most Euro-Fighters do, with a vertical lift that takes passengers up to 75 feet.  Granted that's 75 feet from the start of the lift, but since we're talking on top of a mountain here, who knows how high up you'll really be!  After a brief pause trains will roll down the 110 foot first drop at 102.3 degrees, well beyond vertical, hitting a top speed of 56 miles per hour.

The ride's layout after that is somewhat short, but is sure to pack a punch.  The trains will head up into a twisted top hat element, then fall down and up into a banana roll.  After that comes an upward zero g roll that straightens out into the final brake run.  There will be a total of three inversions.

One of the best aspects of Defiance is that it will feature only lap bars, allowing unobstructed views of the area around the ride, which are sure to be beyond priceless.