SeaWorld Orlando will soon be the home of their seventh coaster, an innovative thrill ride from Bolliger and Mabillard, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a special look at the construction of the latest addition at the Coaster Capital of Central Florida.
The innovative design elements that make this a first-of-its-kind roller coaster are the surfing launch and “wave jumping” motions that riders will experience. The unique surfboard-shaped ride vehicle will give riders an immersive experience from the moment it starts. They will be secured on the roller coaster in a surfing position and will be launched at top speeds, feeling as if they are catching a wave. Riders will then feel like they are hanging loose when their seats rise and fall to mimic the sensation of riding on a wave while sending them through several gnarly twists and turns.
Each rider will get the rush of cutting through waves as they race up to heights of 110-feet in the air and feel like they are about to wipe out when they go upside down on a wave curl along the 2,950-feet of track. Pipeline will send riders on a journey reaching max speeds of 60-miles-per-hour, with five different airtime moments and lasting a total of 1 minute and 50 seconds. The ride has a projected height requirement of 54″, and is designed by Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. based in Switzerland.
The new coaster occupies the former Bayside pathway, which was known mostly for special event use during SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration and Halloween Spooktacular. The site now plays home to the new coaster, which was also showcased at last year’s IAAPA convention at the Orlando Convention Center.
Pipeline: The Surf Coaster is set to debut at SeaWorld Orlando in the Spring of 2023.