Balloon Race (ride)
The Zamperla Balloon Race is a tilting, circular motion amusement park ride manufactured by Antonio Zamperla S.p.A. The ride makes its way up a structure, and at a certain height, it starts tilting.[1]
Designs
[edit]Gondola designs
[edit]Twelve balloons with gondolas hold up to 4 passengers each. This ride also comes in 8 balloon and 12 balloon versions. There is also an essentially identical ride with pirate ships instead of balloons. Seat belts and locking doors provide safety. At some installations, a rider may exit themselves, while in other ones, an operator must let them out.
Similar designs
[edit]The Chance Morgan company manufacture a version of the Balloon Race, which is similar except the balloons are much bigger.
Samba Balloons
[edit]A smaller version of this ride called Samba Balloons is also in existence. The ride does a similar motion, but the 'balloons' can be spun by riders. This version of the ride is often found in areas of amusement parks, and at traveling carnivals.
Some locations
[edit]Number of balloons or pirate ships is in parentheses.
- Big Easy Balloons (12) - Six Flags Great America.
- Ballons (8 Samba) - Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.
- Balloon Race (8) - Idlewild and Soak Zone moved in 1995 from Kennywood where it lasted for four years.
- Balloon Race (8) - Knott's Berry Farm's Camp Snoopy in Buena Park, CA.
- Balloon Race (8) - Six Flags New England Agawam, MA.
- Balloon Race - Waldameer & Water World, Erie, PA
- Flying Ace Balloon Race (was Boo Boo's Balloon Race) (8) - Carowinds[2]
- The Pirate's Flight (12) - Geauga Lake in Ohio (themed to pirate ships instead of balloons.)
- Samba Balloons (8) - Victorian Gardens at Wollman Rink in Central Park, NYC.
- Up, Up, and Away (8) - Six Flags Over Georgia. (2004–Present)
- Weather Balloons (8 Samba) - Darien Lake Darien Center, NY. (1996–Present)
- Balloon Race (8) - Santa's Village AZoosment Park East Dundee, IL (1992–Present)
- Up, Up, and Away (10) - Enchanted Kingdom Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines (1995–Present)
- Balloon Race (12) - Mega Parc Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (1988–2017)
- Balloon Race (8) - The Flambards Experience Helston, Cornwall, UK (1991-2023)
- Balloon Race (12) - Flamingo Land Resort Malton, Yorkshire, UK.
- Samba Balloons (8) - The Flambards Experience Helston, Cornwall, UK. (2023-2024)
References
[edit]- ^ Schock, Beverly (June 16, 1988). "Dorney Park unveils thrilling new rides". Pottsville Republican. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- ^ Rutherford, Scott (2013). Carowinds. Arcadia Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 9781467120036.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Balloon Race (ride) at Wikimedia Commons- Zamperla Rides
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