What's causing the U.S Intamin drought?

[fraroc]

I recently checked this on RCDB...The USA hasn't had a new Intamin coaster built in THREE YEARS with Skyrush at Hershey being the latest one. And this drought doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon with none of the Intamins slated to open in 2016 are located in the US....They're either in Europe or Asia. I thought that this was only a Cedar Fair thing, but then I noticed that Six Flags hasn't been contracting Intamin since 2011 when they built Green Lantern at SFMM.

 

Meanwhile, as a country, America has been getting a healthy dose of B&Ms, RMC hybrids and custom wood coasters, new Zierier models, and Gerstlauer coasters with the first Infinity coaster in the country being built next year. I really wonder, what exactly is causing this drought? Is it because Intamins don't have the best track record for reliability? Is it because of costs to operate one? I'm really curious...

[DoinItForTheFame]

I recently checked this on RCDB...The USA hasn't had a new Intamin coaster built in THREE YEARS with Skyrush at Hershey being the latest one. And this drought doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon with none of the Intamins slated to open in 2016 are located in the US....They're either in Europe or Asia. I thought that this was only a Cedar Fair thing, but then I noticed that Six Flags hasn't been contracting Intamin since 2011 when they built Green Lantern at SFMM.

 

Meanwhile, as a country, America has been getting a healthy dose of B&Ms, RMC hybrids and custom wood coasters, new Zierier models, and Gerstlauer coasters with the first Infinity coaster in the country being built next year. I really wonder, what exactly is causing this drought? Is it because Intamins don't have the best track record for reliability? Is it because of costs to operate one? I'm really curious...

 

Maybe B&M's, and RMC's just happen to be the "things to get" in the roller coaster industry right now. Most major projects lately seem to have come from those two companies. Maybe because parks/chains have learned how reliable B&M coasters are, and that's what they are wanting right now. Maybe the parks are looking for high capacity, reliable rides. . . Not to mention right now the craze seems to be taking an old outdated wooden roller coaster and making it a new scream machine. Which is where RMC comes into play!

 

I don't know... maybe this is just me... But I feel like the people in charge of putting new roller coasters in parks know what they are doing, and maybe they know why they are building the coasters they are building. Maybe they are wanting really re-rideable, enjoyable, RELIABLE coasters... so that's what they are building.

 

And this drought doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon with none of the Intamins slated to open in 2016 are located in the US....

None of us know what is coming in 2017. Who knows, maybe the US will get 5 new Intamin roller coasters in 2017. But we don't know that yet.

[grsupercity]

There drop towers keep getting built tho. They make alot more then just coasters

[ElvisLuv]

Can't blame it on the exchange rate between the Dollar and the Euro as we creep closer and closer to parity. That makes European goods cheaper for America by the way, also cheapens cost of travel to and in Europe along with lower fuel costs reducing airfare makes next year a good time to visit Europe, refugee issues aside.

[cfc]

Can't blame it on the exchange rate between the Dollar and the Euro as we creep closer and closer to parity. That makes European goods cheaper for America by the way, also cheapens cost of travel to and in Europe along with lower fuel costs reducing airfare makes next year a good time to visit Europe, refugee issues aside.

 

And the last time I checked, B&M, Gerstlauer, and Zirer were European companies.

 

It all depends on what a park wants and needs. Other companies are offering different types of rides (Mack has been coming on strong, too). It'll be interesting to see what comes out of IAAPA this year.

[DoinItForTheFame]

Can't blame it on the exchange rate between the Dollar and the Euro as we creep closer and closer to parity. That makes European goods cheaper for America by the way, also cheapens cost of travel to and in Europe along with lower fuel costs reducing airfare makes next year a good time to visit Europe, refugee issues aside.

 

And the last time I checked, B&M, Gerstlauer, and Zirer were European companies.

 

 

It'll be interesting to see what comes out of IAAPA this year.

 

Agreed!! There is no telling what the future holds. RMC's new track style looks awesome, and has a lot of potential.

[Nitro1118]

I think it mostly has to do with the reliability in their design. I305 and Maverick both needed to be re-profiled after being built. Skyrush's restraints needed to be modified due to widespread discomfort. And lastly, the rate of riders being ejected from their rides is considerably greater than their competitors...sidenote- it wasn't so much the design of the restraints as it was having no fail-safe for the trains dispatching with overweight riders, which they did fix in the mid-00's.

 

A couple years of successful international additions should be enough to be gambled on again here in the US.

[TB305]

I think defintiley CF's lack in interest for Intamins and SF's lack of interest in investing 20M+ in a new coaster is really hurting Intamin here. After I305, its understandable that CF moved away from them, but indeed it's a shame. Although Fury 325 is my #1, it ties with Skyrush for that place, closley followed by I305 and Storm Runner. Three of my top 5 coasters are Intamin, and honestly its a toss up sometime on which order they are.

 

Here's to hoping for the resurgence of Intamin in the US!

[grsupercity]

I think defintiley CF's lack in interest for Intamins and SF's lack of interest in investing 20M+ in a new coaster is really hurting Intamin here. After I305, its understandable that CF moved away from them, but indeed it's a shame. Although Fury 325 is my #1, it ties with Skyrush for that place, closley followed by I305 and Storm Runner. Three of my top 5 coasters are Intamin, and honestly its a toss up sometime on which order they are.

 

Here's to hoping for the resurgence of Intamin in the US!

 

People seem to blame I305. Intamin built what CF wanted. Not the other way around

[boldikus]

but then I noticed that Six Flags hasn't been contracting Intamin since 2011 when they built Green Lantern at SFMM.

 

Zumanjaro would like to have a word with you.

[TB305]

I think defintiley CF's lack in interest for Intamins and SF's lack of interest in investing 20M+ in a new coaster is really hurting Intamin here. After I305, its understandable that CF moved away from them, but indeed it's a shame. Although Fury 325 is my #1, it ties with Skyrush for that place, closley followed by I305 and Storm Runner. Three of my top 5 coasters are Intamin, and honestly its a toss up sometime on which order they are.

 

Here's to hoping for the resurgence of Intamin in the US!

 

People seem to blame I305. Intamin built what CF wanted. Not the other way around

The park gives manufacturers certain criteria that they want in a coaster, and the manufacturer designs the coaster. It *was* Intamin's fault for not being able to foresee the excessive wearing away of wheels, because at the end of the day, it isn't CF or KD calculating forces or friction, it's Intamin. It isn't like CF asked for a turn with a specific radius and specific amount of forces applied to the rider/train and Intamin said "yup sure we'll make that turn to your exact specifications", CF probably just asked for an intense first turn in general and Intamin over delivered.

[Snovi]

People seem to blame I305. Intamin built what CF wanted. Not the other way around

It was a combination of the perfect storm... the issues with I305 and the nightmare of getting Shoot the Rapids open (and its subsequent accident). If anything, it was Shoot the Rapids that was the final straw that ended CF's relationship with Intamin.

[DJeXeL]

You have no clue what you're talking about. CF's relationship with Intamin has not ended. If that was the case they would've stopped purchasing from them after MF had it's lift cable snap, and after TTD had it's cable issues.

[DoinItForTheFame]

I think defintiley CF's lack in interest for Intamins and SF's lack of interest in investing 20M+ in a new coaster is really hurting Intamin here. After I305, its understandable that CF moved away from them, but indeed it's a shame. Although Fury 325 is my #1, it ties with Skyrush for that place, closley followed by I305 and Storm Runner. Three of my top 5 coasters are Intamin, and honestly its a toss up sometime on which order they are.

 

Here's to hoping for the resurgence of Intamin in the US!

 

People seem to blame I305. Intamin built what CF wanted. Not the other way around

 

Obviously I305 was not what caused the end of Cedar Fair and Intamin. How soon we forget all the issues TTD had, and still has. Cedar Fair knew when building I305 that there would be issues.

 

I'm about 100% Cedar Fair is not done with Intamin... just because they are building more B&Ms right now doesn't mean anything. Maybe B&M is just what they are looking for right now. Intamin will be back. It's just a matter of time.

[RCjunkie]

RMC has to be one of the reasons why (among others). When you can produce a thrilling coaster like Outlaw Run for 10 million or retrofit an older one for the same amount or less that has to affect decision makers minds when thinking about adding a new coaster to a park.

[DirkFunk]

This discussion keeps popping up in almost every thread, and it's getting comical. Intamin doesn't build the most expensive rides (they're fabricated in Slovakia to save money), they aren't getting hurt by the US dollar's rise, they just don't have products right now that the majority of theme parks owners in the US trust or desire to buy when everyone looks at the competition or their own limited bottom lines.

 

You have no clue what you're talking about. CF's relationship with Intamin has not ended. If that was the case they would've stopped purchasing from them after MF had it's lift cable snap, and after TTD had it's cable issues.

 

I don't know if it "ended" except in the way that anyone's relationship ends when they don't regularly buy products from someone any more. However, clearly, if we just want to list issues at just Cedar Point, we could go on beyond that: flume boats that sink, can't be fully loaded, and then overturn; Wicked Twister being welded at 2AM because the tower shakes so badly, Maverick's barrel roll that wasn't. Cedar Fair still bought rides. Cedar Fair hasn't bought an Intamin ride since management changed and seemed to have put a premium on capacity and reliability. If they see something that tickles their fancy, I'm sure they'll be interested. If not, they have others to turn to in the industry now. They'll be fine.

 

To use the popular car analogy, B&M builds Mercedes. They run smooth and fast. They're an aspirational item for most, but common place for those with money. Do they look the most exciting? Not really. They're always about 3 years ahead of everyone else building sedans when you compare an E Class to anything else out there, but at no point do most people look at their cars and necessarily ooh and ahh. Intamin builds Maseratis and Alfas. They go as fast or even a little faster than a tricked out E or S Class, they're a bit rarer to see, and they're much more aggressively styled. You might miss someone in a Mercedes; you won't miss them in a Maserati. They're often more fun to drive. They also break down more often because, look, you're buying a Maserati. That's what they do. And that's why those brands have moments where they can break into the US market and sell some product, and often end up back out of the market when people start to think, "Gee, a Corvette is better and $30,000 cheaper..."

Edited September 23, 2015 by DirkFunk

[3Mutts]

Can't blame it on the exchange rate between the Dollar and the Euro as we creep closer and closer to parity. That makes European goods cheaper for America by the way, also cheapens cost of travel to and in Europe along with lower fuel costs reducing airfare makes next year a good time to visit Europe, refugee issues aside.

 

Switzerland doesn't use the Euro, they use the Swiss Franc (your point still stands though since 1 Swiss Franc is 1.02 Dollars). In fact, Switzerland isn't part of the EU (they are only part of the Schengen Area). Also not all countries in the EU use the Euro (the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and the Czech Republic all don't use the Euro).

 

Anyway, the reason I think that parks in the US arent building Intamins here is because other companies (such as RMC and German Manufacturers like Mack and Gerstlauer) are making similar rides for a cheaper price than Intamin and other companies (such as B&M) are making more reliable rides than Intamin.

[DJeXeL]

This discussion keeps popping up in almost every thread, and it's getting comical. Intamin doesn't build the most expensive rides (they're fabricated in Slovakia to save money), they aren't getting hurt by the US dollar's rise, they just don't have products right now that the majority of theme parks owners in the US trust or desire to buy when everyone looks at the competition or their own limited bottom lines.

 

You have no clue what you're talking about. CF's relationship with Intamin has not ended. If that was the case they would've stopped purchasing from them after MF had it's lift cable snap, and after TTD had it's cable issues.

 

I don't know if it "ended" except in the way that anyone's relationship ends when they don't regularly buy products from someone any more. However, clearly, if we just want to list issues at just Cedar Point, we could go on beyond that: flume boats that sink, can't be fully loaded, and then overturn; Wicked Twister being welded at 2AM because the tower shakes so badly, Maverick's barrel roll that wasn't. Cedar Fair still bought rides. Cedar Fair hasn't bought an Intamin ride since management changed and seemed to have put a premium on capacity and reliability. If they see something that tickles their fancy, I'm sure they'll be interested. If not, they have others to turn to in the industry now. They'll be fine.

 

To use the popular car analogy, B&M builds Mercedes. They run smooth and fast. They're an aspirational item for most, but common place for those with money. Do they look the most exciting? Not really. They're always about 3 years ahead of everyone else building sedans when you compare an E Class to anything else out there, but at no point do most people look at their cars and necessarily ooh and ahh. Intamin builds Maseratis and Alfas. They go as fast or even a little faster than a tricked out E or S Class, they're a bit rarer to see, and they're much more aggressively styled. You might miss someone in a Mercedes; you won't miss them in a Maserati. They're often more fun to drive. They also break down more often because, look, you're buying a Maserati. That's what they do. And that's why those brands have moments where they can break into the US market and sell some product, and often end up back out of the market when people start to think, "Gee, a Corvette is better and $30,000 cheaper..."

 

I can agree with you. My bottom line was that CF will purchase from Intamin should the need arise for the project at hand.

[DirkFunk]

I can agree with you. My bottom line was that CF will purchase from Intamin should the need arise for the project at hand.

 

If there's something they want (and Intamin brokers for the best companies out there selling stuff like monorails, for example), I'm sure they'll place a call. In the meantime, everything I've heard suggests we'll see Intamin rides being taken out of CF parks before Intamin rides go in. I guess we'll all find out together.

[K1ngdaKa88]

Isn't Intamin building the Skyscraper in Orlando in 2017? That's a huge project, Isn't it? Still it's a blame that Intamin isn't building much in the USA, but in Germany they're building Taron at Phantasialand and some other coasters for new parks in turkey and of course at Ferrari World!

[canadianparkfan]

I think it mostly has to do with the reliability in their design. I305 and Maverick both needed to be re-profiled after being built. Skyrush's restraints needed to be modified due to widespread discomfort. And lastly, the rate of riders being ejected from their rides is considerably greater than their competitors...sidenote- it wasn't so much the design of the restraints as it was having no fail-safe for the trains dispatching with overweight riders, which they did fix in the mid-00's.

 

A couple years of successful international additions should be enough to be gambled on again here in the US.

If safety/comfort is an issue, I'm surprised gherstlaur is still getting so much business. The only two major incidents I've heard of at big parks have involved Gherstlaur in both incidents (NTAG trains and the Smiler).

[DJeXeL]

^Smiler incident was due to maintenance personnel error.

[Ed Farmer]

One of the major chains hasn't really dipped in the Very Expensive Steel Coaster pool since X-Flight in 2012, and has stuck to mainly to Rocky-Mountaining their wooden coasters to kill two birds with one stone (marketable, thrilling new coaster & eliminating expenses required for departed wooden coaster's upkeep). The other appears to be in the midst of an extended B&M kick for whatever reason, though it seems like it could be things along the lines of Shoot the Rapids-type difficulties. I love B&M's work in the 200+ ft field- Fury is a coaster that I will drive to from Chicago to ride, and am bummed to not have gotten to this season- but variety is the spice of life, and if spice like SkyRush, I hope someone starts seasoning their damn food. It doesn't appear to be promising at the moment, though.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Ed Farmer

[DoinItForTheFame]

^Smiler incident was due to maintenance personnel error.

 

The empty train vallying to begin with wasn't.

[canadianparkfan]

^^^I get that not all the incidents aren't all Gherstlaur's fault, however, I'd imagine their name being involved wouldn't be too good for them.

 

My home park is getting a Gherstlaur' flat next year, and while it looks awesome, I'm definetly a little warry of riding it after the relatively recent incidents at SFOT and Alton.