Alpine Bobsled
{{short description|Defunct steel bobsled roller coaster}}
{{Infobox roller coaster
| name = Alpine Bobsled
| image =The Alpine Bobsled roller coaster.jpg
| caption =
| previousnames= Sarajevo Bobsled at Six Flags Great Adventure (1984-1988)
Rolling Thunder at Six Flags Great America (1989-1997)
| location = Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor
| locationarticle = Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor
| coordinates = {{Coord|43.3511|-73.6877|display=inline}}
| section = Fest Area
|previousattraction=
|replacement= The Bobcat
| extend = {{Infobox roller coaster extend
|location=Six Flags Great America
|locationarticle=
|section=
|subsection=
|coordinates={{Coords|42.3658|-87.937|display=title,inline}}
|status=Relocated to Great Escape
|opened=1989
|year=1989
|closed=1997
|cost=
|rcdb_number=494
|replacement=Raging Bull
}}{{Infobox roller coaster extend
|location=Six Flags Great Adventure
|locationarticle=
|section=
|subsection=
|coordinates={{Coords|40.139|-74.4381|display=inline}}
|status=Relocated to Six Flags Great America
|opened=1984
|year=1984
|closed=1988
|rcdb_number=493
|cost=
|previousattraction=
|replacement=Great American Scream Machine
}}
| type = Steel
| manufacturer = Intamin
| designer =
| model = Bobsled roller coaster
| status = Removed
| opened = {{Start date|1998}}
| closed = {{End date|2023|09|4}}
| year = 1998
| height_ft = 64
| drop_ft =
| length_ft = 1490
| speed_mph = 35
| inversions = 0
| duration= 1 min. 40 sec.
| capacity =
| restriction_in = 42
| trains=6
| carspertrain= 1
| rowspercar=4
| ridersperrow= 2
| location_rcdb_number= 495
}}
Alpine Bobsled (formerly known as Sarajevo Bobsled and Rolling Thunder) was a steel bobsled roller coaster at the Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor amusement park in Queensbury, New York. Manufactured by Intamin, the coaster first opened to the public in 1984 at Six Flags Great Adventure. It was later relocated to Six Flags Great America in 1989, then to Six Flags Great Escape in 1998. Alpine Bobsled closed permanently on September 4, 2023, to make room for The Bobcat.
History
The coaster was originally built in 1984 at Six Flags Great Adventure as Sarajevo Bobsled to commemorate the 1984 Olympics. The coaster was well received by the public.{{cite book |last1=Applegate |first1=Harry |last2=Benton |first2=Thomas |title=Six Flags Great Adventure |date=2 May 2016 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4396-5613-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0rw4CwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Sarajevo+Bobsled%22&pg=PT108 |access-date=28 December 2024 |language=en}}
Sarajevo Bobsled was part of Six Flags' ride rotation program, and was moved between parks multiple times.{{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=Stephen W. |title=Opryland USA |date=22 August 2016 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4396-5740-9 |page=77 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=97TADAAAQBAJ&dq=six+flags+%22ride+rotation+program%22&pg=PA77 |access-date=28 December 2024 |language=en}} In 1988, Sarajevo Bobsled was dismantled to make room for Great American Scream Machine, which would open the next year.{{cite book |last1=Futrell |first1=Jim |title=Amusement Parks of New Jersey |date=2004 |publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn=978-0-8117-2973-4 |page=193 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DcSgZkzivi0C&dq=great+american+scream+machine+sarajevo+bobsled+great+adventure&pg=PA193 |access-date=28 December 2024 |language=en}} Sarajevo Bobsled was moved to Six Flags Great America for the 1989 season, opening as Rolling Thunder.{{Cite RCDB |coaster_name=Rolling Thunder |location=Six Flags Great America |rcdb_number=494 |accessdate=28 December 2024}}
In 1995, the ride was dismantled once more to make way for the construction of the Southwest Territory. The ride remained in storage until 1997, when it was relocated for a final time to Six Flags Great Escape to open in 1998.
In August 2023, Six Flags Great Escape announced Alpine Bobsled would close on September 4, 2023, citing the ride's sensitivity to "even small amounts of rain and high humidity."{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Kathleen |title=Great Escape's Alpine Bobsled retiring Sept. 4 |url=https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/great-escape-retiring-alpine-bobsled-trackless-18279198.php |access-date=28 December 2024 |work=Times Union |date=5 August 2023}} The park later revealed on August 30, 2023 that Alpine Bobsled would be dismantled to make room for The Bobcat.{{cite news |title=The All-New Bobcat Coaster Pounces into Six Flags Great Escape in 2024 |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230830146448/en/The-All-New-Bobcat-Coaster-Pounces-into-Six-Flags-Great-Escape-in-2024 |access-date=28 December 2024 |agency=The Business Wire}} On September 4, 2023, members of the American Coaster Enthusiasts gathered at Six Flags Great Escape to take their final rides on the Alpine Bobsled, which officially closed at the end of the day.{{Cite news |last=Schneider |first=Rose |date=Sep 4, 2023 |title=One last ride on Six Flags Great Escape's Alpine Bobsled |work=Times Union |url=https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/one-last-ride-six-flags-great-escape-s-alpine-18330943.php?IPID=Times-Union-HP-spotlight |access-date=}} Following its removal, a monument to the coaster with the ride's USA-themed train was placed where Alpine Bobsled's queue entrance was previously.
Characteristics
Alpine Bobsled featured {{Convert|1,490|ft|m}} of track, painted white on the inside and white and purple on the outside. The coaster reached a maximum height of {{Convert|64|ft|m}} and a top speed of {{Convert|35|mph|km/h}}. After ascending a chain lift hill, the two-across, four-row trains traversed a series of turns on trough-like track during the approximately one-minute-and-forty-second ride. The coaster was manufactured by Intamin and Giovanola.
The alpine theme of the coaster was inspired by the park's proximity to Lake Placid, New York, where the 1980 and 1932 Winter Olympics, both of which included bobsled races, were held.{{cite web |last1=Hawkins |first1=Rachel |title=August 4, 2023 - Great Escape |url=https://www.sixflags.com/greatescape/august-4-2023 |website=Six Flags |access-date=28 December 2024 |date=7 August 2023}}{{cite web |title=Alpine Bobsled - Great Escape |url=https://www.sixflags.com/greatescape/attractions/alpine-bobsled |website=Six Flags |access-date=28 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820055211/https://www.sixflags.com/greatescape/attractions/alpine-bobsled |archive-date=20 August 2023 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |title=Small-Town Lake Placid Set For Big-City Olympics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LWFQAAAAIBAJ&dq=bobsled+winter+1980+olympics&pg=PA20&article_id=6699,3145934 |access-date=28 December 2024 |work=The Evening Independent |language=en}} The ride had six cars, all themed from different countries: the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Jamaica, Canada and Switzerland.{{Cite RCDB |coaster_name=Alpine Bobsled |location=Six Flags Great Escape |rcdb_number=495 |accessdate=27 December 2024}} An archway decorated with an old Olympic-style bobsled formed the entrance to the coaster's queue.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{RCDB|495}}
{{The Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor}}
{{SFGrAm Coasters}}
{{SFGA Coasters}}
{{Intamin}}
Category:Roller coasters in New York (state)
Category:Bobsled roller coasters
Category:Roller coasters manufactured by Intamin
Category:Roller coasters introduced in 1998
Category:Roller coasters introduced in 1989
Category:Roller coasters introduced in 1984
Category:The Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor
Category:Six Flags Great America
Category:Six Flags Great Adventure
Category:Roller coasters operated by Six Flags