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Whizzer (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Whizzer is the name of two identical roller coasters built for the Marriott Corporation for each of their “Great America” parks at their debut in 1976. One was built in Gurnee, Illinois
, at Six Flags Great America
and the other in Santa Clara, California
, at what is now California's Great America. Marriott continued to operate both parks until selling them in 1984. Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf
of Germany
, the two rides were the last “Speedracer” models ever built. The Whizzer at California's Great America was dismantled in 1988 while the Whizzer in Illinois
continues to operate at Six Flags Great America
, one of only two Speedracers still in existence worldwide (the other operating as Broca at Parque Nacional Del Café
in Montenegro, Colombia).
to collide in the station. Unfortunately, no immediate solution was put forth to remedy this problem. In one four-year period, from 1976 to 1979, there were at least 11 recorded instances of the Whizzer at California's Great America colliding in the station, resulting in an unknown number of injuries. There were also two instances of the Whizzer at Six Flags Great America
colliding - both of which occurred less than a month apart in 1976. A total of 31 riders were injured in the Gurnee collisions. Then on March 29, 1980, a 14-year-old boy was killed and eight others injured when two trains collided at the station on the Santa Clara Whizzer. Following the accident, both rides underwent several changes. Seatbelts were added, the braking system was modified and the number of trains that could be run at once was reduced from five to three. Willard’s name was also dropped, leaving the ride’s name as simply "Whizzer." Marriott never reported the potential safety hazard to the Consumer Product Safety Commission
, which led to a 1981 civil penalty
amounting to $70,000.
C.E.O. Mark Shapiro, its future looks bright. However, that hasn’t always been the case. In August 2002, fueled by increasing maintenance costs, it was made public that the Whizzer would be removed to make way for a new attraction to open in 2003. The park wanted to give guests the opportunity to ride one of its more popular and nostalgic attractions one last time. Then, the park abruptly reversed their decision to remove the Whizzer and closed Shockwave
, a large, seven-inversion steel roller coaster, instead. The park cited overwhelming public outcry as reason for the last-minute change. Superman Ultimate Flight took to the skies in 2003 over the spot where Shockwave once stood.
, the Whizzer continued to operate until it was subsequently demolished in 1988. A few cement footers still remain, outlining the spot where the ill-fated Whizzer once stood. After the Whizzer was initially demolished, the station remained standing for years until Xtreme Skyflyer (upcharge attraction) was built on the Whizzer's former site in the late 1990s.
, where the train could be stopped if the need arose. After passing through the brakes, the track banks to the right and the speeding train hugs the spiral lift with a 200-degree turn (during the late 1970s, when the Whizzer ran more than three trains, riders would pass right by the next train full of riders making their way up the spiral lift). Next, the train dips down over a small pond and up into a few more dips and turns before completing the ride with a large 585-degree helix. Riders finally exit the woods and head into the brake run before returning to the station.
Gurnee, Illinois
Gurnee is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28,834 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 30,772 in 2005. The village borders the city of Waukegan and is considered a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Gurnee is perhaps best known for being the location of...
, at Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
and the other in Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
, at what is now California's Great America. Marriott continued to operate both parks until selling them in 1984. Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf
Anton Schwarzkopf
Anton Schwarzkopf was a German engineer of amusement rides, and founder of the Schwarzkopf Industries company, which built numerous rides and large roller coasters for both amusement parks and travelling funfairs....
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the two rides were the last “Speedracer” models ever built. The Whizzer at California's Great America was dismantled in 1988 while the Whizzer in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
continues to operate at Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
, one of only two Speedracers still in existence worldwide (the other operating as Broca at Parque Nacional Del Café
Colombian National Coffee Park
The Colombian National Coffee Park is a theme park located in the department of Quindío, Colombia, 4 km south-west of the town of Montenegro and 11 km west of the departmental capital city Armenia...
in Montenegro, Colombia).
Overview
Originally named “Willard’s Whizzer” in honor of J. Willard Marriott, founder of the Marriott Corporation, this family-friendly roller coaster navigates through a deeply wooded area behind the Hometown Square section of the park. An electric motor beneath each car powers the four-car trains to the top of a unique spiral lift hill, where gravity then takes control and delights riders with a series of swooping dives and ground-hugging turns. Guests sit in comfortable, tandem-style seats that were originally designed without any form of restraint device but currently utilize seatbelts.Troubled beginnings
From the start, both Willard’s Whizzer roller coasters suffered from problems with the braking system that would sometimes allow the trainsTrain (roller coaster)
A roller coaster train or car describes the vehicle which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. More specifically, a roller coaster train is made up of two or more "cars" which are connected by some sort of specialized joint. It is called a "train" because the cars follow one...
to collide in the station. Unfortunately, no immediate solution was put forth to remedy this problem. In one four-year period, from 1976 to 1979, there were at least 11 recorded instances of the Whizzer at California's Great America colliding in the station, resulting in an unknown number of injuries. There were also two instances of the Whizzer at Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
colliding - both of which occurred less than a month apart in 1976. A total of 31 riders were injured in the Gurnee collisions. Then on March 29, 1980, a 14-year-old boy was killed and eight others injured when two trains collided at the station on the Santa Clara Whizzer. Following the accident, both rides underwent several changes. Seatbelts were added, the braking system was modified and the number of trains that could be run at once was reduced from five to three. Willard’s name was also dropped, leaving the ride’s name as simply "Whizzer." Marriott never reported the potential safety hazard to the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent agency of the United States government created in 1972 through the Consumer Product Safety Act to protect "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products." The CPSC is an independent agency that does...
, which led to a 1981 civil penalty
Civil penalty
A civil penalty or civil fine is a term used to describe when a state entity, government agency, or private party seeks monetary relief against an individual as restitution for wrongdoing by the individual. The wrongdoing is typically defined by a codification of legislation, regulations, and decrees...
amounting to $70,000.
Gurnee Whizzer
The Gurnee Whizzer, at what is now Six Flags Great America, celebrated 30 years on May 29, 2006. It continues to thrill riders of all ages, and with the push toward more family-friendly entertainment by Six FlagsSix Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
C.E.O. Mark Shapiro, its future looks bright. However, that hasn’t always been the case. In August 2002, fueled by increasing maintenance costs, it was made public that the Whizzer would be removed to make way for a new attraction to open in 2003. The park wanted to give guests the opportunity to ride one of its more popular and nostalgic attractions one last time. Then, the park abruptly reversed their decision to remove the Whizzer and closed Shockwave
Shockwave (Six Flags Great America)
Shockwave was a large roller coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois...
, a large, seven-inversion steel roller coaster, instead. The park cited overwhelming public outcry as reason for the last-minute change. Superman Ultimate Flight took to the skies in 2003 over the spot where Shockwave once stood.
Santa Clara Whizzer
After Marriott sold California's Great America to the city of Santa Clara under management of the Kings Entertainment CompanyKECO Entertainment
Kings Entertainment Company owned and/or operated six theme parks around the world. The company was originally owned by Taft Broadcasting and in the mid 1980s was purchased by a few top-level executives of Taft's....
, the Whizzer continued to operate until it was subsequently demolished in 1988. A few cement footers still remain, outlining the spot where the ill-fated Whizzer once stood. After the Whizzer was initially demolished, the station remained standing for years until Xtreme Skyflyer (upcharge attraction) was built on the Whizzer's former site in the late 1990s.
Ride experience
Guests are seated two per seat (toboggan-style, with the taller person sitting in the rear and the shorter person sitting in front) and fasten their seatbelts. The train is dispatched from the station and quickly engages with an electrified center rail at that base of the lift that provides power to an electric motor beneath each of the train’s four cars. Riders make their way to the top of the 70 feet (21.3 m) spiral lift where the train disengages the electrified rail and allows gravity to take over. The lift propulsion system is identical to those found on Anton Schwarzkopf’s various "Jet Star" models. After leaving the lift, the train slowly picks up speed as it travels down the first drop at a shallow angle. At the bottom of the first drop, the track banks sharply to the right and turns around 200 degrees before beginning to ascend the second hill. There, riders have a chance to catch their breath as the train slowly makes a 220-degree turn to the left. Before long the train is accelerating rapidly down a swooping turn to the right where riders are treated to the most exhilarating portion of the ride – a 270-degree turn through the trees and within feet from the ground. After re-emerging from the foliage, the train ascends to the midcourse brake runBrake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
, where the train could be stopped if the need arose. After passing through the brakes, the track banks to the right and the speeding train hugs the spiral lift with a 200-degree turn (during the late 1970s, when the Whizzer ran more than three trains, riders would pass right by the next train full of riders making their way up the spiral lift). Next, the train dips down over a small pond and up into a few more dips and turns before completing the ride with a large 585-degree helix. Riders finally exit the woods and head into the brake run before returning to the station.
Whizzer today
Whizzer was designed in 1976 as a coaster for everyone, including both younger and older guests. Depending on crowd levels, the Whizzer often runs with two trains, but on busy days, it may run three. Trains are cycled and rehabbed each season to keep all necessary components running smoothly. Since 2004, Whizzer has been running with trains 3, 4 and 5. All three of the trains currently in use received new paint for the 2011 season.Awards
| Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2008 | 2009 |
| Ranking | ||
External links
- History of the Gurnee and Santa Clara Whizzer roller coasters
- Photos of Dismantled Whizzer in California.
- List of Anton Schwarzkopf Speedracer models
- Anton Schwarzkopf Speedracer catalogue overview
- Additional Gurnee Whizzer photos and information
- Additional Santa Clara Whizzer photos and information
- Video of the Whizzer in action