Six Flags St. Louis Debuts New Coaster, EVEL KNIEVEL

[GAcoaster]

Statistics from RCDB.com:

 

Builder: Great Coasters International

Cost: $7,000,000 USD

Length: 2700'

Height: 82'

Drop: 80'

Inversions: 0

Speed: 50 mph

Trains: 2 trains with 12 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train.

Riders must be 48" or taller to ride.

 

Press Release from Six Flags St. Louis:

 

Continuing its tradition of providing park guests with new and exciting thrills each season, Six Flags St. Louis announced today plans for its latest addition: Evel Knievel. This $7 million wooden wonder is unlike any of the park's existing eight coasters. Evel Knievel, the park's third wooden coaster, is a compact twister by Great Coasters International, Inc. which will present an impressive visual from I-44 and a formidable challenge in person.

 

"The unpredictability and high energy of this coaster makes it the perfect way to pay tribute to the king of adrenaline, Evel Knievel," said David Roemer, President of Six Flags St. Louis.

 

A daredevil's dream, the 2,700-ft. ride experience begins with an 80-ft. first drop at a 90° left turn angle, which is answered with a 55-ft. double down drop. Sixteen hills follow with camelbacks, a 40-ft. fan curve and multiple high-banked turns at up to 67° angles. Standing 82-ft. tall and traveling 50 mph, this intense coaster crosses over itself an incredible 14 times while making frequent and tight directional changes. Evel Knievel will boast two 24-passenger trains of GCI's own Millennium Flyer cars specially designed to maneuver the ride's sharp turns and high banks on a dime while providing an exceptionally smooth ride.

 

Evel Knievel, born in Butte, Montana in 1938, began his daredevil career in 1965 and over the next 12 years earned the name of America's Legendary Daredevil for his heroic and death-defying feats. Through his eventful career, Evel had garnered international media attention for both his successful jumps and his amazing crashes. Some of his career highlights and best known feats include setting a world record for jumping 19 cars in Ontario, CA in 1971; flying over 50 cars stacked in the center of the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1973; jumping 14 Greyhound buses in Ohio in October of 1974 and soaring over Snake River Canyon in Idaho in his rocket powered "skycycle" that same year. They rival some of his more spectacular spills, including his jump over the fountains at Caesar's Palace in 1968 and his leap over 13 double tiered buses in Wembley Stadium in 1975.

 

By the time he retired in the winter of 1976, Evel held the Guinness Book of World Records for the most broken bones and had also captured ABC's Wide World of Sports largest TV viewing audience with his Ohio jump in 1974. Evel has also been immortalized in the Smithsonian Institute with his motorcycle and memorabilia display.

 

Evel Knievel is scheduled to open mid-summer 2008 and will be located in the front of the park near the Log Flume and the Moon Antique Cars. Six Flags St. Louis has brought its guests new and exciting experiences for the past four consecutive years with the addition of Tony Hawk's Big Spin, a new family coaster, in 2007; the introduction of Bugs Bunny National Park, our new kids area, and SUPERMAN Tower Of Power, a free-fall ride, in 2006. And, in 2005, Tornado swept into Hurricane Harbor, Six Flags St. Louis' water park which is offered free with theme park admission.

[Railer]

You Tube has a video of the first test run of Evil Kenevil. I couldn't figure out how to put up a link to it. Sorry, i'm still new to posting.

Edited June 8, 2008 by Railer

[Up_Up_and_Away]

You Tube has a video of the first test run of Evil Kenevil. I couldn't figure out how to put up a link to it. Sorry, i'm still new to posting.

[29yrswithaGApass]

Press Release Source: Six Flags St. Louis

 

 

Video: Six Flags St. Louis Debuts New Coaster, EVEL KNIEVEL, With Tribute to America's Legendary Daredevil

Thursday June 19, 9:00 am ET

With the Most Coasters and Lowest Ticket Prices of Any Theme Park in Missouri, Six Flags is the Place to Go for Thrillseekers

 

ST. LOUIS, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The wait is over. Six Flags St. Louis announced today the grand opening of the highly anticipated, one-of-a-kind EVEL KNIEVEL wooden roller coaster. The ride was unveiled during a special ceremony attended by friends and family of the famed daredevil. This $7 million compact twister is a Great Coasters International design and offers the type of intense, high-adrenaline thrills one would expect from a coaster bearing the name Evel Knievel.

 

 

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/sixflags/33659/

 

 

 

From the moment it crests the lift hill, taking the first 80-ft. plunge at a banked 90 degree left turn until the train pulls into the station, EVEL KNIEVEL delivers unparalleled thrills. Sitting in 24-passenger Millennium Flyers, self-proclaimed daredevils will fly along 2,700-feet of track featuring high banked turns, fan curves, camelbacks, a double down drop, 16 hills and an impressive 14 crossovers. The trains sport the red, white and blue colors that Evel himself proudly wore on jump after jump during his remarkable career.

 

"We are honored to be the home of EVEL KNIEVEL, the first and only roller coaster named after this larger-than-life figure," said Dave Roemer, Six Flags St. Louis park president. "Everything about this ride is first-class, and EVEL KNIEVEL will quickly become the most talked about wooden coaster in the industry."

 

For some, the ride will be nostalgic, for others a first-time introduction to the life and times of America's legendary daredevil. Monitors throughout the queue line will play clips of some of Evel's greatest jumps and a series of billboards will walk guests through the timeline of his legendary career. Evel was instrumental in creating the ride's theming and was honored to have the coaster named after him.

 

"I've been thrilling people all my life with my death defying stunts. And I've proven after a spectacular fall that you're never a failure as long as you try to get up. What better way to create a new generation of Evel Knievel fans than by partnering with Six Flags for this exciting attraction. I'm thrilled to be part of it." -- Evel Knievel, September 2007

 

Evel Knievel began wowing people with his jumps in 1965 and earned the name of America's Legendary Daredevil for his heroic and death-defying feats. When he retired in 1976, Evel held the Guinness Book of World Records for the most broken bones and had also captured ABC's Wide World of Sports largest TV viewing audience with his Ohio jump in 1974.

 

Evel received international media attention for both his successful jumps and his amazing crashes. Some of his career highlights and best known feats include setting a world record for jumping 19 cars in Ontario, CA in 1971; flying over 50 cars stacked in the center of the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1973; jumping 14 Greyhound buses in Ohio in October of 1974 and soaring over Snake River Canyon in Idaho in his rocket powered "skycyle" that same year. They rival some of his more spectacular spills, including his jump over the fountains at Caesar's Palace in 1968 and his leap over 13 double tiered buses in Wembley Stadium in 1975.

 

Evel Knievel passed away November 2007 but his legacy lives on through many tributes including the annual Evel Knievel Days in his hometown of Butte, Montana, a wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas, a motorcycle and memorabilia display in the Smithsonian Institute and now the legend rides on at Six Flags St. Louis with the Evel Knievel coaster.

 

Evel Knievel brings the total number of roller coasters at Six Flags St. Louis to eight, the most roller coasters at any park in Missouri. Six Flags St. Louis also becomes one of only 11 theme parks in the United States to boast three or more wooden roller coasters. The park offers unprecedented thrills, world-class entertainment, family rides and attractions and a 12-acre waterpark for just $29.99 on line or $34.99 at the main gate, making Six Flags St. Louis a great value and the perfect "daycation" destination.

 

About Six Flags, Inc.:

 

Six Flags, Inc. is the world's largest regional theme park company with 21 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Founded in 1961, Six Flags has provided world class entertainment for millions of families with cutting edge, record-shattering roller coasters and appointment programming with events like the popular Thursday and Sunday Night Concert Series. Now 47 years strong, Six Flags is recognized as the preeminent thrill innovator while reaching to all demographics -- families, teens, tweens and thrill seekers alike -- with themed attractions based on the Looney Tunes characters, the Justice League of America, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, The Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine. Six Flags, Inc. is a publicly-traded corporation (NYSE: SIX - News) headquartered in New York City.

 

 

 

 

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Source: Six Flags St. Louis