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Windjammer Surf Racers

Coordinates: 33°50′45″N 118°00′03″W / 33.84583°N 118.00083°W / 33.84583; -118.00083
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Windjammer Surf Racers
Knott's Berry Farm
Park section The Boardwalk
Coordinates 33°50′45″N 118°00′03″W / 33.84583°N 118.00083°W / 33.84583; -118.00083
Status Removed
Opening date March 26, 1997 (1997-03-26)
Closing date March 2, 2000 (2000-03-02)
Cost $6,200,000
Replaced Wacky Soap Box Racers
Replaced by Xcelerator
General Statistics
Type Steel – Wild Mouse – Racing
Manufacturer TOGO
Designer TOGO
Model Looping Mouse
Track layout Custom
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
  Red Yellow
Height 69 ft (21.0 m) 69 ft (21.0 m)
Drop 54 ft (16.5 m) 31 ft (9.4 m)
Length 1,851 ft (564.2 m) 1,839 ft (560.5 m)
Speed 40 mph (64.4 km/h) 40 mph (64.4 km/h)
Inversions 1 1
Duration 1:30 1:30
Max vertical angle 42° 42°
Capacity 1400 riders per hour
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Trains 10 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train.
Windjammer Surf Racers at RCDB
Pictures of Windjammer Surf Racers at RCDB

Windjammer Surf Racers was a steel racing roller coaster located at Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in Buena Park, California. It sat on the former spot of Wacky Soap Box Racers.[1] The ride was plagued with mechanical issues and only operated sporadically from 1997 to 2000, leading to a lawsuit being filed against the manufacturer, TOGO.

History

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On September 26, 1996, Knott's Berry Farm announced a new roller coaster for the 1997 season called Windjammer Surf Racers.[2] It opened to the public on March 26, 1997.[3] Windjammer experienced mechanical issues early on.[4] Within a few weeks of operation, the ride needed several major repairs costing over $2 million.[4] It also quickly gained a negative reputation for being rough, as the over-the-shoulder restraints lacked padding. The racing coaster would also frequently stall in reportedly "slight breezes".[4]

In 1999, an apparel company challenged the coaster's name, which was temporarily changed to Jammer until the dispute was resolved.[3] In 2000, Knott's Berry Farm filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer, TOGO, suing for $17 million in damages.[5] Knott's reported problems including misaligned and poorly designed tracks, defective safety restraints, and wrinkles in the main frame of the trains. The park also alleged that the ride's design flaws prevented operation during medium winds, sometimes stalling even during slight breezes, which Knott's called an "embarrassment."[6] The ride remained closed during the lawsuit as evidence, but Knott's was unable to complete a sale of the ride. TOGO shut their American offices down in March 2001 after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.[7]

In June 2001, the park erected construction walls surrounding Windjammer Surf Racers, and the nearby Headspin scrambler ride was relocated.[8] Windjammer was demolished the following month in July 2001.[3] A hydraulically-launched roller coaster, Xcelerator, was built in its place for the following season.[9]

The ride remained closed during the lawsuit as evidence. When Knott's was unable to complete a sale of the ride, it was dismantled in July 2001. In November 2003, the jury rejected Knott's lawsuit in favor of TOGO International.

Ride experience

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Trains exiting the station

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 queuing guests clear from advancing vehicles within the station.

The ride was dressed as a tribute to the fabled Southern California beach and surf culture, complete with towering palm trees, beach sand, a miniature lagoon, a scaled-down lifeguard 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.

The attraction featured a unique interactive element built into the center of the helix finale, known as the “spiral cone.” The spiral cone consisted of motorized fans semi-enclosed within a steel conical housing structure. The mechanism was designed to simulate a wind effect - giving riders the sensation of being caught in the eye of a Pacific storm. However, the special effect failed to work as intended, and remained inoperable for most of the ride’s service life.

Layout

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Boardwalk view

After both trains exited the station, they headed up a 69-foot (21 m) chain lift hill. A right turn led into a drop on both tracks. After reaching the bottom of each drop, both sides reached a maximum speed of 40 mph (64 km/h) before entering a vertical loop. The trains went through several turns and drops and a helix finale before stopping on the final brake run and returning to the station.

References

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  1. ^ "10 former Knott's rides and attractions we miss the most". 21 August 2019.
  2. ^ Dickson, Marla (September 27, 1996). "Knott's Plans Double-Barrel Roller Coaster". The Los Angeles Times. Times Staff Writer. Retrieved November 17, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "Windjammer Surf Racers  (Knott's Berry Farm)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b c "This Ride Got Jammed - The Coaster Kings".
  5. ^ "Jury Rejects Knott's Suit Over Design of Coaster". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  6. ^ "Windjammer Surf Racers". Thrill Network. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  7. ^ "Business notebook: Bankruptcies". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 11, 2001. Retrieved November 17, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Construction Walls Up Around Windjammer at Knott's". Ultimate Rollercoaster.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Xcelerator  (Knott's Berry Farm)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
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