Specific Type: Mega Coaster
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Holiday Park is a small woodland park in Haßloch, Germany. For 3 decades it had only one roller coaster operating at a time, the most recent of which was Super Wirbel, the first inverting coaster in Germany. But for its 30th anniversary, a new roller coaster would put Holiday Park on the map. Enter Expedition GeForce, opened in June 2001. It features a unique twisted first drop, seven moments of airtime and three fan curves. Designed by Intamin of Switzerland in collaboration with German engineer Werner Stengel and constructed by RCS GmbH, it is one of the most highly acclaimed roller coasters among enthusiasts.
The train leaves the station and immediately starts climbing the 188 foot (57 meter) tall cable lift hill. After cresting the lift hill, riders travel down the initial drop while twisting to the right. After accelerating to its maximum speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h), the train travels up and over a large airtime hill and through the over-banked turn. Another airtime hill follows and then riders enter a fan curve to the left and exit over water. The track then takes an upward turn to the left and travels downwards into a 180 degree banked turn to the right before rising up, giving riders a pop of airitime. Riders then dive to the left and into the final fan curve taken in the shadow of the first. The train then travels over two airtime hills at high speed and enters a 90 degree turn to the left. The ride finished with another pair of airtime hills and the train is brought to a halt on the brake run. During the 2002 season, an American high school teacher spent 104 days riding Expedition GeForce for 10 hours each day. In 2003, he raised 10,000 euros for charity by riding Expedition GeForce and Super Wirbel for 49 days. In April 2010, one of the cars derailed causing the train to come to a sudden stop at the bottom of the first drop. Nobody was seriously injured however riders had to be evacuated by fire fighters. Expedition GeForce has been featured in coaster design software NoLimits and the video game RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and is now sponsered by German radio station BigFM. The ride has received high praise from enthusiasts and the general public. Since its debut in 2001, it has remained one of the top three steel roller coasters in Mitch Hawker’s poll and has achieved first place five times. |
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