Thunderhawk (Michigan's Adventure)

Infobox roller coaster
name=Thunderhawk
caption=Thunderhawk at its former home, Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom
location= Michigan's Adventure
section=Timbertown
type=Steel
type2=Inverted
status=Operating
opened=2008
Relocated=May 16, 2008
manufacturer=Vekoma
designer=Vekoma
model=SLC (689m Standard)
track=
lift= Chain lift hill
height=105
drop=85
length=2261
speed=55
inversions=5
duration=2:20
angle=60
capacity=1040
cost=$12,000,000
acceleration=
gforce=3.6
restriction=52
rcdb_number=489

Thunderhawk is an inverted steel roller coaster at Michigan's Adventure amusement park in Muskegon, Michigan, United States designed by Vekoma of The Netherlands. Thunderhawk has a maximum height limit of eighty inches (80"), equivalent to six-foot-eight (6'8).

History

Thunderhawk opened in 1998 at the pre-Six Flags Geauga Lake amusement park under the name "Serial Thriller" and had an on-ride photo camera. The ride was constructed over what was previously marshland along the shores of Geauga Lake and sits on a small man-made island. To keep this small island dry, a pump was built near the ride's entrance. Much of the track and supports were built right over the water.

The "Serial Thriller" was kept through the Six Flags era until Cedar Fair Entertainment Company purchased Geauga Lake in 2004. The ride's name was changed to Thunderhawk and the on-ride photo camera was removed. In 2007, on-ride video cameras were installed on the ride.

On September 21, 2007, Cedar Fair announced that Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom would no longer operate partially as a traditional amusement park, and instead become solely a waterpark, Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom. On October 2, 2007, Michigan's Adventure announced that Thunderhawk would be relocated to its park under the same name. cite news |first=Dave |last=Alexander |title=New roller coaster will be park's most expensive ride.|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1191338116231930.xml&coll=8&thispage=1 |publisher=Muskegon Chronicle |date=2007-10-02 |accessdate=2007-10-02]

During construction of Thunderhawk in January, Michigan's Adventure repainted the track red in order to differentiate the ride from its previous home, and to insure that it looked new. The park also replaced all of the padding and restraints on Thunderhawk's trains in order to maintain the new color scheme and improve the ride experience. Michigan's Adventure also added full length ride DVD's available for purchase by riders. [http://www.miadventure.com/th_con_jan.shtml Construction Photos, accessed on 1-29-2008]

References