Sea World Australia's Corkscrew becomes the Sea Viper

http://www.parkz.com.au/article/2009/11/11/227-Sea-World-Corkscrew-replaced-by-new-attraction.html

Sea World's iconic Corkscrew Rollercoaster has closed to make way for a new major attraction.

 

MyFun, the ticketing portal and online presence for Warner Village Theme Parks, have reported the iconic Corkscrew Rollercoaster will no longer be entertaining riders as it has for the past 27 years. In its place will be the exact same ride, with a colour change and a new train -- arguably the most exciting new attraction to hit the Gold Coast this summer!

Sea World's Corkscrew Rollercoaster was a favourite at the park for some 27 years. Introduced at a time when the competition was feirce between Sea World and its rival Dreamworld. Dreamworld had the double-looping Thunderbolt, while Sea World had the smaller, smoother and more comfortable triple-inversion Corkscrew.

 

Along with the image of flipping dolphins, there's perhaps no image more symbolic of Sea World than that of Corkscrew's white track twisting beneath the Sea World Monorail, another of the park's hallmark attractions.

 

Corkscrew's fate was sealed when its white track was seen repainted in a bold orange scheme. As details unfolded, it was revealed that Corkscrew Rollercoaster's days were numbered.

 

The roller coaster, built by defunct US roller coaster construction firm Arrow, now sits dormant awaiting its replacement this summer.

 

Guests to Sea World however will not disappointed for long. Coming soon is Sea World's replacement for the iconic roller coaster, Sea Viper.

 

Sea Viper will utilise the exact same ride structure as Corkscrew but provide a completely new ride experience thanks to a new ride vehicle from little-known ride manufacturer KumbaK, an offshoot company of dutch coaster manufacturer Vekoma that is now home to many of the brains behind Vekoma's greatest accomplishments.

 

The ride's new trains, featuring an open carriage that loosely resembles Sea Viper's namesake, a grotesque deepsea creature with a fearsome looking jaw. It's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to visual Sea Viper's modern restraint system as these dagger teeth.

 

Sea World wasn't the first to make the bold move. Holiday World, an award winning US park announced that its decorated wooden roller coaster The Voyage would be receiving new trains to make the coaster feel "even faster and smoother". No new attraction here though; Holiday World simply left the announcement at that.

 

Disneyland also recently completely rebuilt its iconic Space Mountain roller coaster from the ground up. But despite being a completely new experience in every sense, the ride simply reappeared as Space Mountain once again after its extended closure with minimal fanfare outside of enthusiast groups.

 

Corkscrew's reincarnation as Sea Viper won't see any changes to the rider position or fundamental ride experience. Instead the experience will change through an obvious reimagining of the ride's presence within the park.

 

The coaster's train was obviously in need of replacing, and Sea World are clearly not one to disappoint, using this as an opportunity for an all-new attraction to bring the 27 year old beast up to date with a modern look to go with what's sure to be the hit of the Coast this summer.

Although the article is a bit misleading, Corkscrew isn't being removed, just refurbished to accommodate new trains from KumbaK. Considering the fate of similar Arrow coasters in the last few years, I think Sea World is lucky (if not smart) to be upgrading this classic. While I've yet to try any KumbaK trains (that I know of), any plussing of an timeless coaster is a good move in my eyes.

Well, at least the ride will be well themed as it says Sea Vipers are 'grotesque' and so are Kumbak trains.

http://www.kumbak.nl/python.html

They don't look THAT bad, Too bad they're really hit or miss ridewise (in my expirience)

At any rate, coasters being Refit is always good news to me

Defiantly not the coolest trains I've ever seen.

MyFun, the ticketing portal and online presence for Warner Village Theme Parks, have reported the iconic Corkscrew Rollercoaster will no longer be entertaining riders as it has for the past 27 years. In its place will be the exact same ride, with a colour change and a new train -- arguably the most exciting new attraction to hit the Gold Coast this summer!

Hahaha - it's a completely new ride except that it is exactly the same ride.

The whole article treats it like the coaster is being removed. That was funny.

This ride was never "iconic". It was a rough, off-the-shelf Arrow coaster. It was just as rough, if not rougher, than the dreaded Thunderbolt the article compares it to.

It was a crap ride before the retheme, and by the looks of it, it's now an UGLY crap ride.

EDIT: HAHA, OH WOW. They even managed to compare the ride to Space Mountain. Like tearing up the track and completing replacing it is equal to painting it orange and renaming it.

Is Python at Efteling any good? If its not rough, I guess its good for the coaster, at least the coaster is getting some much needed love.

Looks like the PR guys are doing their jobs a little too well...color me confused.

This ride was never "iconic". It was a rough, off-the-shelf Arrow coaster. It was just as rough, if not rougher, than the dreaded Thunderbolt the article compares it to.

While I concede that roughness is different for everyone, Corkscrew isn't now, and never was more rough then Thunderbolt. Given you were 11 at the time Thunderbolt closed I would suggest that maybe you don't remember Thunderbolt well enough, but take it from someone who rode on that thing quite allot, it was much rougher then Corkscrew. Corkscrew, as far as Arrow loopers go (at least compared to the ones I've been on) it is actually very smooth. As for being iconic well I hate to say it, but 99.7 people out of 100 could care less if it's an Arrow off the shelf ride. Its the only one like it in Australia, and since its been there for 27 years, the fact is it has become Iconic.

It was a crap ride before the retheme, and by the looks of it, it's now an UGLY crap ride.

No arguments from me about it being ugly, the new track colour is not working for me at all.

EDIT: HAHA, OH WOW. They even managed to compare the ride to Space Mountain. Like tearing up the track and completing replacing it is equal to painting it orange and renaming it.

I think you're missing the point with this one. The article mentions that when Disney completely rebuilt Space Mountain they didn't advertise Space Mountain as a different attraction. Despite all the new effects, nearly every wall panel being changed and being a totally new coaster, it was still referred to as the same Space Mountain with new effects. Seaworld on the other hand have decided that a new train and a paint job warrants calling the 27 year old ride a "New attraction".

Would it help the confusion if I revealed that the article is a bit tongue in cheek about the way the park is choosing to market the new train?

It struck me as odd that they compared this refurbishment to Voyage and Space Mt. There must be a reason for that that I'm missing.

What the article is pointing out is that while Voyage is getting a new train, it's not being advertised as a different new attraction. With Space Mountain they went even further and totally rebuilt it, and was not advertised as a different new attraction.

Corkscrew is getting a new train and IS being referred to as a completely new attraction.

I would love to hear a review on how Python at Efteling runs with the KumbaK trains. I know it is wrong to judge a book by its cover, but I just see a lot of places that would hurt my arms, shoulders, neck and head.

I'm not trying to discredit them, because what they are doing is cool, but the trains look very "interesting" to say the least. Here's to hoping they are totally rad and none of us know it.

My experience was that Corkscrew is a very average coaster, I haven't been to Sea World since 2003, and I don't know if I'd bother if I ever went back (after the 2003 visit to the Gold Coast I became so disillusioned with Aussie Coasters I started travelling overseas to parks later that year - first stop Cedar Point).

Cheaper for them than adding a new attraction, even if it's very uninspiring.

KumbaK really makes the worst seats ever. Their trains may look cool, but the seats themselves are really uncomfortable.

I'd hoped the park would pay the extra dollar and some decent trains from Vekoma.

This ride was never "iconic". It was a rough, off-the-shelf Arrow coaster. It was just as rough, if not rougher, than the dreaded Thunderbolt the article compares it to.

 

It was a crap ride before the retheme, and by the looks of it, it's now an UGLY crap ride.

 

EDIT: HAHA, OH WOW. They even managed to compare the ride to Space Mountain. Like tearing up the track and completing replacing it is equal to painting it orange and renaming it.

They're not going to bash their own ride. Not good advertising, really.

Am I the only one that likes the look of the trains?

For those of you playing at home, you might have spotted this in the EAS TR:

These trains have turned up at the park (Same colour scheme, car pattern etc)

Those coaster trains from Kumbak are far from comfortable.

God help those poor people riding it.

---Hans

I can only agree Kumbak trains have nice looks but you will not find a soft spot on them. They are very uncomfortable. It's good that python, at the efteling is a short ride, because I can't stand these seats very long.

Well they may not be comfortable but they look good. They do fit the theme however. Does BEC own this SeaWorld or does someone else?

I believe someone else owns it. I imagine hearing "Bizarro #1!" in an Aussie accent.

^^SeaWorld and Sea World are both owned by different companies. SeaWorld (O town, SD and SA) are obviously owned by BEC which is know Blackstone. And Sea World of Australia is owned by Warner.

^ Seaworld Australia used to be half owned by Warner. Now it's owned totally by Village Roadshow, who also own Warner Brother's Movieworld Australia, and the Wet 'n' Wild parks in Australia, Phoenix and Hawaii. They also own a few attractions in Sydney and an aquarium in New Zealand.

http://seaworld.myfun.com.au/Attractions/Rides/Sea-Viper.htm

Remember everyone’s favourite rollercoaster, the Corkscrew?

 

Well, we’ve given it a makeover to deliver an all new ride experience...Hang on to the edge of your seat in the new Sea Viper coaster – with exciting new low profile carriages, you’ll experience thrills on the triple loop-the-loop track like never before.

 

Survive Sea Viper at Sea World this summer! Opening Christmas 2009.

Sea World has updated their own website to show off Sea Viper. The description above and a new logo have debuted in light of the announcement.

I believe someone else owns it. I imagine hearing "Bizarro #1!" in an Aussie accent.

Lol I was also thinking of Six Flags when I read this

Sea Viper won't even be the #1 coaster at Sea World and they only have two coasters, at least Cedar Fair don't own the place then it would be called Fairly Painful Coaster.

Those KumbaK seats, I'm trying to figure out which vertebrae it's going to shatter, here comes da pain.

Yay, I can TPR at work for the first time in months, don't know if it will last.