Is the Vertical Loop on its way out soon?

[iloveblueberries]

I have noticed their has been a gradual decrease in popularity for vertical loops to be implemented on roller coasters over the past 10 years. This is especially true for any ride that Rocky Mountain Construction has built (or ever will build), and it's looking like they will be the dominant coaster designers of this generation. Loops are just too much of a double edged sword. On one end, half of the GP thinks it makes the ride 100x better and fun. The other half is too intimidated just by the thought of going upside down, let alone through a fast high-g loop! It makes sense from a business perspective to keep inversions as a series of twists, barrel rolls and overbanks, since it doesn't alienate half of the park's potential guests. I think the vertical loop will one day be viewed as an archaic roller coaster element of the past, although it would be fun to ride a coaster with a vertical loop every once in a while, similar to riding old 20's wooden coasters nowadays.

 

I mean just look at this

and this

and this

 

compared to this

and this

and this

 

I see RMC's style of implementing inversions and overbanks dominating the industry very soon, leaving the traditional loop as a part of roller coaster history.

 

And if you don't think loops are going away any time soon, at least we can agree that OTSR's are! Right?

[MrSum1_55]

I believe the reason why RMC has not built a vertical loop yet is due to structural limitations with the wood supports, and not the decrease in popularity of loops.

 

So, no. I do not think that the vertical loop is going out of style. Recent additions have included rides like Banshee with two vertical loops, or YOLOcoaster, which massively publicized its large loop. Even after experiencing many other types of inversions, I still think that few things beat a good, old-fashioned high-G loop.

[gerstlaueringvar]

No, maybe RMC doesn't want to build loops because they want to stay low G's, but there are still manufacturers that adds loop on their rides. Bluefire clones are showing up everywhere, YOLOcoaster is getting huge success, Gerstlauer can pretty much add anything to their Infinity Coaster and Euro Fighter, B&M is still doing the same thing for 20 years, Vekoma still sells Boomerangs... Plus, Golden Horse, SBL, Zhipao, Zhongye etc are still building knock-off coasters with loops.

 

RMC having so many orders and might dominant the coaster world for this decade doesn't mean vertical loops are going anywhere.

[DaveDowning]

To be honest, I must say I disagree.

 

While it might be true that RMC has spawned a completely new type of coaster, I don´t see RMC as the leading company for the years to come. Still other companies (*cough* B&M *cough*) sell way more coasters than RMC do, and that´s what counts for me in the end.

 

As already mentioned here, the problem with the RMC Hybrid Coasters is that it will be extremely difficult to construct a vertical loop with that technology. But I don´t think it´s impossible. Just look at the Goliath Lifthill - this is something that might have a "classic" look but *technically* still makes the whole thing a steel coaster. Steel track on Steel Supports = Steel Coaster.

 

So when they pull this off on a lift hill, why not do it on a loop? They could still call it a "hybrid" coaster and have a vertical loop aswell.

 

But to get back to the question:

 

No, the Vertical Loop will not go away soon. Each year there are more new coasters with Vertical Loops than RMC Creations. So the Loop is here to stay (which is a good thing, I think at least).

[Geauga Dog]

I don't see vertical loops disappearing any time soon. Despite all the newer ways to invert people I still consider them a staple in elements.

 

All RMC has to do is look at Son of Beast for inspiration if they want to try doing a vertical loop, which other than the first drop, was the best part of that ride.

[KingRCT3]

Other than the structural problems (which are not, see Goliath's dive loop), vertical loops are a no-no for RMC because they require having a headrest. Though they made their dive loop without, which I thought was not recommended.

 

As for the OTSR's, yes they are going away, but only in their older format. The vest restraint is a great solution in the industry (though many here dislike it), it maintains people in a good riding position, and that's essential in vertical loops. Although some designs of lap-bar are allowing to not bothering with it, I'm thinking of Mack megacoaster's and their thickness.

[OrlandoGuy]

On one end, half of the GP thinks it makes the ride 100x better and fun. The other half is too intimidated just by the thought of going upside down, let alone through a fast high-g loop! It makes sense from a business perspective to keep inversions as a series of twists, barrel rolls and overbanks, since it doesn't alienate half of the park's potential guests.

 

Why would guests that are scared of going upside down through a vertical loop not be scared of going upside down through a barrel roll.......?

[VF15]

I don't think the vertical loop is necessarily on it's way out, it's just not as popular as it used to be because of newer, more interesting looking elements that have come out in the last few years. I just think that we probably won't see one on an RMC because of the rides' structures. Manufacturers like B&M and Intamin and other ones still make coasters with vertical loops, just maybe not as often.

 

As for OTSRs, I don't think those will completely die off either, but I'm still glad that we're starting to see fewer coasters with them .

Edited November 16, 2014 by VF15

[cfc]

Looks like the consensus regarding the possible demise of the vertical loop is "no"--which seems about right to me. I doubt the classic loop is going away simply because RMC isn't building them.

[YoshiCraft2011]

I really don't know how you think that the good old vertical loop is going away just because one manufacturer has yet to include them on their coasters. Like someone else said on this topic, there was YOLOcoaster which was built last year, and it has a gigantic vertical loop along with a top hat! Plus, the GP still loves loops very much (with the exception of kids who think it's "unsafe"), and I do too. Montezooma's Revenge has aged beautifully, and the vertical loop on Silver Bullet ended a period of boringness.

 

So, no. Vertical loops aren't going anywhere. They will most likely to remain an integral part of many coasters for many, many years to come.

[A.J.]

Considering that at least two major 2015 roller coasters in the US will have vertical loops, I think that they're still a thing.

 

Also re: shoulder harnesses, it all depends on the train design.

[ECZenith]

Long live the vertical inversion !

 

I agree RMC is avoiding the vert loop with good reason, and I'm satisfied with the inversions RMC and GG woodies provide. Everyone knows I am a B&M fanboy and one of the things I love most about them is the vertical loops. Banshee and Dominator as well as the Batman clones all have great ones.

 

B&M's most popular new product the wing coaster still offers them. I'm very much looking forward to trying Wild Eagle and Thunderbird and am happy they both have big ol' loops.

 

Mack is growing in popularity and their blue fire rides look like they have great loops on them. With the lack of new Intamins appearing recently I hope to see more of them appear in the US.

 

I think loops will be around as long as roller coasters are, but I see your point, there aren't as many new ones coming out with all the new mutant hybrid creations coming out.

[Superbatboy]

These arent going anywhere

 

[ernierocker]

Six Flags is putting in rides next year which are literally just vertical loops.

[christianscoasters]

Is the Vertical Loop on its way out soon?

 

No.

[KarlaKoaster]

No, they're not on their way out. I think that there are more inversion types than ever before, though, and coasters can only have so many inversions so I guess there'll be coasters without them as coasters are less formulaic than before. Certain inversions suit certain coaster types, so I don't think the end is nigh by any stretch of the imagination.

[rcdude]

No, the vertical loop is not going anywhere. It is one of the fundamental inversions on roller coasters, and while we may never see one on a wood coaster again I've got a feeling the majority of inverting steel coasters will continue to have them. Consider this: There were 35 coasters built in 2014 with vertical loops, and two of the four new inverting steel coasters in North America have one. The ones that don't are an S&S El Loco and a Rocky Mountain conversion, neither of which typically have one. At least three new North American coasters will have a vertical loop next year, along with a number outside the country, so I don't see them disappearing anytime soon.

[DanTheBooker]

Six Flags is putting in rides next year which are literally just vertical loops.

[rcjp]

^Oh yeah

Like some have already said, I don't think it will ever disappear as you just can't beat that good old design of inversion.

They're really cool elements, especially when they're huge like on plenty of B&Ms and rides like yolocoaster.

[DoinItForTheFame]

The vertical loop is such an icon that I do not see it going any where any time soon. Just because the current hype in the roller coaster industry seems to be RMC, does not mean that other companies are diminishing. B&M, Intamin, ect are still going strong, and still building coasters with vertical loops.

 

Just since 2012 there have been 54 roller coasters OPEN around the world that have a vertical loop in the layout. Coasters like Wild Eagle, Full Throttle, Nitro, Banshee, Thunderbolt. Not to mention next year Thunderbird opens!

 

So just looking at that goes to show that the vertical loop is not going any where any time soon. Nor do I think it ever will. Just because the "hottest" coaster company right now (RMC) is not doing vertical loops does not mean other companies have stopped making them.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

To quote an expert on the subject:

 

"The demise of the vertical loop on a roller coaster has been greatly exaggerated. In fact, it's the only thing that can make a swamp bearable." -- Mark Twain

[JohnTheriault]

I could see rmc adding a loop to one of their future projects, but a special type of loop, like the one on rip ride rockit at universal, some kind of twisty loop like that, that'd be great and they could just keep it alive instead of overusing their zero-g stalls and stuff, idk we're gonna have alot of those soon...

[ZeroGravity55]

RMC has said before they wanted to keep inversions low G, which loops are not. And yes, a dive loop is much different than a typical loop as far as structure goes.

 

Thank you for saying this. I don't know how many times I've read this: "they did a dive loop, so they can do a vertical loop."

[Gnome]

Can we all agree that of all the vertical loops around, the one built in 1978 for that little ol' theme park in Buena Park, CA, is probably one of the best, if not THE best loop ever made?

 

I'm trying to think of other loops that compare and nothing, in my mind, quite does it. The shape and speed through it is perfect.

 

having said that, I kind of wish that loops were more common in modern attractions. They're probably my favorite inversion.

[A.J.]

Can we all agree that of all the vertical loops around, the one built in 1978 for that little ol' theme park in Buena Park, CA, is probably one of the best, if not THE best loop ever made?

That one AND a certain blue one built in Hershey, PA...