Olympia Looping in England???

[gerstlaueringvar]

Olympia Looping might be retiring next year! Anton coasters are very reliable and they age the best. Olympia Looping seems to be in a great shape. I really think I will regret for the rest of my life if I don't fly to Germany to ride it next year.

 

Source

Edited September 27, 2016 by larrygator

[CPSFMMCW]

How reliable is that source? And do they just mean that it won't be traveling with that fair any more? Seems odd that they'd just randomly get ride of their most popular attraction...

 

Maybe it's just gonna go up for sale. If that's the case, then lets find a place for it at a permanent home.

[markysharky17]

I really wish I could get to Germany and ride this but no way and hell would my dad go there for a roller coaster. I honestly haven't been amazed by any Anton's. I have been on Scorpion and Mind Bender at SFOG and I thought both were nice rides but nothing mind blowing...

[GigaG]

If this is true, and if it might be scrapped or stored indefinitely, we really need to petition some park to buy this. I can't imagine why this wouldn't be a good permanant coaster. It's compact, intimidating, and very intense.

[WFChris]

Mexico loves old Schwarzkopf coasters. Maybe it will finally move closer to home!

[GigaG]

Mexico loves old Schwarzkopf coasters. Maybe it will finally move closer to home!

 

Or maybe bring some more Anton coasters to the US!

[tanthonyam]

That would be a dream come true if it came to the US. But I have a feeling it won't. Some small European park would probably snatch it up.

[gerstlaueringvar]

TPR Oktofest emergency tour anyone? Or the first coaster of TPR Park.

[GigaG]

Who owns Olympia Looping anyways?

[Swede]

Who owns Olympia Looping anyways?

 

R. Barth und Sohn KG is the owner I think. Sad news.

[Jew]

Granted it was Screamscape reporting it, but I recall a rumor from a few years ago reporting that Barth was looking for his next big coaster...

[oriolat]

I have been looking at Olympia Looping's official website and the section containing details of the fairs it's going to tour has not been updated since 2013. I want to ride Olympia so badly, even if it doesn't disappear anytime soon. Does anybody know where it's going to be this year, besides Oktoberfest? What about 2015?

 

Oriol "Might as well start a Kickstarter to buy it " Monroig

[BDG]

Quick translation of the article...

 

Düren. Majestätisch erheben sich die fünf Ringe in den Himmel – wie vor 25 Jahren, als der Bonner Schausteller Rudolf Barth seinen „Olympia-Looping“ nur wenige Monate nach der Premiere des Fahrgeschäfts auf dem Münchener Oktoberfest erstmals auch auf der Dürener Annakirmes präsentierte.

 

Seit 1990 ist der „Olympia-Looping“ eines der Wahrzeichen der Annakirmes. Gut möglich, dass das 13. Gastspiel in diesem Jahr das letzte an der Rur sein wird.

Düren. Majestically the five rings rise into the sky - just like 25 years ago, when Rudolf Barth from Bonn first presented his "Olympia Looping" at Düren's Annakirmes, only a few months after its premiere at Munich's Oktoberfest.

 

Since 1990 the Olympia Looping is the highlight of the Annakirmes. But it's possible that its 13th appearance will be its last.

 

Neupreis: 25 Millionen Euro

 

„Ich würde eine solche Investition heute nicht mehr tätigen“, gibt Achterbahn-Pionier Rudolf Barth frei und offen zu. Damals musste er 13 Millionen D-Mark für die „nackte Bahn“ auf den Tisch legen, den Fuhrpark noch nicht einmal eingerechnet. Allein der für den Auf- und Abbau benötigte Autokran schlug mit weiteren 2,7 Millionen D-Mark zu Buche. „Heute würde eine solche Bahn inklusive Fuhrpark sicherlich rund 25 Millionen Euro kosten“, ist der 74-Jährige überzeugt. Eine Investition, die einfach nicht mehr zu refinanzieren sei.

Today's price: 25 million euro.

 

"I wouldn't make such an investment anymore, today." admits rollercoaster pioneer Rudolf Barth. Back then, he had to pay 13 million German Marks for the "naked ride" alone, other equipment not included. The crane used to assemble the ride cost a further 2.7 million. "Today, a ride like this, including trucks, would definitely cost around 25 million euro." says the 74-year-old. An investment you simply can't earn back anymore.

 

Nicht, dass das Publikum im Laufe der Jahre im Zuge auch der boomenden Freizeitparks den Spaß an der Kirmes verloren hätte, im Gegenteil: „Auf dem Oktoberfest haben wir immer noch jedes Jahr mehr Fahrgäste“, betont Barth. Nein, es sind die laufenden Betriebs- und Transportkosten, die davongaloppiert sind. Früher ist Rudolf Barth mit dem „Olympia-Looping“ Jahr für Jahr sechs bis acht Plätze angefahren, war zwischen München und Hamburg unterwegs. In diesem Jahr sind es gerade einmal zwei Volksfeste, die er ansteuert: Düren und München.

It's not that the funfairs have becomes less popular because of the booming theme park business, on the contrary: "At the Oktoberfest we have more riders every year." says Barth. No, it's the operational and transport costs that have spun out of control. In the past, Rudolf Barth travelled with the Olympia Looping to six to eight funfairs every year, all the way from München to Hamburg. This year, he's only going to two: Düren and München.

 

„Als wir im vergangenen Jahr nach dem Oktoberfest noch zum Bremer Freimarkt gefahren sind, hat uns allein der Transport rund 80.000 Euro gekostet“, verrät der Schausteller. Kein Wunder: Für das mehr als 900 Tonnen schwere Geschäft werden 60 Lkw-Transporte benötigt. „Nach 16 Tagen blieben dann keine 20.000 Euro übrig. Das lohnt sich einfach nicht mehr.“

"Last year, when we went from the Oktoberbest to the Bremer Freimarkt, the transport alone cost us 80 000 euro." he says. No wonder: as the 900 ton ride needs 60 trucks. "After 16 days, we were left with only 20 000 euro. It's not worth it anymore".

 

Barth rechnet weiter: „Ich muss jeden Winter zwischen 150.000 und 200.000 Euro für Reparaturen in das Geschäft stecken.“ Und natürlich will auch das rumänische Personal bezahlt werden. Wenn Barth in früheren Jahren den „Olympia-Looping“ in nur fünf Tagen von Düren nach Straubing versetzte, benötigte er nicht zur zusätzliche Autokräne, sondern auch an die 30 Mann Personal. Den stressfreien Aufbau in den vergangenen Tagen in Düren stemmten gen gerade einmal sechs bis acht Mitarbeiter.

Barth continues to calculate: "Every winter, there's between 150 000 and 200 000 euro worth of repairs." And there's staff to be paid. In the past, when Barth moved the Olympia Looping from Düren to Straubing in just 5 days, he not only needed additional cranes, but also up to 30 people. The stress-free assembly the past days in Düren took only 6 to 8 people.

 

Dass Barth mit dem „Olympia-Looping“ nach dem zwölften und bislang letzten Gastspiel 2009 überhaupt noch einmal den Weg nach Düren gefunden hat, war alles andere als selbstverständlich. „Die Stadt ist uns sehr entgegenkommen“, betont der Schausteller, der im nahen Euskirchen eine große Halle besitzt, in der das Fahrgeschäft überwintert. Entsprechend überschaubar waren daher die Transportkosten. „Deshalb kann ich in Düren auch günstigere Fahrpreise als in München anbieten“, kündigt Barth an.

That Barth managed to bring the Olympia Looping back to Düren, after its 12th visit in 2009, was anything but obvious. "The city's location helped us a lot." says the showman, who owns a big warehouse in Euskirchen, where the ride spends the winter. As a result, transport costs were reasonable. "That's why our ticket prices are also cheaper here than in München." says Barth.

 

Wie lange er noch mit dem „Olympia-Looping“ unterwegs ist und ob er in den kommenden Jahren noch einmal nach Düren zurückkommen wird, lässt Rudolf Barth offen. „Ich könnte das Geschäft von heute auf morgen verkaufen. Angebote aus Freizeitparks in Fernost gibt es genug“, sagt der Schausteller, der im August 75 Jahre alt wird. Im kommenden Jahr will er vor dem Oktoberfest die Düsseldorfer Rheinkirmes und das Volksfest in Herne-Crange anfahren. Was danach kommt, steht in den Sternen.

How long he will tour the fairs with the Olympia Looping, and if he will ever visit Düren again, is uncertain. "I could sell the ride tomorrow. There are plenty of offers from parks in the Far East." says the showman, who turns 75 years old in August. In the coming year, he wants to visit Düsseldorf's Rheinkirmes and the Volksfest in Herne-Crange, before the Oktoberfest. What comes next, is still written in the stars.

[robbalvey]

I kinda wish a solution would be to sell it to an operator in Munich who could store it locally and just puts it up every year for Oktoberfest. Almost make it as much of a permanent installation for that fair as it can be. IMO, Olympia Looping is an icon of Oktoberfest and if they can make the money needed to run it at ONE fair all year round, with just the storage, annual maintenance, and assembly costs maybe that would offset the costs for having to transport it all over the place and the need for so many trucks?

Edited July 29, 2014 by robbalvey

[Ryan P.]

I kinda wish a solution would be to sell it to an operator in Munich who could store it locally and just puts it up every year for Oktoberfest. Almost make it as much of a permanent installation for that fair as it can be. IMO, Olympia Looping is an icon of Oktoberfest and if they can make the money needed to run it at ONE fair all year round, with just the storage, annual maintenance, and assembly costs maybe that would offset the costs for having to transport it all over the place and the need for so many trucks?

For that matter, make it permanent at a park close by. Putting a coaster up and taking it down probably causes alot of wear on the coaster. They just need to do something with this classic!

[robbalvey]

^ I disagree completely. Putting it up at a "park nearby" isn't going to be anywhere as iconic as having it set up at Oktoberfest. I think people just want to see it set up permanently for their own selfish reasons. The ride needs to be a fixture at Okoberfest. That's what it *needs*, IMO. Like the woodie at the Puyallup fair.

 

What are the Oktoberfest fair grounds used for the rest of the year?

 

And putting the coaster up and taking it down causes a lot of wear??? Are you a ride engineer? Do you know this??? The ride was SPECIFICALLY MADE for being portable. I highly doubt putting it up and taking it down once a year is going to impact it very much.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I kinda wish a solution would be to sell it to an operator in Munich who could store it locally and just puts it up every year for Oktoberfest. Almost make it as much of a permanent installation for that fair as it can be. IMO, Olympia Looping is an icon of Oktoberfest and if they can make the money needed to run it at ONE fair all year round, with just the storage, annual maintenance, and assembly costs maybe that would offset the costs for having to transport it all over the place and the need for so many trucks?

For that matter, make it permanent at a park close by. Putting a coaster up and taking it down probably causes alot of wear on the coaster. They just need to do something with this classic!

Check this out!

[Ryan P.]

Sorry i miss spoke. No im not an engineer, and i guess you are right it wouldnt be as iconic. I just dont want to see this coaster go. Again sorry for my supidity

[Ryan P.]

Thank you for the link! Very interesting

Check this out!

[PhilNotPhil]

I really wish I could get to Germany and ride this but no way and hell would my dad go there for a roller coaster. I honestly haven't been amazed by any Anton's. I have been on Scorpion and Mind Bender at SFOG and I thought both were nice rides but nothing mind blowing...

 

Schwarzkopfs aren't necessarily mindblowing--the best ones are deceptively wild relative to their compact size and height, and well-designed not to give head rattles or body bruises. Mind Bender and its cousin Shockwave at SFOT wouldn't make you think they're all that great just looking at them, but they've left generations of riders saying "Wow, I didn't think that would be so fun!"

 

I bet Olympia is terrific. I was lucky enough to ride Taz's Texas Tornado during the five minutes it was open in Houston and loved it.

[coasterkid124]

What are the Oktoberfest fair grounds used for the rest of the year?

 

The grounds are used for other events in the spring and winter. Other then that, I believe that the land is vacant for the rest of the year.

 

As for wear on the ride, placing the ride in storage would help the ride a lot more than having it permanently installed. While standing, the ride is exposed to the elements, and corrosion could begin to affect the track due to its age. If that happens in even one small section of track, it would be hard to replace and very expensive.

 

If the trains and track had a storage building, they would last a lot longer and be able to be maintained year round in a convenient facility.

[WFChris]

I'm no industry specialist, but isn't $25 million euro ($33.5m USD) a somewhat ridiculous price tag for that coaster? If somebody were to buy it they must REALLY want it!

[fraroc]

If hypothetically, a US park bought it....Who would be more likely? Cedar Fair or Six Flags?

[Woodie Warrior]

If hypothetically, a US park bought it....Who would be more likely? Cedar Fair or Six Flags?

I'd have to say neither. It would be great for a smaller park like Alabama Adventure. But I don't see it leaving Germany.

[WFChris]

^I don't see ANY U.S. park spending $33.5m on an old coaster. While Olympia Looping is definitely an impressive ride, it doesn't LOOK impressive, and I would assume US parks want to spend money on something far flashier than that for its price tag.

 

Maybe Knoebels or something like that would appreciate it. But again. $33.5m. Maybe it's cheaper if you don't need the trucks?