Hurler (roller coaster)
Hurler is a wooden roller coaster located at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. Built by International Coasters Inc., the ride opened to the public in 1994. An identical copy of the ride opened at Kings Dominion the same year, which was later converted into a steel roller coaster called Twisted Timbers in 2018.[2]
| Hurler | |
|---|---|
 | |
.JPG.webp) Hurler's first drop at Carowinds | |
| Carowinds | |
| Park section | Thrill Zone |
| Coordinates | 35°06′18.88″N 80°56′37.39″W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | June 4, 1994[1] |
| Kings Dominion | |
| Park section | Candy Apple Grove |
| Coordinates | 37°50′10.81″N 77°26′44.29″W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | April 28, 1994 |
| Closing date | November 1, 2015 |
| Replaced by | Twisted Timbers |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | International Coasters, Inc. |
| Track layout | Triple out and back |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 83 ft (25 m) |
| Drop | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Length | 3,157 ft (962 m) |
| Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Capacity | 1100 riders per hour |
| G-force | 4.1 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane available | |
| Hurler at RCDB Pictures of Hurler at RCDB | |
History
Both installations of Hurler opened in 1994. The coasters originally borrowed their theme from the 1992 Paramount motion picture Wayne's World, whose main characters frequently used the word "hurl." Paramount sold both parks in 2006, and new owner Cedar Fair retained the name but removed references to Wayne's World.
The Hurler installation at Kings Dominion was closed for part of the 2006 season to be re-tracked. In 2010, a new trim brake was installed immediately after the first hill prior to the season opening. Hurler closed again for part of the 2014 season for regular maintenance. In March 2016, a "closure" notice was posted on the park's website and published on the park map indicating that the ride would not operate at all throughout the season.[3][4] The website cited "extensive maintenance" as the reason.[4] A video released in October 2016 on King Dominion's Facebook homepage announced that Hurler's closure was permanent, showing a headstone with its name and years of operation (1994–2016).[5] The video ended with a teaser stating "for now", indicating it may be refurbished and reopened.[5] In August 2017, the park confirmed that Hurler would re-emerge as a hybrid roller coaster called Twisted Timbers in 2018.[6][7]
Ride layout
Riders are hoisted up an 83-foot (25 m) lift hill and make a wide turn before reaching the initial drop. During the drop, an on-ride camera automatically takes photographs of passengers. The ride continues with a wide, heavily banked, flat turn, then a series of hills and drops which jerk and shake passengers. The overall layout is a standard paperclip arrangement with two out-and-back style runs[8] (at Kings Dominion this extended into the courtyard adjacent to Grizzly).
The Hurler is also a mirror image of Thunder Run at Kentucky Kingdom.
Theming
Originally, the queue wound underneath the coaster through a "hot set" on location filming scenes from Wayne's World. Upon entering the station building, park guests passed through a full-scale set of the iconic basement hideout of Wayne and Garth. Since removal of the Paramount references, the queue and station building are loosely themed with the remains of the original theming. Movie-making paraphernalia including stage lights, cameras, props and signs are scattered sparsely about. At Carowinds, some of the original props (notably baby doll pieces) were recycled into the SCarowinds Maze of Madness. Although the Wayne's World theme has been removed from the coaster at Kings Dominion, many signs of the theme were still present until the ride's closure, including many stickers and stamps of the Wayne's World logo around the Hurler station, such as the columns by the exit.
References
- Nowell, Paul (June 3, 1994). "Party on! Wayne's World exhibit opens at Paramount's Carowinds". The Times and Democrat. Associated Press Writer. Retrieved July 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Twisted Timbers | New Wooden Coaster | Kings Dominion". www.kingsdominion.com. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
- "Hurler is Closed for 2016".
- "The Hurler - Thrilling Wooden Roller Coaster". Kings Dominion. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
- "Kings Dominion - Timeline - Facebook".
- Hylton, David. "Kings Dominion plans new coaster, winter event for 2018". Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- "Twisted Timbers – New Wooden Coaster". Kings Dominion. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
- "Carowinds Hurler Wooden Roller Coaster POV". TheCoasterViews. July 14, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2019 – via YouTube.
