Shivering Timbers (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Shivering Timbers is a Wooden roller coaster
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...

 at Michigan's Adventure
Michigan's Adventure
Michigan's Adventure is a amusement park in Muskegon County, Michigan, about halfway between Muskegon, Michigan and Whitehall, Michigan. It is the largest amusement park in the state and has been owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company since 2001...

 in Muskegon County, Michigan
Muskegon County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 170,200 people, 63,330 households, and 44,267 families residing in the county. The population density was 334 people per square mile . There were 68,556 housing units at an average density of 135 per square mile...

. It was developed and built by Custom Coasters International
Custom Coasters International
Custom Coasters International was one of the premier wooden roller coaster manufacturers in the world and produced more wooden coasters in recent times than any other company...

. Opened in May 1998, Shivering Timbers debuted for the park's 30th year in operation and was a success. Construction for the ride began in 1997. The trains were made by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. The ride's out and back
Out and Back roller coaster
Out and back refers to the layout of a roller coaster. An out and back coaster is one that climbs a lift hill, races out to the far end of the track, performs a 180 degree turn and then races its way back to the station....

 layout is 5383 feet long, making it the 6th longest wooden roller coaster in the world.

Ride layout and Experience

The ride starts with a left turn out of the station and on to the 122 ft (37.2 m) lift hill. At the base of the lift hill, the train reaches its maximum speed of 57 mph (91.7 km/h). Following the lift hill are two camelback hills, the first being 100 ft (30.5 m) tall, and the second being 95 ft (29 m) tall. In these hills, riders experience "ejector air-time
Air-time
Air time is the feeling of weightlessness or negative gravity force experienced on a roller coaster or other amusement rides. On roller coasters this feeling is usually achieved by the train going over a hill. Hypercoasters such as Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point and Bizarro at Six Flags New England...

." The train then jumps a bunny hop and another camelback hill and a double-up hill, before turning around for the second half of its course. After the turnaround, the train hits another bunny hop and another double-up hill. After the double-up hill is a unique element known as a "trick track," in which the track banks from side to side, on an otherwise flat section. After the trick track, there is a series of 5 bunny hop hills. After the last hill there is an on-ride photo camera and the ride's finale, a 630 degree helix, in which riders experience lateral g-force
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...

. After the helix, the train slides on to the final brake run and does a u-turn back into the station.

Rankings

Shivering Timbers has been consistently ranked among the best wooden roller coasters.
Golden Ticket Awards: Top Wooden Roller Coasters
Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Ranking
4
2
2
2
2
2
3
6
6
7
10
11
9

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Wooden-Tracked Roller Coaster
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Ranking
1
2
2
2
1
3
1
10
14
15
19
24

NAPHA
National Amusement Park Historical Association
The National Amusement Park Historical Association was founded in 1978 by a former employee of Chicago's Riverview Amusement Park, and NAPHA has grown throughout a long period of time to include amusement parks from all over the world. NAPHA preserves amusement park history and historic rides. ...

Survey: Favorite Wood Roller Coaster
Year 2005 2006 2007
Ranking
-
3
-
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