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Ride manufacturer Zamperla is behind the CA$9m development of what will be Canada’s fastest launch coaster when it opens in 2024
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 08 Nov 2022
The ride will be officially unveiled at this year’s IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida Credit: Pacific National Exhibition
A CA$9m (US$6.7m, €6.67m, £5.8m) attraction coming to the Playland Amusement Park in Vancouver will become Canada’s fastest launch coaster when it opens in 2024.
Catapulting riders forward at speeds of up to 72kmph (45mph) over 380m (1,246ft) of track, the Zamperla-designed Lightning LSM Coaster sets a new standard in class for this kind of attraction in Canada.
Taking the place of the now-retired Corkscrew coaster, the new model is the latest in a number of new developments for the park, including another Zamperla model - the spinning Gryphon ride. Zamperla says that the latest announcement caps off nearly a decade of growth for the company, with the multi-million dollar project highlighting the development of its Roller Coaster Business Unit. The ride also represents the next step for operator Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), which has made a number of investments into Playland since the start of the pandemic.
“Despite the financial effects of the pandemic, PNE has displayed its resiliency and innovation by not only surviving the pandemic but by pivoting our business throughout it to emerge in a place to invest in this spectacular ride and into Playland’s future,” said PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost.
“We know the new coaster will be an impressive addition to Playland’s ride roster, and we look forward to introducing it to our guests in 2024.”
The ride will feature Zamperla’s brand-new Lightning train - an element to be revealed for the first time at a special press event on November 15 during IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida.
“The Lightning represents the next step of rollercoaster design and we will unveil the vehicle at IAAPA Expo in Orlando, the most important trade show for the attractions industry,” said Adam Sandy, Zamperla’s rollercoaster sales and marketing director.
“Our engineers have worked to make sure this is the best roller coaster train in the world. We thought about every square centimetre of the Lightning, from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the seat. The Zamperla engineering team kept our core design values at the forefront: safety, ergonomics, the total cost of ownership and of course pure fun for thrillseekers.”
IAAPA 2022
Taking place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, from November 14-17, this year’s IAAPA Expo will feature an extensive trade show floor with more than 1,000 exhibitors from around the world and a comprehensive education programme with more than 200 sessions covering topics such as emergency preparedness, community experience, food and beverage and recruitment. A series of exciting networking opportunities will also be on offer.
Having served as a key media partner at the 2022 edition of IAAPA Expo Europe in London, Planet Attractions will also be in attendance, bringing you the latest updates directly from the show floor. To book a meeting with Planet Attractions at IAAPA Expo please contact our publisher Paul Thorman at [email protected].
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