Taiga (roller coaster)

Linnanmäki announced in early 2018, after a series of teaser social media posts, that the park was to build "its greatest ride project ever". This was to be a launched roller coaster built by Swiss manufacturer Intamin, and would surpass each of the records of height, length and speed held to date by Finnish roller coasters.[3] The coaster replaced the park's longstanding Premier Rides water coaster, Vonkaputous.

Overhead view of the ride.

The ride starts with a rolling LSM launch out of the station which leads into a Zero-g winder, followed by a series of banked right and left handed sweeping turns. Following these, the train arrives at the coaster's second and final launch: here the train is launched to the rides' top speed of 106.1 kilometres per hour (65.9 mph) up to a 52 metres (171 ft) top hat, before pulling down to the right into a Zero-g stall. The train then navigates a small airtime hill before rising into a large immelman loop. A further series of right and left handed S-bends leads the coaster to its final inversion, a in-line twist after which it reaches the brake run and station.[4]

The name Taiga derives from a Russian word that refers to boreal or snow forests - which make up much of Finland's geography. These are areas of land that are mostly pine, spruce, and larch forests. The ride's theme is primarily based around a nesting eagle (which can be seen on the front of the train), which makes regular observation flights from its nest around the park.[5]