Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Indiana Beach to Add New Flat Ride + Classic Schwarzkopf Coaster in 2021


© Indiana Beach
Indiana Beach has announced some major plans for their 2021 season, including adding a new flat ride and a famous triple looping Schwarzkopf roller coaster to their lineup.  The classic amusement park reopened this year after being saved from permanent closure, much to the joy of its fans.  Now it will be bigger and better than ever in 2021.


The new flat ride is named the Polyp, a famous creation that features five arms with four cars at the end of each.  The ride spins and undulates giving a variety of sensations for riders.  The ride was originally operated at Kiddieland Park in Illinois, and is already on site at Indiana Beach and receiving a full restoration.


The huge news is that the park will be adding one of Anton Schwarzkopf's classic triple looping roller coasters to its roster of thrills.  While the park did not include it in the official announcement, it has been confirmed that the coaster most recently operated as Quimera at La Feria Chapultepec Magico in Mexico.  Originally a traveling coaster for the European fair circuit, it also previously was operated in Malaysia and the United Kingdom.  If not familiar with the ride, here is an on ride video from Coasterforce:


The coaster stands 111 feet tall, features 3,444 feet of track and has a top speed of 53 miles per hour.  As with many of Anton's creations, the coaster is known for its high forces and quick speeds as the trains travel through three vertical loops.


The ride does have some unfortunate history attached to it, as there was a serious accident on the ride while in Mexico in 2019.  Indiana Beach has assured fans that the coaster will be fully refurbished and brought up to current operating and safety standards.  I wouldn't be surprised if the park spends far more on improvements to the coaster than its actual purchase price.


The park promises to reveal the official name for the coaster, along with more photos and updates, throughout the winter.  The 2021 season, which is the park's 95th, is shaping up to be quite a memorable one!


1 comments:

Anthony said...

This is Great. I thought that I would never have a chance to ride this classic coaster. A bit of information has been omitted about the Polyp. After Kiddieland closed Lake Winnie has had this ride set up at the front of the park through 2020. A quick check on their website shows that the Polyp has been removed and since it is the last operating Klaus Polyp in the US I am positive that Indiana Beach purchased it from them.