Flying Super Saturator

Infobox roller coaster
name=Nickelodeon's Flying Super Saturator


caption=
location=Carowinds
section=Boomerang Bay
type=Steel
type2=Suspended
type3=
status=Closed
opened=April 1, 2000
manufacturer=Setpoint USA
designer=
model=
track=
lift=Chain lift hill
height=42.4
drop=
length=1087
speed=30
duration=1:00
angle=
capacity=600
cost=$4,000,000
acceleration=
gforce=
restriction=44
rcdb_number=598

Flying Super Saturator was a water ride and suspended roller coaster at Carowinds amusement park, which lies on the border of North and South Carolina. Flying Super Saturator was the first roller coaster of its kind, allowing riders to dump 4-gallon payloads of water on those Carowinds patrons who venture underneath the coaster's track. The ride also features numerous means for the riders to get wet as well, including water curtains, geysers and numerous ground-mounted water cannons that can be aimed by park guests at passing riders on the coaster. [http://www.carowinds.com/attractions/detail.cfm?ai_id=32 Flying Super Saturator's on Carowinds website] ] cite news | last = Hudson | first = Jane Welborn | coauthors = | title = A pocket guide to summer| work = The Daily Reflector | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = June 6, 2005| url = | accessdate = ] cite book | last = Pressley | first = Leigh | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Insiders' Guide to Charlotte | publisher = Globe Pequot | date = 2007 | location = Guilford, CT | pages = 324 pages | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=zYolm8g7Hz4C | doi = | id = | isbn = 0762741791] cite book | last = Urbanowicz | first = Steven J. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion: A Thrill Seeker's Guide to the World's Best Coasters | publisher = Citadel Press | date = 2002 | location = New York | pages = 146 pages | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=06ifSJMnStQC | doi = | id = | isbn = 0806523093]

The coaster itself was located in the Boomerang Bay water park section of Carowinds. As such, it was only open from the end of May until the beginning of September when the waterpark itself was open.

The roller coaster was removed in August of 2008.cite book | last = | first = Eric | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Screamscape | publisher = | date = 2008 | location = | pages = | url = http://www.screamscape.com/html/carowinds.htm | doi = | id = | isbn = 0806523093] The ride is listed for sale on the website of Ital International LLC for an undisclosed price. [http://www.italintl.com/detail_page.php?record_id=1126]

Awards and reception

Setpoint USA, the company that designed and built Flying Super Saturator, was awarded the World Waterpark Association's industry innovation award for their design and creation of the coaster.cite news | last = | first = | coauthors = | title = Setpoint receives Industry Innovation Award for Flying Super Saturator| work = PRNewswire | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = October 23, 2000| url = http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-28476761_ITM | accessdate = ] The coaster also won an award from Screamscape.com for the "attraction that may not be the biggest of the best, but was made just for the fun of it."cite news | last = | first = | coauthors = | title = Setpoint's Flying Super Saturator voted Most Fun Looking Ride of 2000| work = PRNewswire | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = April 6, 2001| url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/prnewswire/access/70586241.html?dids=70586241:70586241&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+06%2C+2001&author=&pub=PR+Newswire&desc=Setpoint's+Flying+Super+Saturator+Voted+Most+Fun+Looking+Ride+of+2000&pqatl=google | accessdate = ] Two years after the creation of Flying Super Saturator, Setpoint built a similar water-themed roller coaster called Roller Soaker at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The two rides remain the only suspended water-coasters in the United States.

Although it was unique in many ways, Flying Super Saturator is far from an extreme thrill ride, only reaching speeds of 30 mph. After the addition of the large roller coaster Afterburn (called Top Gun under Paramount branding), the addition of Flying Super Saturator began a several-year-long trend of family-friendly rides that were being built at Carowinds.cite news | last = Smith | first = Nick | coauthors = | title = Carowinds to soar in 2004?| work = NinerOnline.com | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = August 8, 2003| url = http://media.www.nineronline.com/media/storage/paper971/news/2003/08/08/Entertainment/Carowinds.To.Soar.In.2004-2005809.shtml | accessdate = ] This trend ended in 2004 with the addition of Nighthawk (called Borg Assimilator under Paramount branding), and signaled a return to more dramatic thrill rides at the park.

References