Corkscrew
Specific Type: Corkscrew
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When Silverwood Theme Park decided to add their first roller coaster in 1990, just a couple years after the park’s opening, they brought in a true piece of roller coaster history. Corkscrew, originally designed as a prototype coaster built on-site when Arrow Dynamics was located in Mountain View (Santa Clara County), California. Once completed, members of the Knott’s family decided to purchase the coaster, which then opened at Knott’s Berry Farm in 1975. Designed by the legendary Ron Toomer, it was the first modern inverting coaster in the world and the first coaster to ever take riders upside down twice, a ride that was duplicated 10 times over the next four years. In 1989, the park sold Corkscrew to Silverwood for $250,000 to make room for Boomerang.
Located near the front of the park, what was once the first modern inverting coaster is now rather tame by most standards, making it often a walk-on attraction. Pulling down the old over-the-shoulder-restraints in the classic Arrow trains takes many back in history to a time when the coaster was an absolute icon of engineering and ingenuity. The ride starts with a small dip and 180-degree right turn into the 70-foot lift hill ahead. Over the top, a slight drop and another 180-degree right turn leads into a 62-foot drop right next to the station exit. As the track rises it begins to bank and roll to the right then back down again before entering the rides signature element, a clockwise-rotating set of double corkscrews. A rise and final 180-degree right turn leads into the classic coasters brake run. While the ride may not be anything spectacular by today’s standards, one thing can always be said about this coaster – it’s legendary! |
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