Windjammer Surf Racers
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| Windjammer Surf Racers | ||
| Location | Knott's Berry Farm | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Steel | |
| Status | Operated | |
| Opened | March 26, 1997 | |
| Manufacturer | TOGO | |
| Model | Looping Mouse | |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift | |
| Height | 69 ft (21 m) | 69 ft (21 m) |
| Length | 1851 ft (564.2 m) | 1839 ft (560.5 m) |
| Max speed | 40 mph (64.4 km/h) | 40 mph (64.4 km/h) |
| Inversions | 1 | 1 |
| Duration | 1:30 | 1:30 |
| Capacity | 1400 riders per hour | |
| Cost | $6,200,000 | |
| Windjammer Surf Racers at RCDB | ||
| Pictures of Windjammer Surf Racers at RCDB | ||
Windjammer Surf Racers was a roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. The ride was known to be a mechanical nightmare, and the park's resulting lawsuit against the manufacturer, TOGO, eventually caused the demise of the company.
Contents |
[edit] The ride
Windjammer Surf Racers was a unique coaster; it involved small Wild Mouse-like trains running on a full size track. There were two independent tracks (red and yellow) that were constructed parallel to each other, in which the purpose of the ride was to pit both tracks in a race against each other.
The coaster's rider load/unloading platform did not have an airgate system to keep qeueing guests clear from advancing vehicles within the station.
The ride was dressed as a tribute to the fabled Southern California beach culture, complete with towering palms trees, beach sand, a miniature lagoon, a scaled-down lifegaurd watch tower, and other beach-worthy props. The on-ride photograph sales booth was built into the side of a scaled-down replica of a yacht.
[edit] Lawsuit
Windjammer Surf Racers did not run frequently because it was plagued with mechanical problems. Just a few weeks into operation, several parts had to be replaced. Knott's Berry Farm spent about $2 million on repairs and inspections alone. Because of these problems, Knott's filed suit against TOGO seeking $17 million in damages, claiming that TOGO poorly designed and engineered the coaster which prevented successful operation during its three years. They reported problems such as misaligned tracks, defective safety restraints, and wrinkles in the main frame of the trains. The park also claimed that the ride's design flaws prevented operation during medium winds, sometimes stalling even during slight breezes, which is embarrassing due to the name of the ride. [1]
The ride remained closed during the lawsuit as evidence. When no one wanted to buy the ride, the ride was dismantled in July 2001. However, in November 2003, the jury rejected Knott's lawsuit in favor of TOGO International. The lawsuit lasted so long because TOGO's U.S. based division went bankrupt.
The land formerly occupied by Windjammer Surf Racers now holds Xcelerator.
[edit] Trivia
- In 1999, the park was forced to rename the ride to Jammer when a sporting apparel company filed charges against the park for using the name Windjammer Surf Racers. The charge was later dropped and the ride reverted back to its old name.
- Windjammer Surf Racers was one of only two "Looping Mouse" coasters. The other is Crazy Mouse at Tobu Zoo Park in Japan. Crazy Mouse is still operating. [2]
